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Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
Finding a Job Opportunity
2.1.
Look for Job Openings on Amazon's Website 
2.2.
Research Amazon’s Recruitment Programs
2.3.
Get a referral from another Amazonian
2.4.
Do an internship with the company
3.
Applying for the Job
3.1.
Attend a local hiring fair for full and part-time warehouse positions 
3.2.
Check the job of your choice
3.3.
Create a new profile or log back in if you’re a returning candidate
3.4.
Upload your resume or CV to your profile
3.5.
Check the status of your application in your profile
4.
Acing the Interviews
4.1.
Study Amazon’s work culture and Leadership Principles
4.2.
Practice behavioural-based questions in the interviews
4.3.
Answer the Questions with STAR Technique
4.4.
Prepare to address technical topics if you’re interviewing for a tech role
4.5.
Come up with questions for your interviewers to show your curiosity
4.6.
Ensure that you’re in a suitable environment for a phone interview
4.7.
Be punctual, prepared, and casually dressed for an in-person interview
4.8.
Expect multiple interviewers for in-person interviews
4.9.
Reach out if you haven’t heard back within 2-5 days
5.
How do I apply for an Internship at Amazon?
5.1.
By Filling Online Application 
5.2.
Referral from Someone
5.3.
By On-Campus Opportunities
5.4.
Contacting the HR Directly
6.
Strategies to Crack Amazon Off-Campus for Software Development Engineer Role
7.
Frequently Asked Questions
7.1.
The post for which I applied is no longer available. Is it still possible to apply?
7.2.
Do I have to use a cloud service to upload my resume?
7.3.
My application status has remained the same. Who can I contact for more information?
7.4.
Should I include work samples with my resume or CV (writing, coding, designs, etc.)?
7.5.
Which technique can you use to answer any problem during the Amazon interview?
8.
Conclusion
Last Updated: Aug 29, 2024

Ways to get into Amazon

Author Aditya Kumar
2 upvotes

Introduction

Amazon is a tech behemoth with a global workforce of over 560,000 people known as "Amazonians."  With headquarters in Seattle and offices and centres worldwide, Amazon has plenty of job openings. It's also one of the most sought-after employers in the country, with thousands of applicants vying for each post. But don't be intimidated. You can make yourself an exceptional prospect for a job at Amazon with a bit of research and preparation.

Ways to get into Amazon

Finding a Job Opportunity

Look for Job Openings on Amazon's Website 

  • To discover the job listing for your role, search the website by location, category, or keyword. At the top of the listing page, click the ‘Apply Now’ button beside the role title. To create a new profile or log back in as an existing candidate, follow the instructions on the screen. You can visit Amazon Jobs to apply.

Research Amazon’s Recruitment Programs

  • Amazon actively recruits from universities as well as the military. Learn more about Amazon's recruitment strategies and locations by following them on LinkedIn. Attend industry-related events and conferences of expertise to network with Amazon recruiters.
  • To meet women in the computer business, Amazon sends recruiters to events like the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing yearly conference.
  • At military events like the Service Academy Career Conference and Military Officers Job Opportunities, Amazon meets potential prospects. Attend these events if you're in the military and want to network with Amazon recruiters.
  • For additional information on military recruitment, go to Military Info.

Get a referral from another Amazonian

  • If you have a friend or family member who works at Amazon, ask them for suggestions on what positions would be a good fit for you. If you feel comfortable doing so, ask them to make a referral for you to their bosses.
  • If you don't know anyone who works at Amazon, look for an Amazonian in your neighbourhood on LinkedIn. Send them an email with your résumé and career interests, and ask if they can refer you.

Do an internship with the company

  • Amazon actively hires full-time employees from its intern pool. Available internships and student programmes are one of the ways to get into Amazon in many corporation areas, including tech, non-tech, and graduate research internships, which can be found at Student Programs.
  • Amazon offers internships to undergraduates, MBA students, and PhD candidates. During the summer, they usually persist for about 12 weeks.
  • Software engineering, business analysis, retail, managerial jobs, and applied research are among the industries where internships are offered, depending on your area of competence.
  • Internships are paid, and Amazon frequently assists with relocation expenses.
  • Apply for internships online via the Student Program/Internship web page, listing available positions.

Applying for the Job

Attend a local hiring fair for full and part-time warehouse positions 

  • Amazon frequently holds mass hiring events for fulfilment centre jobs which is one of the ways to get into Amazon. Some of these events are open to the public. Simply walk up, apply for a job, and you'll almost certainly be hired right away. Others require an invitation.
  • Simply fill out an application online ahead of time to be invited to an employment fair. Print and bring the email confirmation of your acceptance with you. At Amazon Jobs, you may apply online and learn about recruiting events in your region.
  • To work in an Amazon warehouse, you must be 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent.
  • A resume is not required to apply for warehouse employment. Bring a photo ID to the hiring event, and be ready to take a drug test through a mouth swab.

Check the job of your choice

After visiting the job portal, you can find many jobs which are open now and you can apply over there by reading its description.

Create a new profile or log back in if you’re a returning candidate

  • Create a password and enter your name and email address. If you're hired, you can also provide your phone number so that Amazon can text or call you about your application and job-related things like scheduling and shift reminders.
  • Your Amazon.com customer login will not work for your application profile. To apply for employment, you must create a separate profile.

Upload your resume or CV to your profile

  • Make sure the resume is up to date. Give a quick explanation of your background, work experience, education, and abilities if you don't have a traditional resume or CV.
  • Cover letters are not accepted by Amazon.
  • You can choose to use your LinkedIn page instead of submitting a typical resume or CV when creating your profile. However, Amazon only accepts one CV per applicant, so choose the best alternative for you.
  • When you post your CV or resume, don't include any work samples, such as writing, coding, or drawings. Include links to public copies of your work in your CV if they are available online.

Check the status of your application in your profile

  • Amazon only contacts candidates who are interested in being interviewed. Log in to your application profile to review the roles you've applied for. If an application is designated as "active", a decision has not yet been made. You are no longer considered for the post if your application has been categorised as "archived" and you have not been contacted for an interview. 
  • If Amazon is interested, you will be contacted for a phone interview. If you're selected, you might have a few phone interviews before being asked for in-person interviews in an Amazon office.

Acing the Interviews

Study Amazon’s work culture and Leadership Principles

  • The company's website lists 14 leadership principles that govern project creation, problem-solving, and day-to-day operations. These principles are used to evaluate each candidate. Memorise them and consider how you've already used these concepts in your professional life.
  • To learn more about Amazon's work culture, visit the About Amazon section of the Jobs website.
  • Amazon is known for its customer-centricity and dedication to putting customers first. The first of the 14 leadership principles is this. Customers should also be a priority for new hires.

Practice behavioural-based questions in the interviews

The interviewer will ask you about previous obstacles and situations you've faced and how you handled them using the 14 leadership principles. The following are some examples of behavioural-based interview questions:

  • Discuss a period when you faced an issue with multiple answers; which one did you choose and why?
  • Discuss a moment when you made a mistake or failed and how you handled it and learned from it.
  • Can you tell me about a time when you had to lead?
  • How did you inspire a group of people or encourage teamwork on a project?

Answer the Questions with STAR Technique

  • Describe the situation, indicate the task you were working on, explain the specific activities you performed, and connect the outcome of your actions. Prepare a list of circumstances that meet the STAR format that you've dealt with in the past. These should be current as feasible.
  • You can use scenarios from previous work, school projects, volunteer activities, or any other relevant occurrences as examples.
  • Have particular instances that demonstrate your experience, such as ones that show how you've taken chances, succeeded, failed and learned from your mistakes. Amazon wants to know that you can make mistakes and learn from them.
  • In your responses, focus on yourself rather than a team or group. When explaining your deeds, use "I" rather than "we". Don't be scared to claim credit for positive outcomes.
  • Make your responses as specific as possible. When possible, provide examples and analytics. Avoid blanket statements.

Prepare to address technical topics if you’re interviewing for a tech role

  • During their interviews, candidates for technical professions such as software development engineers or technical programme managers should be prepared to discuss and demonstrate technical skills such as coding, programming, and system design.
  • For a list of technical topics to prepare for, go to SDE Topics.
  • Ask your recruiter if the role you're interviewing for is technically oriented.
     

You can also refer to Coding Ninjas Studio Problem Lists to practise a collection of Interview questions asked in Amazon.

Come up with questions for your interviewers to show your curiosity

  • One of the 14 leadership principles is ‘curiosity’. Come prepared with questions about projects and initiatives, team culture, the scope of the position, or anything else you'd like to learn more about in an interview to demonstrate it.
  • "How do you assess success in this role?" you could inquire.
  • If you run out of questions, improvise by asking easy follow-up questions to the material provided by the recruiter, such as "Could you tell me more about that?"

Ensure that you’re in a suitable environment for a phone interview

  • The first (and maybe second) interview will be conducted over the telephone. Choose an area that is quiet, comfortable, and free of distractions. Prepare a computer with dependable Internet and email connection.
  • If you're using a cell phone, make sure you have strong reception and that your battery is ultimately charged.
  • Always have a copy of your resume on hand and a pen and paper.

Be punctual, prepared, and casually dressed for an in-person interview

  • You will receive detailed directions on travelling to the Amazon office, where you will be interviewed via email. Arrive 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Bring a picture ID from the government. Avoid wearing formal business attire because the interview dress code is comfortable and casual.
  • The interviewers will have a copy of your resume or CV, but you are welcome to bring one with you.

Expect multiple interviewers for in-person interviews

  • Over the course of the day, you'll meet with 2 to 7 Amazonians, depending on the role you're applying for. Each interview will run approximately 45 minutes to an hour. The interviews will include behavioural-based questions as well as group discussions.
  • Don't be distracted by the fact that interviewers frequently take notes on their laptops.
  • If your interview lasts longer than an hour, lunch will be given.
  • You should expect to sign a typical Non-Disclosure Agreement.

Reach out if you haven’t heard back within 2-5 days

After a phone interview, your recruiter should contact you within two business days. After an in-person interview, Amazon should reach you within five business days. If you haven't heard anything in these time frames, contact your recruiter gently to inquire about the status of your application.

How do I apply for an Internship at Amazon?

For undergraduate and postgraduate students, Amazon India offers a variety of internship opportunities. While engineering students can apply for internships in various fields such as software engineering, testing, customer service, web development, and so on, MBA students' internships are primarily focused on retail operations, programme management, customer acquisition, and operations management. Most apprenticeships last three weeks, and pre-placement offers to interns account for a significant portion of the company's recruitment.

By Filling Online Application 

Amazon has an official recruitment page where you can apply for an internship. You can fill out an application form on the Amazon Internships page. Alternatively, you might use internship websites to apply.

Referral from Someone

A referral is the quickest way to be called for an internship and is one of the ways to get into Amazon, just like most huge organisations. Request that someone who works for Amazon refer your profile to them. If not, you can use Facebook and LinkedIn to find 2nd-degree connections and message them to request a reference. Referrals can help you get past the resume screening stage, increasing your chances of being called for an interview.

By On-Campus Opportunities

Amazon recruits interns at a few select colleges. You can apply for an internship through campus recruitment if you can attend one of these colleges. Even if Amazon does not come to your campus, the 'Training and Placement Cell' is likely to have appropriate contacts. Inquire whether they are willing to offer their contact information.

Contacting the HR Directly

You can submit an application email straight to HR if you can acquire their email address from your contacts or your college's 'Training and Placement Cell.' Prepare a brief email that includes a good cover letter and a well-written CV.

  1. Following your application, you will be required to take a screening test that includes 20 multiple-choice questions and a few code questions. You must brush up on your computer science fundamentals before taking the exam.
  2. A telephone interview follows the screening test. The discussion includes both technical and HR questions.
  3. If you are seeking a software developer position, you must be a Java expert because Java is used for the majority of the work on the website.
  4. Taking a lot of technical quizzes and practising past test papers from Amazon is an excellent option.
  5. You should dress casually for the F2F (Face to Face) interview and be prepared to code on many platforms.

Strategies to Crack Amazon Off-Campus for Software Development Engineer Role

The basics: The off-campus application procedure is one of the ways to get into Amazon that is quite similar to the on-campus application process. Although there are some shortcuts in the process flow for making quick decisions, the basic procedure stays the same. To acing the interviews we need to follow some DOs and DON’Ts which always need to be followed.

CS Problem solving, which includes data structures and algorithmic optimization, as well as coding, are important skills. Failure to perform well on the above is a non-starter. Design skills are also expected of engineers with minimal work experience.

Coding: Code can be written in any language, but it cannot be noted in pseudocode. The expectation is that a module is bug-free and covers all possible problem scenarios (e.g., NPEs (Null Pointer Exceptions), off-by-one mistakes, infinite regressions, incorrect reasoning, etc.). It is necessary to be able to translate a solution into code. Specific language constructs are rarely tested. 

However, any defects introduced by incorrect language constructs can be detected (e.g., passing-by-value in a place where passing-by-reference is required). Clean code (reduced use of static variables, clean refactoring, concise method signatures, etc.) gets extra merit. For a working professional, it is mandatory to upskill themselves in coding as a result, you will be a very important addition to the organisation and you can check out the complete details about ‘why is it critical for working professionals to maintain their coding skills?’ on this blog.

Problem Solving: When it comes to problem-solving, hit-or-miss questions are rarely asked. Furthermore, these are CS-specific problems, not the standard analytical thinking questions asked in non-product-company interviews. A real CS problem is often anticipated to be solved optimally. Basic knowledge of data structures is required, but what's more fascinating is the ability to 'command' these structures and algorithmic procedures - in other words, the capacity to choose the best ones in a given situation to optimise specific processes (for the time of execution or space, as the case may be). Suitable candidates can recognise, articulate, and improve their solution's performance.

Classic books on algorithms are frequently used to help improve these skills (the most preferred to read is Introduction to Algorithms clrs). Getting your hands dirty can be a beneficial exercise. For cracking any technical interview we can follow Coding Ninjas Studio to solve the problems. Take on algorithmic challenges, solve them, and then code and run them on a computer. Testing your code will help you find and repair errors. Analyse the complexity of your programme (using big-O notation) and consider how you may improve execution performance. As you gain experience, the talents listed above should develop naturally. 

Culture fit: Amazon interviewers are also looking for factors of cultural fit. It's usually fine at lower levels (since a person may be moulded more efficiently), but fundamental attitude and confidence will be required. Instead, a lack of confidence can be interpreted negatively. Cultural components are assessed extensively and in great depth and detail for professional roles. Ability to tolerate ambiguity and be imaginative in confined situations become crucial characteristics for leadership roles. Answering such HR-style questions necessitates an applicant to recall particular examples from a previous job or academia, which the candidate and interviewer then discuss. 

There is a methodology for evaluating these responses. In general, a candidate should be able to articulate 

a) the circumstance, 

b) their behaviour during the situation, highlighting the aspect that answers the question posed, and 

c) the influence on the problem in question. 

While the question itself appears subjective, this methodology uses a thorough dive into the candidate's response to assist isolate a terrible answer from a good one.

 

The bar raiser: Every successful applicant must go through a bar-raising round. The bar raiser is an experienced Amazon interviewer who assists the hiring panel in setting the bar for the role/level. He or she effectively has a veto over the hiring decision based on his or her own and everyone else's interviews. The good news is that you don't need to do anything exceptional as an interviewee. In general, you must perform well with all interviewees. (Don't worry; if you had an unfair interviewer, the others may calibrate you better, and the bar raiser is typically acute enough to isolate such situations.)

For those with more experience: The key difference between experienced applicants and freshers in interviews is 

a) the level of ambiguity and 

b) the capacity to design (usually for scale). 

Freshmen are generally given bounded issues that are well-defined in low-level concepts, whereas experienced candidates may be given vast open-ended problems to complete. These can progressively lead to high-level and low-level design issues, and in some circumstances, algorithmic issues. Whereas freshers must translate solutions into code, experienced applicants must also translate real-world challenges into constrained CS style problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

The post for which I applied is no longer available. Is it still possible to apply?

Amazon posts new job openings on a regular basis and removes those that are no longer available. Roles that have been filled are also actively removed. If a position is not listed, it means that they are no longer accepting applications for it.

Do I have to use a cloud service to upload my resume?

Amazon has added the possibility to upload your resume via cloud services to support a more mobile-friendly experience. However, you can still upload your resume from your mobile device.

My application status has remained the same. Who can I contact for more information?

Your dashboard is updated regularly to reflect each application's most recent status information. When the status of an application changes, your dashboard is updated very instantly to reflect the new state.

Should I include work samples with my resume or CV (writing, coding, designs, etc.)?

Amazon may ask for work samples if you are chosen for an interview. If that happens, they will let you know where to send them. If you have public versions of your work online, adding links to your CV is a good idea.

Which technique can you use to answer any problem during the Amazon interview?

You can use the STAR technique, which means Situation, Task, Action and Result.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed the ways to get into Amazon. We have also discussed strategies to crack Amazon and how we can deal with the complex problems. We have discussed all the necessary things that can help you get a job in your dream company, Amazon.

To know more about the Amazon Jobs, the ways to get into Amazon, or different profiles, you can check out these articles: 

 

Refer to our guided paths on Coding Ninjas Studio to learn more about DSA, Competitive Programming, JavaScript, System Design, etc. Enroll in our courses and refer to the mock test and problems available; look at the Top 150 Interview Puzzles Amazon Interview Experience, and interview bundle for placement preparations.

Do upvote our blog to help other ninjas grow. 

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