YOUR ONSITE
INTERVIEW

Preparing for success

_{Introduction to the Onsite interview}

Click on the image to watch a short video about our standard interview process at Amazon. This provides a quick overview on the key elements of an Amazon interview:

Amazon Leadership Principles
the behavioral-based questions we ask
how to answer questions using the STAR method
the writing exercise you may be required to do

These areas are covered in more detail over the following pages.

Right now, how familiar are you with Amazon Leadership Principles, behavioral-based interviewing and the STAR method?

Very – I know a lot about these areas
Somewhat – but I want to learn more
I’m not at all familiar!

_{Amazon Leadership Principles}

At Amazon, 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.

Our Leadership Principles are the backbone of everything we do, and one of the many things that make up Amazon's distinct culture.

As all of our candidates are evaluated against our Leadership Principles, the best way to prepare for your interview is to consider how you’ve applied these Leadership Principles in your previous professional experience so that you can demonstrate them within your interview answers.

Learn about the 16 Amazon Leadership Principles in depth →READ MORE

_{The STAR method}

While there are many ways to answer an interview question, we suggest using the STAR method. It helps you answer questions in a clear, logical format. Through using STAR, you will provide the interviewer with the information they need to evaluate the depth and breadth of your past experiences, your behaviors in dealing with them, and to determine your potential for success in the role, and at Amazon.

Let's break down the STAR method to see how this works in practice.

SITUATION

Describe the situation you were in, or the task that you needed to accomplish.
Give enough detail for the interviewer to understand the complexities of the situation.
The example can be from a previous job, volunteer activity, or any relevant event but focus on recent example where possible.

TASK

Give more specific detail on the task itself. What goal were you working toward?
Describe what your responsibility was in that situation.
Example: The goal was to have the migration to the new CRM database completed by the start of Q3. I was the project lead.

ACTION

Describe the actions you took to address the situation, keeping the focus on your actions.
What specific steps did you take? What was your particular contribution?
Let us know what you took ownership for. Use the word “I,” not “we,” when describing your actions.

RESULT

Describe the outcome of your actions and don’t be shy about taking credit for your work.
What happened? How did the project end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn? Did the project succeed or fail?
Provide as many metrics, or data about the project’s results, as possible.

In the writing exercise you will be asked to answer one competency-based question (from a choice of two). This exercise is not timed, but once you make a selection on which question to answer, you cannot go back and switch to the other.

Your final draft must be submitted no later than two days prior to your first Onsite interview.

_{Writing exercise}

As part of the Onsite interview process, you are often required to complete a Writing Exercise, depending on the role and level of seniority you are applying for.

Your recruiting team will let you know if you are required to complete this exercise and if so, you will receive an assessment link once the Hiring team has decided to offer you an Onsite interview.

Amazon has a writing culture and the purpose of this exercise is to evaluate two primary criteria:

Clarity of thought and expression

Did you explain your point well?

Organization and structure

Does your response flow?
Does the narrative make sense?

_{Guidelines to follow}

1.

Write in the style you would use to write a business white paper or essay.

2.

As readers may not be familiar with specific technical terminology, company cultures, or situations, your response should be clear enough for any reader to fully understand the situation.

3.

Don't use bullet points, graphics, tables, charts, or flow charts.

4.

Don't include any confidential or proprietary information from current or past employers.

5.

Limit your response to 1-2 pages (no more than 8000 characters).

_{Tips for success: preparation}

With all Amazon interviews, the main difference between success and failure comes down to preparation.

We expect you to think in advance about how your previous experience demonstrates the Amazon Leadership Principles and your ability to do the role you’ve applied for.

Preparation will help you give detailed, yet concise answers in the interviews. Preparation also means your interviewers can get the best understanding of your skills and experiences on the day, and it may help with nerves too!

Here are some tips to help your interview preparation.

Be prepared to discuss everything listed on your resumé. We recommend that you review the job description before your interviews and evaluate your previous roles and responsibilities against the job’s specific requirements.
Gather data to underpin your examples of your past work experiences. Amazon is a data-driven company and interviewers will be looking for you to use data to demonstrate the success of past projects.
Amazon is customer-obsessed and everything we do works backwards from the customer's need. Consider how you can demonstrate being customer obsessed - whoever your customers are – so you can demonstrate this in your interviews.

Practise using the STAR method - ensure each answer has a beginning, middle, and end. You should describe the situation or problem, the actions you took, and the outcome.
Go through each Amazon Leadership Principle (especially those most relevant to your role) and find examples from your previous experience where you can demonstrate these. Look for examples from different areas of your life.
Learn about Amazon – understanding a bit about what we do, our projects, our values, and our people will help you discover what we get excited about. You’ll find links to learn more about Amazon at the back of this guide.
If you are provided with a list of people who’ll be conducting your interviews in advance, feel free to look them up on LinkedIn to familiarize yourself with their backgrounds, expertise and interests.