Prepare for Amazon’s interview questions, learn more about the process, and find out how we hire and develop the best.
If you're gearing up for an interview at Amazon, you might think you need to prepare for trick questions, but that's not the case. Though tech companies have a reputation for throwing out brain teasers during the interview process, we do things a bit differently here.
Liz Jones, an Amazon Bar Raiser, explains how important our famous Leadership Principles are in her work at Amazon.
Our candidate-first approach to interviewing means we'll do our best to ask fair questions and provide tools and resources to help you. However, it's still important to do your research and prep work.
If you're ready to get started, here are 11 tips to prepare for your upcoming interview with Amazon.Prepare for behavioral-based interview questions
Prepare for behavioral-based interview questions Format responses using the STAR method Provide details Focus on "I" not "we" Don't shy away from failures Know why you want to work at Amazon Ask for clarification when you need it Brush up on your writing skills Prepare for a phone screen and multiple interviews Study the Leadership Principles Research Amazon's culture Prepare for behavioral-based interview questionsAmazon interview questions are behavioral-based. We'll ask about past situations or challenges you've faced and how you handled them. Amazon's Leadership Principles will help us guide the discussion. Cody Nelson, senior manager of recruiting , Worldwide Operations, recommends using the job description to prepare the stories you use to answer these questions. Nelson said, "If you can think of stories and examples related to the requirements in the job description, you will be better prepared to answer the behavioral questions in your interview."
Format responses using the STAR methodThe STAR method is a structured way to respond to behavioral-based interview questions. Following the format, you answer questions by discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the experience you're describing. Stacy Milgate, program manager at AWS, suggests laying your stories out in the STAR format ahead of your interview. "Think about all of the details," she said. "Who was involved? What did you do specifically? What were the results based off of what you did? How did you make an impact?"
Once you have your stories ready, practice them in the mirror or with a partner to really nail the answer format in your interview.
