Has anyone interviewed with Amazon before?

[King]

Just got off a recruiter screen, dude made it feel like I was entering into the CIA or something. Serious as hell, cut zero slack. Basically have to learn their entire methodology/guidebook and come up with 2-3 examples for every question and there's like 50 questions. Structured into 3 interviews, with the final stage being a series of interviews with like 5 people.

Is it going to be that serious? Has anyone interviewed with Amazon before?

 

[Ish Gibor]

What position was this interview for?

 

[JT-Money]

Read enough reviews on Blind.com to never enterain the idea of working for them.

 

[Obreh Winfrey]

I have for SE positions. Gotten to the final round twice, no offers so far. Practice answering behavioral questions and integrating their values into the answer. Customer first (fukk the customer ), how you drive innovation, shyt like that. The value they're looking for is normally obvious but not always. If you're able try not to use the same example to draw from too many times - don't stress on it if you have to though. They may try to summarize and repeat back your answer. Don't assume this is bad, and if you don't think it's accurate, definitely clarify.

Their interviews aren't fun, but they aren't interrogations. I don't like how almost every interviewer I've dealt with is non personable. I don't know if it's a guideline for them to be sort of closed off or if Amazon has just broken them . It makes it hard to get a read on how you're doing. Don't feel intimidated because if you're making it into the deeper rounds of interviews, you've got a good enough level of proficiency, you're more than capable. It's just a matter of jumping through the hoops.

 

[Rick Fox at UNC]

Without giving too much away, I used to work for AWS (ironically, I've also taken a CIA polygraph, the two processes differ greatly).

1. Recruiter reaches out to you and asks basic questions.
2. A technical screen from a member of the team, more in-depth questions to get an understanding of: are you're qualified for the position? What level should be at? And so on.
3. A day of five interviews back-to-back with a lunch break in between.

Interviewers are often looking at how to place you (downlevel, uplevel), what team or project you can work on, and so forth.

Some general advice...

- Tell stories, SITUATION/TASK/ACTION/RESULT (STAR Method) is huge at Amazon, and they mean it. Situation: Here is the problem, Task: Here is what needed to be done, Action: Here is what I did, Result: Here is how it improved the company.
- Always talk about what YOU did, not what the team did, YOU. Be selfish.
- Answer the next question before the interviewer even has a chance to ask it. If you begin telling a story or detailing a scenario, you should be leaving no stone unturned. I would prepare 5 minute anecdotes and anticipate what follow up questions can/will be asked.

This ain't some seat of the paints joint. You will be required to communicate and explain yourself, especially as you advance in your career.

Their interviews aren't fun, but they aren't interrogations. I don't like how almost every interviewer I've dealt with is non personable. I don't know if it's a guideline for them to be sort of closed off or if Amazon has just broken them .

Again, this ain't some corner store shoebox operation with a few servers here and there. Amazon's scale (there are numerous RFCs created for companies like Amazon, patent holders, and so on) )doesn't allow for a lot of, "yea, I like this guy." It opens the company up for operation issues (this person is not capable of doing this job at this scale) and legal issues (hiring bias, making decisions based on "feeling" or some shared connection versus using the data).

Interviewing requires training and shadowing at Amazon, it's a process.

 

[Rick Fox at UNC]

^^^ My shytty grammar doesn't reflect my communication at work. Ignore it and take the info.

 

[Batsute]

Without giving too much away, I used to work for AWS (ironically, I've also taken a CIA polygraph, the two processes differ greatly).

1. Recruiter reaches out to you and asks basic questions.
2. A technical screen from a member of the team, more in-depth questions to get an understanding of: are you're qualified for the position? What level should be at? And so on.
3. A day of five interviews back-to-back with a lunch break in between.

Interviewers are often looking at how to place you (downlevel, uplevel), what team or project you can work on, and so forth.

Some general advice...

- Tell stories, SITUATION/TASK/ACTION/RESULT (STAR Method) is huge at Amazon, and they mean it. Situation: Here is the problem, Task: Here is what needed to be done, Action: Here is what I did, Result: Here is how it improved the company.
- Always talk about what YOU did, not what the team did, YOU. Be selfish.
- Answer the next question before the interviewer even has a chance to ask it. If you begin telling a story or detailing a scenario, you should be leaving no stone unturned. I would prepare 5 minute anecdotes and anticipate what follow up questions can/will be asked.

This ain't some seat of the paints joint. You will be required to communicate and explain yourself, especially as you advance in your career.



Again, this ain't some corner store shoebox operation with a few servers here and there. Amazon's scale (there are numerous RFCs created for companies like Amazon, patent holders, and so on) )doesn't allow for a lot of, "yea, I like this guy." It opens the company up for operation issues (this person is not capable of doing this job at this scale) and legal issues (hiring bias, making decisions based on "feeling" or some shared connection versus using the data).

Interviewing requires training and shadowing at Amazon, it's a process.

This comment should be pinned for any brehs going for 6 figures roles.

I interviewed with Amazon during my MBA program for a PM role, 1st one was okay but that 2nd round hit different with questions I wasn’t ready for because I didn’t have the experience, and that STAR shyt was new for me.

Now I got the experience but i don’t know if the RSUs would make me stay there for 4 years. A friend is there now and he wants to jump ship 1.5 years in.

 

[Rell Lauren]

Yes. Seven rounds and didn't get it.

Make sure you know the AWS Leadership Principles.

I spoke of it briefly in the Random Thoughts thread. I want mad I didn't get it. Number of red flags popped up during the process.

 

[JT-Money]

Why would anyone in their right mind work at such a place?

Why the New York Times’s Amazon story is so controversial, explained

Vox is a general interest news site for the 21st century. Its mission: to help everyone understand our complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. In text, video and audio, our reporters explain politics, policy, world affairs, technology, culture, science, the climate crisis, money...

www.vox.com

 

[Batsute]

Why would anyone in their right mind work at such a place?

Why the New York Times’s Amazon story is so controversial, explained

Vox is a general interest news site for the 21st century. Its mission: to help everyone understand our complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. In text, video and audio, our reporters explain politics, policy, world affairs, technology, culture, science, the climate crisis, money...

www.vox.com

120 - 160k base plus 240k in equity.

A lot of MBA friends see it as doing a bid. Do your 4 years get vested and get out. Weird though the only ones in my graduating class who stayed after getting vested were Indian.

 

[JT-Money]

120 - 160k base plus 240k in equity.

A lot of MBA friends see it as doing a bid. Do your 4 years get vested and get out. Weird though the only ones in my graduating class who stayed after getting vested were Indian.

Seems like a waste of time to me unless you're gaining a really high end skillset.

I always read on Blind that Amazon base salary was really low compared to other companies. And the culture there was one of the worst ever.

 

[Batsute]

Seems like a waste of time to me unless you're gaining a really high end skillset.

I always read on Blind that Amazon base salary was really low compared to other companies. And the culture there was one of the worst ever.

The culture is most definitely shyt. Pay is low if your entry level, not holding a grad degree or having 10+ years relevant exp. check out levels.fyi.if you come in L5 or L6 you’re making good bank especially if you’re remote.

Amazon Product Manager Salary | $132K-$235K+ | Levels.fyi

The median total compensation package for a Product Manager at Amazon is $179,499. View more Product Manager salary ranges with breakdowns by base, stock, and bonus amounts.

www.levels.fyi

Amazon on the resume carries a lot of weight where you can go where you want and command what level of pay you want.

If you’re a single male and has the mental fortitude to put up with it for 4 years, fukkin do it.

 

[ball15life]

It really depends on your Org. If the culture within the Org is good, then you will have a solid time working at Amazon. It's too big of a company to assume that everyone goes through the negative stuff you generally hear about

 

[Rell Lauren]

The culture is most definitely shyt. Pay is low if your entry level, not holding a grad degree or having 10+ years relevant exp. check out levels.fyi.if you come in L5 or L6 you’re making good bank especially if you’re remote.

Amazon Product Manager Salary | $132K-$235K+ | Levels.fyi

The median total compensation package for a Product Manager at Amazon is $179,499. View more Product Manager salary ranges with breakdowns by base, stock, and bonus amounts.

www.levels.fyi

Amazon on the resume carries a lot of weight where you can go where you want and command what level of pay you want.

If you’re a single male and has the mental fortitude to put up with it for 4 years, fukkin do it.

What's the estimate for L5? That was my pay scale had I got an offer.

 

[Batsute]

What's the estimate for L5? That was my pay scale had I got an offer.

Depends on the role but my friend was trying to get me a CSM role at L5, base was 140K with 80K in stock.