Amazon Interview Questions

Now that we know about the rich heritage of Amazon, its work culture, and its Leadership Principles, I am sure that you will be tempted to interview at Amazon and take a job! Here are a few tips which you can use to crack Amazon's interview and get a job

• Understand the Leadership Principles Well - As mentioned before, Amazonians take great pride as far as their Leadership Principles are concerned. Therefore, knowing about these principles and citing an instance or two where the candidate has applied them in real life will have a positive impact on the interviewers. This leaves an impression that the candidate is genuinely interested in working with the company.
• Be Thorough with Data Structures and Algorithms - At Amazon, there is always an appreciation for great problem solvers. If you want to have a good impression of the interviewers, the best way is to prove that you have worked a lot on developing your logic structures and solving algorithmic problems. A good understanding of Data Structures and Algorithms and having one or two good projects always earn you brownie points with Amazon.
• Use the STAR method to format your Response - STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. The STAR method is a structured way to respond to behavioral-based interview questions. To answer a provided question using the STAR method, you start by describing the situation that was at hand, the Task which needed to be done, the action taken by you as a response to the Task, and finally the Result of the experience. It is important to think about all the details and recall everyone and everything that was involved in the situation. Let the interviewer know how much of an impact that experience had on your life and in the lives of all others who were involved. It is always good practice to be prepared with a real-life story that you can describe using the STAR method.
• Know and Describe your Strengths - Many people who interview at various companies, stay shy during the interviews and feel uncomfortable when they are asked to describe their strengths. Remember that if you do not show how good you are at the skills you know, no one will ever be able to know about the same and this might just cost you a lot. So it is okay to think about yourself and highlight your strengths properly and honestly as and when required.
• Discuss with your interviewer and keep the conversation going - Remember that an interview is not a written exam and therefore even if you come up with the best of solutions for the given problems, it is not worth anything until and unless the interviewer understands what you are trying to say. Therefore, it is important to make the interviewer that he or she is also a part of the interview. Also, asking questions might always prove to be helpful during the interview.

• Recruiter Connect: Best way to get noticed by Amazon recruiters is to maintain a good Linkedin profile and message recruiters. The candidate can also apply on the Amazon job portal but it is suggested that they also get a referral from an Amazon employee.
• Interview Rounds: Amazon conducts four interview rounds alongside an initial coding test. The coding test consists of DS/Algo problems. The first round is an HR round where they ask behavioral questions along with Computer Science theory questions to the candidate. The next three rounds focus solely on DS/Algo.
• After Interviews: The recruiter contacts the candidate after these rounds and tells the verdict. They also look at the candidate’s leadership principles along with technical skills.
• Hired: Once the team and you both are comfortable and ready to start, the offer letter is prepared and shared with you by the recruiters and you are HIRED!

• HR Round(1 Round): This is when they ask computer science theory and behavioural questions to the candidate. The questions may enquire about the candidate’s experience at previous companies and conflicts the candidate might have faced with colleagues/managers.
• Data Structures and Algorithms Rounds(3 Rounds): The candidate is asked DS/Algo problems where production ready code might be expected from the candidate. It is not out of the realm of possibility to face minor behavioural questions here as well. The problems range from easy to hard but they are not the sole deciding factor for the final offer. Leadership principles also come into play here. The interviews are conducted on Amazon Chime.

There are 5 rounds (4- Data Structures and Algorithms, 1- System Design, and 1- HR) at Amazon.

The toughness of an interview depends upon the amount of hard work you have put in to prepare for them. Usually, the questions asked in a standard Amazon interview are of Easy to Medium Level but it varies from person to person.

You can go to the Amazon Jobs portal and apply for any open role matching your skill set over there.

Yes, we can apply to any role that aligns with both our interests and skills. We are evaluated against the requirements for each role and we can give interviews for different roles at the same time.

It is always nice to ask questions about the company's culture and what is the current technology using which the company makes its products. Asking about the future innovations at Amazon also might be a good idea as it might make the interviewer believe that you are looking forward to joining Amazon for a long time. You can also ask about the interviewer's personal experience at Amazon and what skills you must develop before you join the job.

The secret lies in the amount of practice you do. Put in a lot of effort in solving challenging problems on Data Structures and Algorithms. Having a good knowledge of fundamental Computer Science Concepts like Object-Oriented Programming, Computer Networks, Operating Systems, etc. might also be helpful.

No, Amazon does not have a dress code. However, all employees are supposed to wear decent clothes at their respective places of work.

No, only good problem-solving skills are required to get hired at Amazon for an SDE position. Having said that, you will always get brownie points if you have a good project or two in your Resume as it shows that you are referenced and interested in the domain on which you have made your project.