I was contacted by a recruiter who set me up with a phone interview two days later. I was moved on quickly to the next stage, an on site interview at Amazon HQ in Seattle.
I was told through many stock emails to prepare for each of Amazon's Leadership Principles, and I did. I studied then backwards and forwards, and prepared multiple responses for all of them. I received a lot of support from my sourcing recruiter, who called and gave me advice the week before the interview.
The day of was stressful, but enjoyable. 5 back to back interviews with people in person, and one video call. I also had a lunch break. All but one employee focused on typing on a laptop as fast as I could speak, interrupting me to have me repeat myself or to ask the question again. Very little eye contact, no discussion or going over my resume, strict question and answer. As many questions as they could get in.
What stopped me up was that they all focused on the same 2 Leadership Principles, and many repeated the same question over and over again. Customer Obsession and Bias for Action were the ones asked about most - nothing about my resume, or even content development, or the job itself. Just really trying to squeeze in as many answers and data points to their list of questions before the next interviewer came in.
I could tell immediately who the bar raiser was by her name and department, and she was definitely hardcore. Constant interruptions, hurrying me along, and squeezing our interview into half the time the others did. She was my last interview of the day, and my brain was fried trying to come up with answers fast enough and concise enough before she'd interrupt me. The last question I didn't even get to answer before she ended the interview (a full half hour early) and escorted me out.
I believed I did well in 4 out of the 6 people I spoke with. But that bar raiser round definitely did me in.
I was told I'd hear back within 5 business days. A friend who works there told me I'd hear by Wednesday (my interview was on a Friday). I never heard back in that time. My sourcing recruiter moved to a different team, and the recruiter who was supposed to follow up switched teams and started traveling internationally. It took several emails before my original sourcing recruiter reached out to ask if I had my result, I didn't so she provided it. This was 7 business days later, even though I was assured they stuck to their 5 day policy. If I hadn't reached out, I don't think I would've heard anything.
I was told that they could provide no feedback, and to try again in 1 to 2 years.
