How to apply to FAANG jobs: limits, referrals and reapplying

Each of the big five tech companies sets its own rules for applications. Google lets you apply to up to three jobs in any rolling 30 days, and Amazon to up to 10 roles at a time. Meta allows more than one with no stated number. Apple and Netflix don't publish a limit. After a rejection, Google asks you to wait at least 90 days before applying to the same job, and typically a year for the same type of role. Amazon, Meta, Apple and Netflix state no general waiting period.

Everything here comes from the companies' own careers pages, help centres and candidate privacy notices, checked on 12 October 2026. "Not stated" means we found nothing official on the point.

How many FAANG jobs can you apply to at once?

Google sets the tightest limit. Its hiring page says "you can apply for up to three jobs within a rolling 30 day window." In a rolling window, each application stops counting 30 days after you send it. Google adds advice to go with it: "We recommend narrowing your choices down to a few jobs that truly match your skills, experience, and interests versus applying to anything and everything that resembles your ideal job."

Amazon limits how many applications you have open at once: "You can apply and interview for maximum of 10 roles at a time." Each one may have its own interview process and recruiter. For some engineering roles, one assessment counts for several applications. Amazon's SDE II online assessment page says "your results are applicable to multiple SDE II positions."

Meta says "Yes, you can apply to more than one role at Meta", and asks you to meet the minimum qualifications for each one. Apple and Netflix don't state a limit. Apple's job site tells you that one application covers every location a role is open in, so there's no need to apply once per city.

The limit shapes how you use your resume. Google lets each application carry its own version. Amazon and Meta keep "one resume per applicant", so the same document goes to every role you're in for. Our FAANG resume guide covers what each company asks for in it.

Can you reapply to a FAANG company after a rejection?

Yes. Google gives two numbers. Its help centre says "You must wait 90 days before re-applying for the same job", and adds that candidates reapplying for technical roles "are most successful when they've added 12 - 18 months more experience." Its hiring page says "Typically, we ask for folks to wait at least a year to gain additional experience before reapplying for the same type of role." So 90 days is the rule for the same posting, and a year is Google's general advice for the same kind of role.

Google also says a first rejection is common: "Most Googlers applied for other roles at Google before they eventually made it to interviews." It adds that not getting a role is often a matter of timing.

Amazon states no general waiting period. The one it does state is for the SDE II online assessment. If you don't pass, "you'll be encouraged to practice and re-apply in six months." Amazon's student FAQ warns about the withdraw button too: "The withdraw feature is a permanent action for the rest of the season for that specific job ID."

Meta, Apple and Netflix don't publish waiting periods. You'll see six-month and twelve-month "cooldowns" quoted for all five companies on forums and coaching sites, but apart from Google's wording and Amazon's SDE II assessment, none of them appears on the companies' own pages.

Do referrals help you get a FAANG job?

All five have a way for employees to refer you, and none of them promises a referral will get you an interview. What they describe is the mechanics.

The order matters most at Amazon. Its student FAQ says "Please have the Amazon employee submit your referral first" and "We're unable to add referrals to applications that have already been submitted and are in process." If you already applied, withdrawing to reapply with a referral doesn't work either, because a withdrawal locks you out of that job ID for the season. So if you know someone at Amazon, ask them before you click apply. A referral to a different role is still possible.

What happens after you apply?

Google, Amazon and Meta describe their processes in some detail. Apple and Netflix don't publish theirs.

Google, about 6 to 8 weeks

Google says the process typically takes "roughly 6-8 weeks". Before interviews, you may take the Google Hiring Assessment, "designed to measure workstyle skills", and role tests such as a coding exercise. Then come "one or two shorter conversations over phone or video with your recruiter", sometimes a small project, and "a panel of interviews, either over video or in person". Google says "AI tools are not permitted to be used during your interviews", and it has "reintroduced in-person interviews for some roles." After the panel, "it may be several weeks before your recruiter can share an outcome decision."

Amazon, about 3 to 6 weeks

Amazon says "On average, the process takes between three and six weeks." It usually means "one or two telephone interviews, followed by an interview loop", with assessments possible in between. In the loop, "You'll likely meet with two to seven people", including "a Bar Raiser (someone from another team focused on hiring quality)", for "around 45 minutes to an hour with each interviewer." Amazon aims to give you an update "within two business days after your phone interview and within five business days after your interview loop." If a role doesn't work out, your recruiter "may assist you in finding another similar role."

Meta, about 2 to 3 months

Meta's process "typically consists of a recruiter conversation, initial screening and a full loop interview", and "usually takes about 2 to 3 months." For select roles the first step is a prescreen form in your Career Profile. Meta's technical interviews differ from the others on one point. "Many of Meta's interviews now include an AI assistant built into the interview environment. Candidates are expected to use this AI assistant as part of the interview." The assistant runs inside CoderPad, the coding tool used in the interview, and you pick the model, from Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Meta's own. Outside AI tools aren't allowed.

Apple and Netflix

Apple's public pages don't describe its hiring steps, and its candidate pages need an Apple Account sign-in. Netflix's job site tells applicants that the hiring team is reviewing the application and "should we find your background to be a fit for this role we will be in touch." Neither gives a timeline.

Where does your FAANG application go?

Four of the five take applications on their own careers sites, and you sign in with an account each time. Google uses your Google Account, Amazon has its own amazon.jobs login, Meta has a Career Profile and Apple uses your Apple Account. Netflix's job search runs on Eightfold, a recruiting software company, at explore.jobs.netflix.net. Meta warns that "All Meta job applications are managed through metacareers.com", with contract roles on a separate site, meta.talentnet.community. It also says it will never ask for payment or bank details during recruitment, so treat any other application link or request with suspicion.

Your details stay on file after you apply.

• Google fills future applications from your Careers profile, and its system parses your resume into form fields. You can't change an application after you submit it.
• Amazon keeps your resume and interview information on file. Its EU privacy notice says it keeps candidate data for up to three years, and up to seven if you consent to being considered for future jobs.
• Meta keeps your information "as long as is reasonably necessary" and may use your profile "to recommend potential role or team matches".
• Netflix says it will "retain information about your candidacy, including your resume/CV for consideration for future roles."

Each status page shows where you stand. Google points you to your Careers profile, Amazon to "Your job application" at the top of amazon.jobs, and Meta to your Career Profile.

A plan for applying to FAANG jobs

The limits reward a short, deliberate list over a wide one. This plan follows what the companies publish.

1. Choose your roles before you apply. At Google you get three applications in 30 days, so pick the postings whose minimum qualifications you clearly meet.
2. Line up referrals first. At Amazon a referral has to come before your application. The others don't say whether timing matters, so asking first costs nothing.
3. Prepare the resume for the whole batch. At Amazon and Meta one resume covers every role, so write it for the set of roles you're targeting. At Google you can tailor each one.
4. Skip the cover letter at Amazon, and add one at Google or Apple only when you have something specific to say.
5. Write down every date. Note when each application went in, when you heard back and when you can next apply. Google's 30-day window and 90-day wait are easy to lose track of across several companies.

A spreadsheet works for step 5. If you'd rather keep applications next to the resume you sent, OneCV's job application tracker puts each one on a board from Wishlist to Offer, with notes and links. It's part of the Pro plan.

Frequently asked questions

How many jobs can I apply to at Google?

Up to three within a rolling 30-day window. Google recommends spending them on jobs that closely match your skills and experience.

Can I reapply to Google after being rejected?

Yes. Google requires 90 days before reapplying for the same job, and typically asks you to wait at least a year before reapplying for the same type of role, to gain more experience.

Is there a cooldown period at Amazon or Meta?

Neither publishes a general one. Amazon states a six-month wait only after a failed SDE II online assessment. The fixed cooldowns quoted online for Amazon and Meta don't appear on their careers pages.

Does a referral guarantee an interview at a FAANG company?

No company says so. Google and Meta say they may keep the referrer informed, and Amazon says it will ask you to complete an application. At Amazon, the referral has to be submitted before you apply.

Does applying to many roles at one company hurt my chances?

None of the five says it does. Google advises narrowing your choices, and its 30-day limit enforces that. Amazon caps you at 10 roles at a time. Meta allows more than one if you meet each role's minimum qualifications.

Can I use AI tools in FAANG interviews?

It depends on the company. Google doesn't permit AI tools during interviews. Meta builds an AI assistant into many technical interviews and expects candidates to use it, and allows no other tools. Amazon's pages don't say whether candidates may use AI, though Amazon offers AI transcription of some Zoom interviews and says that choice "won't affect how your application is evaluated." Apple and Netflix don't say.

Before you spend your three Google applications, make sure the resume is ready. Create your free OneCV account to build it, then check the PDF with the ATS resume checker.