The tech giant is planning to hire 10,000 people over the next five years to begin building the metaverse, the firm said in October.

It plans to hire across Europe, specifically in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, and Ireland.

Technical roles include software engineers, data scientists, designers, product managers, and hardware engineers, but there will be jobs across all areas of the business. A Facebook software engineer in the US can expect to be paid $118,000 or more, according to an Insider analysis. In France, that role can command a salary of €87,000 or more, according to crowdsourced Glassdoor data.

That's going to require a recruitment drive — but how is the company defining the hazy concept of the metaverse to prospective candidates?

Andy Wilkinson, Facebook's Europe, the Middle East, and Africa recruiting director, told Insider the firm was thinking of the metaverse as "the next version of the internet."

"Today, we're communicating via the internet in a very 2D environment," he said. "The metaverse is a collection of the digital spaces that really allows people to feel that there's a closer sense of connection."

Facebook's metaverse includes Horizon Workrooms, virtual-reality offices for the new era of hybrid work.

Wilkinson said that the company wouldn't interview candidates in VR but that it was something the company would eventually do. In the meantime, candidates can expect a 2D video interview. 

Facebook is one of the best places to work in the UK, according to a 2022 analysis by Glassdoor.

Here are Wilkinson's top five insights on how candidates can get hired:

1. Be prepared for at least 5 interviews

"The first stage in the process is talking to a member of my team, to a recruiter, and the recruiter will spend time talking through positions that are available, finding out about the individual's backgrounds, areas of interest, etc.," Wilkinson said.

An initial interview involves "speaking to somebody at Facebook who's worked within that area of the business that could be relevant, and really just assess their suitability for positions available."

"Then, the final stage would be a series of interviews, typically around about four interviews to focus on four different focus areas," he said.

The last stage of interviews tests technical skills, he said. A software-engineer interview would focus on problem-solving and coding abilities in a one-to-one environment.

2. Soft skills are important

In résumés, Wilkinson said Facebook recruiters "love to see that passion for that area of interest really shining through." Alongside passion, two core soft skills they look for are collaboration and communication, he said. 

"Collaboration and communication are critical for our teams, regardless of which area of the business," Wilkinson said. "For us to build the technology that we're looking to build, and that we are building today, we need very strong communication skills and collaboration. The soft skills are very, very important."

3. You're a problem-solver

Another core skill is problem-solving, being able to work through challenges is a part of life at Facebook. 

"In terms of the focus area of that interview, for example, if that was problem-solving, we love people to explain why they're coming to a certain solution for that challenge and to just talk through their thinking before jumping into coding," he said. 

"So that can be a common challenge we see because some get so excited and want to jump into building their solution, their code," he added. "We give them the advice to spend some time walking through their plan and explain the solution and then move into coding it."

4. Own the interview 

Being confident and self-assured is important, too. 

"We like people to really own the process," he said. "Talk through their background, give good examples around previous situations they may have encountered and how they've dealt with them."

5. Be authentic 

Being your "authentic self" is encouraged, he said. 

"We always encourage people to be their authentic selves," he added, "to be honest through interviews, to talk through past mistakes that may have been made and reflections on those mistakes but, above all, to enjoy the process."

Is your company hiring for metaverse roles? Contact the reporter, Sawdah, on sbhaimiya@insider.com.