I applied online for a position in Seattle, WA. An Amazon recruiter contacted me and told me that she was going to submit me to the hiring manager. A week later I received an invite for a telephone interview asking for my best times to receive a 1-hour call. Once I submitted that information I received another email stating that I had an interview appointment with guy1 on a specific date and time. One day before the interview I received an email that stated that guy1 couldn't make it and he would be replaced by another person (guy2). During the call guy 2 divulged that he was not a part of the team that I had applied for and was in a pool of interviewers and lived in New York City. I waited 1 1/2 weeks after the interview and didn't hear a single word back and then I emailed the recruiter to ask if I was eliminated from the selection process. She called me about three hours later and said that they didn't feel that I was a good fit for the role but they had this other role in the same group that she wanted me to consider. I told her ok in the call and then she started talking about flying me to Seattle. I thought this was a bit hasty because I had not even spoke with the hiring manager and I am getting a face to face interview. I live in Dallas, TX and they flew me to Seattle, paid for my hotel, and I was there with bells on to interview for this job. It was a very long day with seven one hour interviews. They saved the hiring manager for the second to the last interview. I was exhausted by then and was loosing my voice but keep my composure to give them a great interview. Afterwards, I flew back to Dallas and the recruiter emailed me straight away to inform me I was not selected. In reflection, it seemed very unfair. They were too quick to pull the trigger for a face to face interview of me for a role where I was never interviewed by anyone from the team or the hiring manager. Two weeks later I saw another Sr. Program Manager’s position on a website and it was in Austin, TX which is only 200 miles away instead of Seattle, WA. I applied for that position and received a note from the recruiter that said "Once you have had a face to face interview with Amazon, and you are not selected, you are barred from the selection process for two years” I feel that is the most discriminatory thing that I have ever heard. What if the hiring manager in Austin, TX would have taken the time to get to know me and found that I was better qualified than any of the candidates that had applied? I feel like I was wronged by these people.

I will split this review into 2 sections pertaining to my preparation process and interview process. PREPARATION: First, I prepared by reaching out to my OCM (Office of Career Management) part of my MBA program. They reached out to the alumni that worked in the specific job and connected me with them. This was essential to my process and helped me a lot as it helped me get an inside look of the interviewers thought process before the interview. I then prepared a document to save and answer any interview question that I could find from resources, such as Glass Door, pertaining to typical Amazon behavioral interview questions. I also watched interview related YouTube videos that helped me prepare. Since Amazon is such a large company and hires a lot of people, there are a lot of these videos available. There are a few YouTube channels dedicated to the Amazon hiring process and interview preparation. I then reviewed the leadership principles and familiarized myself with them. I paired behavioral questions with these principles, and related them to my experience via the STAR format. One thing I HIGHLY suggest is practicing your responses, making them fluid and natural as part of a normal conversation. Record yourself, practice in the mirror, etc. Also, do NOT simply write down your responses and read them to the interviewer. This will get you negative points, and possibly cause them to pass on you. INTERVIEW: Total time: 3 HR, 15 Min. 4 interview, 45 min long, 15 min. break after 2nd interview. Amazon is moving towards online interview process. There are not doing as much on-campus interviews or flying candidates out to the location for in-person interviews. My Amazon interview was a total of FOUR interviews. Each of these interviews lasted for 45 minutes. Amazon will try to do all 4 of these interviews within 1 day. Be prepared to commit to the interview date, and be prepared for it to take the better half of the day. Each interviewer was punctual and direct. They gave a quick introduction of themselves, asked for a quick introduction of myself, and then quickly moved into behavioral type questioning. Preparing ahead of time is essential. I HIGHLY recommend the STAR format. Amazon is very results driven. Don't focus on non-essential information. Focus on actions and results. Each interviewer will ask you for more details and challenge you during the interview. Be prepared to be challenged and have those answers ready if possible. 2 of the interviewers I had gave me hypothetical questions to get to know my thought process better and to learn what my managerial style is like. All in all, it was a great experience. If you make it to this round of interview, you will most likely do well. Amazon is selective in their candidates, and seek out very qualified individuals for positions like this. You will more than likely enjoy this interview. My preparation helped me a great deal. Do not take the preparation lightly. Finally, the questions that I included were part of my preparation and found online. They were also asked by the interviewer. Not all of the questions asked are included.