Interviewing Tips- How to Nail an Interview at Amazon?

About Amazon:
Help Make History starting with Day 1:
When Amazon.com launched in 1995, it was with the mission “to be Earth’s most customer-centric company.” What does this mean? It's simple.
We're a company that obsesses over our customers. Our actions, goals, projects, programs and inventions begin and end with the customer top
of mind. In other words, we start with the customer and work backwards. When we hit on something that is really working for customers, we
double-down on it with hopes to turn it into an even bigger success. However, it’s not always as clean as that. Inventing is messy, and over time,
it’s certain that we’ll fail at some big bets too.

You'll also hear us say that at Amazon, it's always "Day 1." What do we mean? Our approach remains the same as it was on Amazon’s very first
day — to make smart, fast decisions, stay nimble, innovate and invent, and focus on delighting customers.

“We continue to aspire to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, and we recognize this to be no small or easy challenge. We know there is
much we can do better, and we find tremendous energy in the many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.” – Jeff Bezos.

Click here to watch video.

Customer Centricity:
Amazon is built on the concept of a virtuous cycle focused on the customer. The idea was constructed on a napkin by CEO Jeff Bezos, and still
remains a living, breathing part of Amazon.

Click here to watch video.

What makes us peculiar?
Some of the best ways to learn about our peculiarities are to explore our Leadership Principles and to read Jeff Bezos’ letters to shareholders.
Jeff has written this letter annually for the past 20 years, and each provides insight into our culture and how we operate. Each letter also ends
with a key point from his 1997 letter, “our core values and approach remain unchanged. We continue to aspire to be Earth’s most customer-
centric company."

Here are some highlights:

 We “focus on hiring and retaining versatile and talented employees, and continue to weight their compensation to stock options
rather than cash. We know our success will be largely affected by our ability to attract and retain a motivated employee base, each
of whom must think like, and therefore must actually be, an owner” (1997 shareholder letter).
 We believe “some decisions are consequential and irreversible or nearly irreversible – one-way doors… If you walk through and
don’t like what you see on the other side, you can’t get back to where you were before… But most decisions aren’t like that – they
are changeable, reversible – they’re two-way doors. If you’ve made a suboptimal Type 2 decision, you don’t have to live with the
consequences for that long. You can reopen the door and go back through. Type 2 decisions can and should be made quickly by high
judgment individuals or small groups” (2015 shareholder letter).
 “We want to be a large company that’s also an invention machine. We want to combine the extraordinary customer-serving
capabilities that are enabled by size with the speed of movement, nimbleness, and risk acceptance mentality normally associated
with entrepreneurial start-ups” (2015 shareholder letter).
 A “one-size-fits-all thinking can turn out to be only one of the pitfalls. We work hard to avoid it… and any other large organization
maladies we can identify” (2015 shareholder letter).
 When it comes to obsessing over customers, we’re in it for the long haul. “A remarkable customer experience starts with heart,
intuition, curiosity, play, guts, and taste” (2016 shareholder letter).
 Every day is Day 1 at Amazon. In Amazon’s 2016 letter to shareholders, Jeff Bezos said that, “Day 2 is stasis. Followed by irrelevance.
Followed by excruciating, painful decline… And that is why it is always Day 1."
 “We don’t do PowerPoint (or any other slide-oriented) presentations. Instead, we write narratively structured memos and silently
read one at the beginning of each meeting in a kind of “study hall.” These papers generally range from one to six pages and
articulate the project goal(s), approach to addressing it, outcome, and next steps” (2017 shareholder letter).
 We “believe in building a culture of high standards. Naturally and most obviously, because we’ll build better products and services
for customers. More subtle: a culture of high standards is protective of all the “invisible” but crucial work that goes on in every
company; it’s the work that gets done when no one is watching. In a high standards culture, doing that work well is its own reward.
Once you’ve tasted high standards, there’s no going back” (2017 shareholder letter).

Leadership Principles:
Next, dive into our Leadership Principles. We use our Leadership Principles every day, whether we're discussing ideas for new projects or
deciding on the best approach to solving a problem. It is just one of the things that makes Amazon peculiar. All candidates are evaluated based
on our Leadership Principles. The best way to prepare for your interview is to consider how you have applied the Leadership Principles in your
previous professional experience.

Customer Obsession
Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to
competitors, they obsess over customers.

Ownership
Leaders are owners. They think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results. They act on behalf of the entire company,
beyond just their own team. They never say “that’s not my job".

Invent and Simplify

Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify. They are externally aware, look for new
ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by “not invented here". As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long
periods of time.

Are right, A Lot

Leaders are right a lot. They have strong judgment and good instincts. They seek diverse perspectives and work to disconfirm their beliefs.

Learn and Be Curious

Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. They are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them.

Hire and Develop the Best

Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion. They recognize exceptional talent, and willingly move them throughout the
organization. Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others. We work on behalf of our people to invent mechanisms
for development like Career Choice.

Insist on the Highest Standards

Leaders have relentlessly high standards - many people may think these standards are unreasonably high. Leaders are continually raising the
bar and driving their teams to deliver high quality products, services and processes. Leaders ensure that defects do not get sent down the line
and that problems are fixed so they stay fixed.
Think Big
Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results. They think differently and look
around corners for ways to serve customers.

Bias for Action

Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk taking.

Frugality
Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and invention. There are no extra points for growing headcount,
budget size or fixed expense.

Earn Trust
Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully. They are vocally self-critical, even when doing so is awkward or
embarrassing. Leaders do not believe their or their team’s body odor smells of perfume. They benchmark themselves and their teams against
the best.

Dive Deep
Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and anecdote differ. No task is
beneath them.

Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit

Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have
conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly.

Deliver Results
Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business and deliver them with the right quality and in a timely fashion. Despite setbacks, they rise to
the occasion and never settle.

Behavioral Based Interviewing:

Our interviews are rooted in behavioral-based questions which ask about past situations or challenges you’ve faced and how you handled
them, using Leadership Principles to guide the discussion. We avoid brain teasers (e.g., “How many windows are in Manhattan?”) as part of the
interview process. We’ve researched this approach and have found that those types of questions are unreliable when it comes to predicting a
candidate’s success at Amazon.

Here are some examples of behavioral-based questions:

 Tell me about a time when you were faced with a problem that had a number of possible solutions. What was the problem and how
did you determine the course of action? What was the outcome of that choice?
 When did you take a risk, make a mistake, or fail? How did you respond, and how did you grow from that experience?
 Describe a time you took the lead on a project.
 What did you do when you needed to motivate a group of individuals or promote collaboration on a particular project?
 How have you leveraged data to develop a strategy?

Keep in mind, Amazon is a data-driven company. When you answer questions, your focus should be on the question asked, ensure your answer
is well-structured and provide examples using metrics or data if applicable. Reference recent situations whenever possible.

STAR Answer Format:

The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based interview question by discussing the specific situation, task,
action, and result of what you're describing. Here’s what it looks like:

Situation:
Describe the situation that you were in, or the task that you needed to accomplish. Give enough detail for the interviewer to understand the
complexities of the situation. This example can be from a previous job, school project, volunteer activity, or any relevant event.

Task:
What goal are you working toward?

Action:
Describe the actions you took to address the situation with an appropriate amount of detail, and keep the focus on you. What specific steps did
you take? What was your particular contribution? Be careful that you don’t describe what the team or group did when talking about a project.
Let us know what you actually did. Use the word “I,” not “we,” when describing actions.

Result:
Describe the outcome of your actions and don’t be shy about taking credit for your behavior. What happened? How did the event end? What
did you accomplish? What did you learn? Provide examples using metrics or data if applicable.

Consider your own successes and failures in relation to the Leadership Principles. Have specific examples that showcase your expertise, and
demonstrate how you’ve taken risks, succeeded, failed and grown in the process. Keep in mind, some of Amazon’s most successful programs
have risen from the ashes of failed projects. Failure is a necessary part of innovation. It’s not optional. We understand that and believe in failing
early and iterating until we get it right.
Tips for Great Answers:
 Practice using the STAR method to answer the behavioral-based interview questions listed above, incorporating examples from the
Amazon Leadership Principles.
 Ensure each answer has a beginning, middle, and end. Describe the situation or problem, the actions you took, and the outcome.
 Prepare short descriptions of a handful of different situations and be ready to answer follow-up questions with greater detail. Select
examples that highlight your unique skills.
 Have specific examples that showcase your experience, and demonstrate that you’ve taken risks, succeeded, failed and grown in the
process.
 Specifics are key; avoid generalizations. Give a detailed account of one situation for each question you answer, and use data or
metrics to support your example.
 Be forthcoming and straightforward. Don't embellish or omit parts of the story.

Tips before you head in:

 Be prepared to explain what interests you about the role you’re interviewing for and the team (or teams) you’ll be meeting with.
 When answering questions, be concise but detailed. We realize it’s hard to gauge how much information is too much versus not
enough. An effective test is pausing after your succinct response to ask if you’ve provided enough detail, or if the interviewer would
like you to go into more depth.
 Follow-up if you need clarification. If you are asked a question, but are not given enough information to provide a solid answer,
don’t be shy about asking for more information. If additional context is not available, focus on how you would attempt to solve the
problem given limited information.
 For some roles, we may ask you to complete a writing sample. Why? At Amazon, we don’t do PowerPoint or any other slide oriented
presentations. Instead we write narratively structured memos and silently read one at the beginning of each meeting in a kind of
“study hall.” These papers generally range from one to six pages and articulate the project goal(s), approach to addressing it,
outcome, and next steps. Given this unique aspect of our culture, and the impact these papers have on what decisions we make as a
company, being able to articulate your thoughts in written format is a necessary skill.
 We aim to hire smart, thoughtful, and customer-obsessed people. Reflect on what motivated you to pursue a career with Amazon,
and be prepared to share your thought process. Although “Why Amazon?” is a standard question, it’s not a formality for us. We
genuinely want to understand what inspired you to explore an opportunity with us so we get a better sense of who you are.
 We try to leave a few minutes at the end of each interview to answer questions you might have, but if we don’t get to all of them,
please don’t hesitate to ask your recruiting point of contact.

Click Here to understand more on In-Person Interviewing Tips!

Prior to your Interview:

 Go through the “Interviewing Tips” in this Document.

 Learn more about our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion at Amazon by watching this video
 Practice makes perfect! Take some time to practice with someone, have them ask you a couple behavioral based questions and
practice answering in the STAR format.

Interview Day:

 Virtual interviews: If you've been asked to do a virtual interview, you will likely need to download Amazon Chime, our tool for video
conferencing (step-by-step guide here). If you're presenting, you will need to download Chime to your desktop. The meeting ID# will
be emailed to you by your recruiting point of contact. For optimal sound quality, use a headset with a microphone.
o Prior to your virtual interview:
 Download Amazon Chime, our video conferencing tool. If you plan to present during your interview you will
need to download Chime to your desktop.
 Test Amazon Chime to ensure it is working correctly on your device.

 Your recruiting contact will send an Amazon Chime meeting ID# prior to your interview.

 If a virtual interview via Amazon Chime is not fully accessible for you, please discuss with your recruiting
contact so they can offer an accommodation.
 o On the day of your interview:

 Conduct your interview in a well-lit and ideally quiet environment that is free of distractions. Given the global
shift to work from home and other areas of personal life being impacted, you may have unique circumstances
(kids, pets, family members, etc.) in your work area. Rest assured our interview teams are understanding of
these situations. We are all in this together.

 Test your internet connection to ensure it’s strong and working.

 Confirm that your webcam works properly. If you don’t have a headset, be prepared to mute your microphone
when you aren’t talking.

 If you are using a laptop, cellphone, or tablet, fully charge your device prior to the interview.

 What to expect: Interviews will be a mixture of questions and discussions regarding your previous experience and challenges you've
encountered. Be ready with detailed examples — concise, structured answers are ideal.
 Dress code: Comfortable and casual. We're interested in what you have to say, not what you are wearing.
 Interviewers: You will meet with 3-5 Amazonians. They will likely be a mix of managers, team members, and key stakeholders from
related teams. All interviewers will assess potential for growth beyond the position you’re interviewing for, and focus on evaluating
how well your background and skills relate to Amazon’s Leadership Principles. We recommend approaching each of your interviews
the same way, rather than trying to tailor answers to the interviewer’s role. Interviewers will often be taking notes on their laptops.
It’s important that they have precise notes of their time with you to share with other interviewers.
 Resume or CV: Interviewers will have a copy, so no need to keep one.
 Duration: Each interview session usually lasts 45 minutes.

Before and After the Interview:

 After your interview, be on the lookout for a quick post-interview survey via email. It is important for us to know how we did so we
can continually improve our process and we value your input.
 Expect to hear back from recruiting within five business days following your interview. If you don't, feel free to give us a nudge.

All the Best!