Facebook's VP of HR says the most important thing he looks for in a job interview can't be prepared in advance

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Facebook HR VP Tudor Havriliuc

Observator TV/Youtube

Be yourself, says Facebook HR VP Tudor Havriliuc (pictured).

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It's important to do your homework before any job interview.

You'd better be prepared to solve puzzles and demonstrate your technical expertise. It's probably a good idea to figure out what kind of tricky questions might come up.

And then, of course, make sure come up with some questions of your own.

However, according to Facebook's VP of HR Tudor Havriliuc, preparation isn't everything.

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Havriliuc, who participated in Glassdoor's Best Places to Work Roadshow, says there's only so much you can study beforehand.

If you want to get a job at a company like Facebook, you've got to be able to prove that you connect with the company's mission and values as well.

"They have to be passionate and they have to really care about our mission to connect the world," Havriliuc told Business Insider. "We're a very mission-driven company, and ultimately our goal is to give everyone in the world a voice. That needs to be important to whoever wants to join Facebook. Beyond the technical and subject matter expertise piece of the interview, we do really ask people to share with us how they live those values. It really varies."

Havriliuc said that allowing your authentic self to shine through over the course of the conversation is crucial.

"We come to the process with a very open mind and we want to meet people where they are," he told Business Insider. "We really look for people who can be their authentic selves, both in the interview process and once they join us."

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He said that it's up to recruiters and interviewers to determine whether or not a person embodies the company values - and that it's something you can't really prepare for in advance.

"It's very difficult to throw a wide net that gets you exactly to those values, but we have very experienced people who've interviewed many, many people. They can find out in the interview process," Havriliuc said. "It's not something you can prepare for. Wanting to be open and wanting to make an impact, it's nothing something you can study up for. It's something that you just live in your values, day to day."

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