I applied online. The process took 6 weeks. I interviewed at Amazon (New York, NY) in Mar 2022
Interview
Interview process was extensive and the prep was exhaustive, spanning 5-6 weeks total.
Amazon has an interview system that pin-points interviewers to focus only on specific aspects, which may be beneficial in some sense, but also causes them to lose out on seeing a wider range of interchangeable skills.
The company provides a very clear but extensive prep guide in how they want responses to be received, called the STAR method.
Amazon also operates by 14 Leadership Principles, which are its core values. All questions seek to uncover how a candidate thinks in accordance to these specific principles.
A team of 4 or 5 people interviewed me individually.
One interviewer interviewed me twice, the first time went smoothly, but in the second she asked the same questions about myself and background, as if she had never met me. Repeating the same info left me bewildered as to the efficacy of this rigorous interview format.
Personally, I believe this structure was extreme, unproductive and overly rigorous. Another large global employer offered me a case study in its latter interview stages, in which I presented and explained my strategy and steps- thus demonstrating how I think. I believe they got more out of my case study presentation than squeezing me into restrictive Amazon boxes.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
“Tell me about a time when you had to exhibit a ‘bias for action’.” Use the STAR method in your answer.