Amazon is a tech giant with tons of different departments and roles that make the company tick like clockwork. And, if you want to become a part of that well-oiled machine, you’ll need to know how to ace the Amazon interview.
In this guide, we’ll dive into understanding Amazon’s dynamic culture and the esteemed Leadership Principles that guide all their business decisions. We’ll discuss in detail how you can prepare, what type of questions you can expect, and, of course, how to answer them effectively. Also, we’ll look at the key steps to follow once your interview is over.
So, whether you’re an experienced professional or fresh out of college, this comprehensive guide will empower you with the knowledge and confidence you need to put your best foot forward at your Amazon interview. Let’s get started!
The Interview Process at Amazon
To get started on the job-seeking journey at this company, it pays to know a little bit about what to expect out of the interview process. Amazon thankfully provides a pretty clear map of their process, which I’ll guide you through.
Typically, the whole process can span several weeks, which can seem long, but it’s essential to remember that this timeline isn’t a reflection of your candidacy’s quality. Amazon prides itself in being thorough and finding the best fit for the company and the candidate. High standards are one of its Leadership Principles, after all!
After every stage of the interview, you will usually hear something back within a week to inform you of the next steps, whether that’s progressing to the next stage or not. Patience is a virtue, but if more than a week has passed, don’t hesitate to follow up with a polite email.
Initial Phone Interview
The Amazon interview process typically starts with an initial resume or application screening. After submitting your resume, if it checks all the right boxes and highlights your relevant skill set, a recruiter will reach out to set up a phone interview. The initial goal here is to grasp your basic qualifications and your interest in the role.
Second Phone Interview
This interview is likely with the hiring manager or team leaders. This step aims to dig deeper into your job experiences and how they align with Amazon’s Leadership Principles. At this moment, you may encounter more Amazon-specific inquiries and behavioral questions.
Onsite Interview
This stage might consist of a series of in-person interviews, varying between one-on-one discussions and panel interviews with different team members. These sessions dive deeper into your suitability for the role and the company’s culture. You might also face some role-play scenarios, hypothetical problem-solving tasks, or case studies.
Also, for technical roles, there’s often a specific technical assessment involved in this onsite interview to evaluate relevant job skills.
Pro Tips for Preparing for a Job Interview at Amazon
As someone who’s spent years guiding individuals through different job opportunities, I understand how overwhelming it can feel when you’re faced with a job interview. However, the good news is that a successful job interview at Amazon, like any other company, lies in good preparation.
Here are a couple of tips I recommend to help you properly prepare for your job interview at Amazon.
Understand Amazon’s Unique Working Environment
Amazon guides itself by something it calls leadership principles. These principles outline the qualities Amazon seeks in its employees, including a solid customer focus, ownership mindset, long-term thinking, and a knack for invention and simplicity, to mention a few. They guide the decisions at Amazon – big and small.
So, familiarize yourself with these principles, as they are often directly tied to their interview questions.
Pro Tip: try matching these principles to your own experiences and prepare examples to discuss during your interview. For instance, if you’re demonstrating the principle of customer obsession, you could share an example from a previous job where you went above and beyond to meet a customer’s needs. Perhaps you worked late to resolve their issue or offered a creative solution to their problem.
Analyze the Job Description of the Role You’ve Applied For
This document is like a roadmap, guiding you to what the company expects from a successful candidate. Pay close attention to the listed responsibilities and qualifications, as you need to show during the interview how your skills and experiences align with them.
For example, if the job description mentions a requirement for project management skills, prepare an example of a successful project you managed or a time you showcased exemplary organizational ability.
Dress Appropriately for the Interview
Amazon has a casual dress code, but you want to look professional and put-together. On top of that, have your documents neatly organized and ready to present if necessary. These steps can make a lasting impression that can help land you the job.
Research Common Amazon Interview Questions
There are various resources available online where you can get an idea of what questions to expect. While you can’t predict every question, you have a chance to prepare your thoughts and experiences in advance.
Different Types of Interview Questions to Expect at Amazon
As you prepare for your interview with Amazon, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the different types of questions that the hiring team may use to evaluate your skills, knowledge, and cultural fit. In general, you’ll be faced with four different types of interview questions:
- Behavioral interview questions
- Situational questions
- Technical questions
- Culture and leadership questions
Let’s go over what each of these entails.
Behavioral Questions
One of the primary types of questions you can expect at your Amazon interview is behavioral questions. Behavioral questions are designed to learn about your past experiences and to glean how you might react in future situations.
They are typically structured as “Tell me about a time when…” and will probe areas related to leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, and problem-solving. For example, “Tell me about a time when you had to make a tough decision with limited information.”
Pro Tip: Try using the STAR Method — situation, task, action, result — to share in-depth and well-rounded answers when asked these types of questions.
Situational Questions
These questions are hypothetical situations that may arise in the job you’re applying for. They are used to assess your problem-solving skills and ability to handle challenging circumstances.
An example might be, “What would you do if your team has a looming deadline, and it’s clear you’re not going to meet it?”
Technical Questions
If you’re applying for a technical role, brace yourself for some hard-core technical questions. These can be related to programming languages, network architecture, troubleshooting, data structures, algorithm design, and more.
For instance, “Can you explain what REST and SOAP are and provide an example of when you would use them?”
Culture and Leadership Principle Questions
Amazon interviewers always relate their interview questions to one or more of their 14 Leadership Principles. These principles underpin everything they do, and they will be looking for them in your responses.
An example question might be, “Tell me about a time you chose long-term company benefits over short-term gains,” which aligns with the principle of long-term thinking.
Top Questions Asked in an Amazon Job Interview
Now that you know what types of questions you can expect in the job interview, it’s time to start practicing them.
Certain interview questions come up more frequently than others at Amazon. Remember, these are not trick questions. They are designed to help your interviewer understand how your past experiences and skills align with Amazon’s Leadership Principles.
Answer honestly, demonstrate your thought process, and focus on results. Amazon values learning from failure and iterating, so don’t hesitate to use an example where things didn’t turn out as planned, as long as you elucidate what you learned and how you grew from the experience.
Here’s a rundown of some of the popular ones that often trip up interviewees, along with some insights on approaching them effectively.
“Can you tell me about a time when you used data to make a decision?”
Amazon prioritizes data analysis and makes many decisions based on data. When answering this question, it’s crucial to detail the situation, the data you used, your interpretation, and how you arrived at a decision based on that data. It demonstrates your analytical skills and shows that you understand the importance of data in decision-making, which aligns perfectly with Amazon’s values.
“Can you tell me about a time when you had to take a calculated risk?”
Amazon is known for being adventurous and open to taking calculated risks. The answer should reveal your ability to assess the situation, weigh the pros and cons, and make bold but informed decisions, even when there’s a chance of failure. Be sure to include both the process and the result of the risk you took.
“Who was your most challenging customer, and how did you handle them?”
Customer obsession is one of the foremost principles at Amazon. The company wants to see if you have a similar commitment. When answering, choose a real-life example that shows how you handled a difficult customer situation positively, empathetically, and proactively, turning that challenge into an opportunity to exceed expectations.
“Describe a situation where you disagreed with a superior, and how did you resolve it?”
This question is a gauge of your leadership and effective communication abilities. Showcase an instance where you handled disagreement professionally, being respectful yet assertive, and collaborated to find a beneficial resolution.
“Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer.”
This classic question seeks to measure your customer obsession. The goal here would be to use the STAR method to tell a short, detailed story about what happened and how you handled it.
“Describe a situation where you had to face a significant challenge on a project.”
This question examines your problem-solving prowess and resilience. Once again, you’ll want to use the STAR method to help set the scene and showcase what skills you used in the situation.
“How have you dealt with a failing project?”
The Leadership Principle in focus here is about “Ownership” and briefly “Learn and Be Curious”. Make sure that your answer centers around how you took ownership for the situation as well as what you learned, even if the project ultimately couldn’t be saved.
“How would you handle it if your team resisted a new idea or policy you introduced?”
Here, Amazon is looking for insights into your leadership and problem-solving skills, particularly in the face of resistance. A solid response might involve demonstrating empathy, actively seeking to understand the cause of the resistance, and cooperating with your team to find a mutually agreeable solution.
How to Answer Amazon Interview Questions
Knowing what potential Amazon interview questions you might encounter is only half the battle. You’ve also got to know how to answer them.
There are actually a few different things to keep in mind when it comes to answering Amazon interview questions, which I’ve outlined below.
Implement the STAR Method
First and foremost, let’s discuss the STAR method. This is one of the best ways to answer behavioral and complex situation-based questions that you’ll likely encounter during your Amazon interview.
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result:
- Situation: Start by explaining the context or background of the situation you were in. It could be a project at your previous job, a situation during your university studies, or any other relevant experience.
- Task: Describe the actual problem or task you were facing.
- Action: This is where you explain what you did to solve the problem or meet the task at hand.
- Result: Finish by sharing the outcomes of your actions. Whenever possible, use quantifiable information.
The goal of using the STAR method is to paint a clear and concise picture of your actions and their impact. It allows you not only to describe the situation vividly but also to communicate your decision-making skills, adaptability, and other work-related qualities.
Incorporate Amazon’s Leadership Principles in your Answers
Besides using the STAR method, you’ll also want to make sure you’re keeping Amazon’s leadership principles in the back of your mind.
During your interview, you’ll want to intertwine them into your answers wherever applicable. Let’s say you’re asked: “Describe a time you took a risk and made a decision not knowing if it would work.” You might want to highlight the principle of “Bias for Action” in your answer. The company values decisiveness and the ability to make sound decisions in the interest of swifter progress.
Use Quantifiable Facts and Figures Where you Can
If a project you’ve managed increased the sales by 25% or you’ve helped reduce processing time by 40%, mention that. Concrete numbers provide legitimacy to your claims and showcase your tangible impact.
Questions to Ask the Interviewer
Whether it’s your first round of interviews or you’re in the final stages, one thing’s for sure: every interview is a two-way street. Naturally, the interviewer is trying to see if you’re the best fit for the position, but it’s just as important for you to determine if Amazon is the right place for you.
An essential part of this mutual assessment is asking thoughtful and relevant questions at the end of the interview. Not only does this allow you to gain clarity and insight on issues that matter to you, but it also showcases your enthusiasm for the job, your ability to think critically, and your preparation skills.
Here is a list of well-thought-out questions that you can consider asking your Amazon interviewer:
- Can you tell me what a typical day in this role looks like? This question will provide you with great insights into the responsibilities and the potential challenges you might face.
- How does Amazon encourage professional development? Find out about opportunities for learning, training, and growth within the company.
- What’s the company culture like in this particular office/team? This question can help ascertain whether you would thrive in the work environment.
- How does this role help drive Amazon’s mission? This is a perfect way to reflect your understanding of Amazon’s goals and to express your eagerness to contribute.
- What’s the most rewarding thing about working for Amazon? Not only does this question allow the interviewer to share positive aspects about working at Amazon, but you also get a hint about what values they personally appreciate.
- What are the next steps in the hiring process? This question shows that you’re keenly interested in moving forward.
Remember, you don’t have to ask all of these questions. Pick two or three that ring true to you and what you want to know about the company, and focus on those at the end of the conversation.
Step Into a New Career at Amazon
Stepping into the job interview process with Amazon can seem daunting, but remember, you’ve got what it takes to shine! With a thorough understanding of Amazon’s leadership principles, and a strong preparation strategy and practice, you can certainly turn this opportunity into a job offer. Remember, every interview is a learning opportunity, and you’re already one step closer to landing your dream job.
Every interview is a learning experience, and each one takes you a step nearer to landing your perfect role. That’s true regardless of whether it’s at Amazon or not. Keep building on each experience, and always keep pushing forward.
Here at our career coaching platform, your success is our priority! We know that practice makes perfect, which is why we strongly recommend trying out mock interview questions with our expert career coaches. Get personalized advice and guidance to refine your answers, boost your confidence, and enhance your interview skills.
