Amazon.com Interview Questions & Reviews

Interview Details – The interview process was pretty extensive and difficult. It all started back in late October when I was first contacted by Amazon HR Recruiters. They said they received an application from me back in February and found me to be a potential match, inviting me to interview with them over the phone. And thus we started the long process. Over the course of the next three months, we scheduled three phone interviews, separately.

Each phone interview was approximately 45 minutes long. They were each from different people in different departments. Each interview asked me questions regarding concepts, my history with software, and then gave me approximately 15 to 25 minutes to answer three different, programming questions on the following concepts: string manipulation, databases, query languages, design a system, etc.

The first interview was initiated by an Asian fellow with a thick accent. Although I do not discriminate, i felt very nervous during this interview because I could not hear a word he was saying and had to ask him to repeat himself multiple times until the point where he got uncomfortably angry and decided the interview was done and I could email him my answers. Feeling like I had completely failed this interview, I didn't have any hope and returned to my life. Two and a half weeks later, I heard back from the recruiter, offering a 2nd phone interview. The interview was similar to the first, asking questions and then answering 3 programming questions, including questions on number theory and set theory. Another two weeks after that, I heard back inviting me for a 3rd phone interview. A week and half after scheduling, I completed the 3rd phone interview which was majority design questions and a few programming questions. Each of the 3 phone interviews required me to write and explain code to them on an online chat website. Keep in mind that while coding, they could see each line you entered. A week after the 3rd interview, I was invited for an on-site interview, which was scheduled for 3 weeks later.

The overall process was stretched over the course of three months due to scheduling conflicts and holidays.

Following the phone screens, I was flown out to Seattle. Amazon is pretty generous about interviewing, offering free flights, hotel stay, as well as reimbursements on food and taxi cabs. After arriving in Seattle, I checked into my hotel and went down to Pike Market for some dinner. Brought dinner back up stairs, sat on my bed and studied for a few hours before going to bed. The interview started at 10:15 AM. I got to Amazon HQ at approximately 9:30 AM, checked in with reception, and had some amazing conversations with other people in the lobby. At 10:15AM, I was taken upstairs by an HR Recruiter who was incredibly nice. We sat in a conference room with an incredible view and talked for about 20 minutes about her story and involvement at Amazon, as well as prepping me to undergo an extremely long interview process. The greatest thing about Amazon is that they understand how difficult something can be, and tell you straight foreward, "This is hard, and only the best of the best get an offer, but we keep in mind when interviewing, that we were at once in the same seat as you are", offered me good luck, a bottle of water, and walked out, as the first interview walked into the room.

All I can say about the on-site interview was that we were in the room for about 6 hours, with 6 rounds of interviews after the initial HR meeting.

This is where my review ends. You may be surprised to read that not very many people offer information about the on-site interview, and that is mainly because each person who interviews on-site signs a NDA paper. This may frustrate you, but keep in mind that we all go in some-what blind, and that you don't need to know what will be asked, but all you need is the confidence in yourself. It doesn't matter what questions they ask. Sometimes they don't even care about your answers and its just more of the fact that they can see someone who is confident and believes in themselves. At the end of the day, it is important to know your stuff, but it is more important to be yourself, and confident about who you are.

Interviews are hard. If you get to the on-site level, be proud of yourself, not that many people get this far. "You done good, son!" Not everyone gets this same type of interview that I did. Some people skip the phone screens and on-site rounds and go straight to a group project on-site. Either way, don't get cocky, just make sure you study your material and get crackin on fundamental programming.

Interview Details – I received initial communication from a recruiter that arranged a phone call with the hiring manager. I had a 45min interview with the hiring manager. Later I was called in for a whole day of interviews. During this period, HR called me and informed me the type of the interview and what the interviewers are looking in the interviewee. Mostly be prepared for STAR stories around Amazon leadership principles. This happened pretty fast in two days. I was flown in the following week.

I did not know who I was meeting, but the whole day was filled with 45minute interviews with 5-6 interviewers.

Most of the interview is straightforward. Questions are situational, behavioral and leadership oriented.

Interview Details – Submitted a resume online and heard back from Amazon within a few days. They asked me to provide some times that I'd be available for a phone interview. The process was very quick and I was interviewing within a week of submitting my resume.

The phone interview was pretty straightforward. I talked to a current engineer at the company and answered a few technical questions that he had for me. Most of the questions were pretty standard tech interview questions like you'd find in all of those tech-interview preparation books. I answered the first two questions correctly pretty easily, and the third one very quickly. He then extended the third question to make it harder, and that took me a bit longer. All coding was done using a site where he could see the code that I was typing in real time. I was allowed to write in whatever language I wanted to. After finishing the technical questions I was able to ask him a few questions about the company culture, the area, etc. He seemed to be very happy with what he was doing.

My phone interview was on a monday and I heard back that wednesday that they wanted me to fly to Herndon for an in person interview. They asked for some information about dates/expected salaray/references and got back to me about a week later with a time for me to fly in. They paid for the flight and hotel and everything and the process was very nice.

The in person interview day was long but fun. You stay in the same room all day. I met with 2 hiring managers, 2 coders, and had 1 phone call with a guy in Seattle. The questions were primarily technical but there were a few personal questions as well. Make sure to study up on their leadership principles and whatnot. The technical questions were challenging but doable, nothing too unexpected. The people I talked to seemed to really like the job, and it was a very good experience over all.

Negotiation Details – I had given them a salary range and the offer was at the top of my range, so I didn't negotiate. They offered a great salary, sign on bonus, stock, medical, paid vacation time, and a relocation package to take care of moving me. I was very happy to accept.

Interview Details – All but one of the team member was unprepared and a complete moron. The attitude he brought to the table was enough to put me off the entire job itself. Amazon needs to look carefully at who they select as interviewers and their company comes off as arrogant.

Interview Details – asked relativiley simple questions. mostly coding questions about stuff you learn in school. first interview was much easier then the second.

Interview Details – I had given my resume to an on campus recruiter and I was called in for an interview. The interview consisted of four half an hour sessions that were a mix of both technical and behavioral. I was interviewing for a business internship and the people who conducted the interview were impressively intelligent and all had their MBA's.

Negotiation Details – no negotiations

Interview Details – Started with a 30 minute phone interview. It went well, however it was quite formal. A lot of "Tell me about a time when...". However, I made it through to the final round of interviews. This was pretty intense. It was 2 hours, segmented into 4 30 minute interviews.

Interview Details – The process was very long, VERY.

The very first phone interview with HR person was in last December. Questions that I can recalled now are (1) tell me about your research. (2) what is the most interesting project you have done so far, and what is the worst team work experience you have so far. (3) when will you be available. etc. This phone interview was about 30 minutes, not too intense.

The second phone interview was in mid January. a tech one. He gave me a real problem he is solving (or has solved), and asked how I would approach this problem. It was an open research question and hence there is no correct answer. I gave the first answer for the simplified version of that problem and then we went from there, we gradually relaxed some constraints and improved the previous solution. The very last part of this interview was a simple coding question, about array sorting. This phone interview was about 45 minutes long.

The third phone interview was in late Feburary. In fact before they emailed me to arrange this one I thought I was out after the previous phone interview. This is a tech one also, and more about programming part. Questions are about sorting, heap, shortest path algorithm, etc. Basically I needed to explained the algorithm first, and then wrote the code on a website he provided where he can see directly what I am typing. This one was about 45 minutes as well. Questions are not too difficult, but I haven't really implement Dijkstra algorithm so it took me a while to finish it.

The fourth phone interview was in mid March, a tech one as well. He gave me a real problem he is solving now and wanted to know my opinion. This problem is about the operation optimization in amazon fulfillment center. Scheduling, picking, sorting, that kind of stuff. Again this is open research question and there is no correct answer. 45 minutes long as well.

Finally here came the onsite, it was in early April. Because I applied for a research-type job so I was required to give a seminar presentation, which is fine. (But I heard NOT all research job candidates are required to do so, which is weird, I suppose everyone should) After the hour-long presentation the interview sessions started right away. There were two tech ones first, then HR one, and then lunch break (this is a tech one as well), then two other tech ones. Each one was about 30 to 45 minutes, but you don't have to worry about the time, they will control the time. They will keep emphasizing we are almost out of time when you are trying to figure out something. That bothered me A LOT.

You can go to restroom or get something to drink between interview session, but that's basically all the rest you can get. There is no further break between sessions. So it is very exhausting. (presentation + 2 + 1 + lunch + 2, basically non-stop)

I signed NDA and hence I won't mention the details of each session. But basically all the tech sessions were about open research-type questions, probably because of the job I applied. Hence I suggest, for those who are interested in applying for Operations Research related job in amazon, google what they did, what they are doing, and what they plan to do, and think about if there is any research topics related to those. It would help a lot.

There is NO typical programming and algorithm session for me, which may not be standard I think.

The decision came in late April, I did not get the offer, which is quite disappointing, especially after such a long process. It wasn't a pleasant process because firstly it is long, and secondly because I didn't get the offer, but still I learned many things in this process, and helped me a lot in interviewing with other companies.

Oh by the way they paid for everything, flight, hotel, food, as usual.

Interview Details – Completed online application and usual questionnaire, then received an email less than 12 hours later stating to schedule a phone interview. The interview is on average around 30 minutes and consists of the usual "Describe a time when...in your past employment?" questions. After the phone interview I received another email stating to schedule the on-site interview a week later. Plan to spend around 2 hours at the warehouse if your interviewing during one of their hiring events. Sign in upon entering, get your picture taken, then you're brought to a room where you have a general computer test to assess you (doesn't affect employment), and after that you're taken to a room for your one-on-one interview. The interview consists of about five questions similar to the phone interview about dishonest past employees, seeing coworkers steal, why you chose amazon, etc. After the interview if you pass you're taken to a room where you're going to receive an oral drug test and then Amazon's offer their making you. Following that you're taken on a 25 minutes tour of the facility and then done for the day and told to wait to be contacted for training.

Reason for Declining – The wait to actually be contacted about the job and training can extend over a month to two months; needed a job fairly soon.