The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Amazon in May 2009
Interview
A recruiter from Amazon got my resume from Dice and called me. I did not have the exact skill sets for the job description for which I was to be interviewed but the recruiter informed that at Amazon they are looking for people with sound software engineering background and the exact skill set or experience in a particular programming language did not matter.
The recruiter setup a phone interview for an hour. I could not attend the interview as my daughter was sick. So, the interview was rescheduled with no problems.
The interviewer was very calm, giving me plenty of time to think and come up with an answer. He also gave me tips to lead me in the right direction. Overall the interview experience was very good. It was an hour long interview.
Questions asked:
1. How would you implement a hash map in java if for some reason you cannot use java.util.HashMap class?
2. Can any class be used with an enhanced for loop i.e. for each loop in java?
3. How would you implement threads in java. Go over all the details of join, wait etc.
4. Why do you want to work at Amazon?
Interview questions [2]
Question 1
How do you implement a HashMap in java if suppose there was no java.util.HashMap class available.
Tough interview.
The Process: Automated Online Assessment (OA) with 2 coding questions and a system simulation, followed by a 4-round virtual Loop. Every single round started with 20 minutes of intense, behavioral behavioral questions diving into Amazon's Leadership Principles, followed by 25 minutes of technical coding or system design.
Amazon interviews are a test of mental endurance because you have to switch from deep behavioral storytelling straight into complex coding which can be so difficult. I used Apex Interviewer to practice the cognitive context switch. Running through their live-coding workspace helped me ensure my technical communication and architectural structures remained sharp and automatic, even after spending the first half of the interview defending my past project metrics. I fed the practice AI questions I extracted from glassdoor and gothamloop.
In the end, the offer was way lower than I hoped.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Design the backend inventory tracking and placement service for a global fulfillment network, ensuring strict transactional consistency across multiple regional warehouses during peak shopping events.
Initial screening call with recruiter followed by a 1 hr hacker rank question on DSA. The final round was a panel consisting of 4 interviews ranging from technical design, more DSA and behaviour questions.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Describe a time when you disagreed with your team and how you resolved it
Online Application & Assessment: Candidates apply via amazon.jobs and may be asked to complete online assessments (work simulations or technical tests).
Recruiter Phone Screen: A 30-60 minute interview to discuss your background, interest in the role, and initial behavioral questions.
Technical Phone Screen (For Tech Roles): A 60-minute interview focused on data structures, algorithms, and coding in a shared editor.
Interview Loop (Virtual/Onsite): The final stage, usually 3-5, 45-60 minute interviews held on the same day or over a few days.
Behavioral Questions: These focus on past behavior (STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result) mapped to Leadership Principles.
Technical/Functional Questions: Problem-solving, system design, or domain-specific questions.
Bar Raiser Interview: One interviewer is a "Bar Raiser," a neutral employee from another team tasked with ensuring hiring standards remain high.
Hiring Committee/Debrief: Interviewers meet to discuss candidate feedback and make a hiring decision.