I’m copying sections from Amazon’s career hiring site to have all the information in one cohesive document.
Online Phone Interviews
Candidates should study this information about Amazon prior to their interview.
Leadership Principles
Next, dive into our Leadership Principles. 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. It is just one of the things that makes Amazon peculiar. All candidates are evaluated based on our Leadership Principles. The best way to prepare for your interview is to consider how you’ve applied the Leadership Principles in your previous professional experience.
Customer Obsession
Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers.
Ownership
Leaders are owners. They think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results. They act on behalf of the entire company, beyond just their own team. They never say “that’s not my job”.
Invent and Simplify
Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify. They are externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by “not invented here”. As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time.
Are right, A Lot
Leaders are right a lot. They have strong judgment and good instincts. They seek diverse perspectives and work to disconfirm their beliefs.
Learn and Be Curious
Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. They are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them.
Hire and Develop the Best
Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion. They recognize exceptional talent, and willingly move them throughout the organization. Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others. We work on behalf of our people to invent mechanisms for development like Career Choice.
Insist on the Highest Standards
Leaders have relentlessly high standards – many people may think these standards are unreasonably high. Leaders are continually raising the bar and driving their teams to deliver high quality products, services and processes. Leaders ensure that defects do not get sent down the line and that problems are fixed so they stay fixed.
Think Big
Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results. They think differently and look around corners for ways to serve customers.
Bias for Action
Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk taking.
Frugality
Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and invention. There are no extra points for growing headcount, budget size or fixed expense.
Earn Trust
Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully. They are vocally self-critical, even when doing so is awkward or embarrassing. Leaders do not believe their or their team’s body odor smells of perfume. They benchmark themselves and their teams against the best.
Dive Deep
Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and anecdote differ. No task is beneath them.
Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly.
Deliver Results
Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business and deliver them with the right quality and in a timely fashion. Despite setbacks, they rise to the occasion and never settle.
Behavioral-based interviewing
Our interviews are rooted in behavioral-based questions which ask about past situations or challenges you’ve faced and how you handled them, using Leadership Principles to guide the discussion. We avoid brain teasers (e.g., “How many windows are in Manhattan?”) as part of the interview process. We’ve researched this approach and have found that those types of questions are unreliable when it comes to predicting a candidate’s success at Amazon.
Here are some examples of behavioral-based questions:
•Tell me about a time when you were faced with a problem that had a number of possible solutions. What was the problem and how did you determine the course of action? What was the outcome of that choice?
• When did you take a risk, make a mistake, or fail? How did you respond, and how did you grow from that experience?
• Describe a time you took the lead on a project.
• What did you do when you needed to motivate a group of individuals or promote collaboration on a particular project?
• How have you leveraged data to develop a strategy?
Keep in mind, Amazon is a data-driven company. When you answer questions, your focus should be on the question asked, ensure your answer is well-structured and provide examples using metrics or data if applicable. Reference recent situations whenever possible.
The formalities
•Some teams at Amazon incorporate role-specific exercises or online assessments into the interview process. You will be notified if the role you’re interviewing for requires one of these.
• During your phone interview, be in a quiet and comfortable place with no distractions.
• Have a computer with a reliable connection and access to email.
• If you’re using a mobile phone, ensure you are in a place with proper coverage.
• Have a copy of your resume on hand.
• Have paper and pen readily available.
• Come prepared with questions that you would like to explore in more detail (e.g. initiatives/projects, team culture, scope of role).
• If you need clarity on anything, or have any additional follow-up questions, reach out to your recruiting point of contact.
• If you need an accommodation, or have questions or concerns, please reach out, as we ensure reasonable accommodations for all individuals.
• Virtual interviews: If you’ve been asked to do a virtual interview, you will likely need to download Amazon Chime, our tool for video conferencing (step-by-step guide can be found here). If you’re presenting, you will need to download Chime to your desktop. The meeting ID# will be emailed to you by your recruiting point of contact. For optimal sound quality, use a headset with a microphone.
Amazon supports pay equity. We will not consider a candidate’s current or historical compensation when determining whether to offer employment or in determining any aspect of offer compensation for any candidate or role located in the United States.
Resources and Links:
FAQ’s
Welcome to the first step in discovering opportunities at Amazon. We want to make sure you’re prepared. To help you get started, we’ve provided a few of our most frequently asked questions.
Don’t have any questions? Begin your search.
How do I apply?
How do I upload or update my cover letter?
Being a peculiar company, we don’t accept cover letters. Just ensure your resume is up to date and you’re all set.
What if I don’t have a formal resume or CV to enter into the form?
It’s recommended to have a resume or CV. If you don’t have a resume, it is still okay to apply. Just be sure to fill in a brief description of your background, experience (with dates of employment), educational achievements, and skills. This information is necessary to evaluate candidates. Applications without this information will not be considered.
If you are interested in a warehouse/associate position in an Amazon Fulfillment Center, you do not need to have a resume to apply. Learn more about the application process here.
Should I send samples of my work (writing, code, designs, etc.) with my resume or CV?
If you’re selected for an interview, we may request work samples. If we do, we’ll let you know where you should send them. However, if public copies of your work are available for viewing online, including links on your resume is a good idea.
The position I wanted to apply for is no longer listed. Can I still apply?
We regularly post new positions and remove positions that are no longer open. We also actively remove roles that have been filled. If a job is not listed, that means we are no longer taking applications for the position at this time.
What’s the status of my application?
We follow federal requirements when we review resumes and only contact candidates we’d like to learn more about. Unfortunately, we’re not able to make personal contact with everyone who submits a resume. To check your status, log in to your application profile and review the roles for which you’ve applied.
Candidates for warehouse and Amazon Fulfillment Center positions can check the status of their applications here.
How can I apply to work for one of your subsidiary companies?
Most open positions with our subsidiaries are included in amazon.jobs search results. You can search and apply to them from this page on amazon.jobs.
Do you hire contractors, temporary employees, or freelancers?
Yes, we often work with temporary employment agencies for contractors, temporary employees, or freelancers.
To learn about these opportunities, contact leading employment agencies in the cities where Amazon has a presence. We do not provide listings for contractor, temporary, or freelance positions on our site.
Why do I have to make a separate application profile instead of just using my Amazon.com customer login?
We take our customers’ trust and security very seriously. To ensure our customers’ and candidates’ sensitive information is protected, our customer and candidate data are kept completely separate. This is why you need a separate profile to apply for jobs.
Can I still apply if I need a work permit?
Have more questions?
EXPLORE INTERVIEWING AT AMAZON. CHECK OUT OUR FAQS.
LEARN ABOUT OUR BENEFITS. EXPLORE OUR LOCATIONS.
Learn More About Amazon
Help make history starting with Day 1
When Amazon.com launched in 1995, it was with the mission “to be Earth’s most customer-centric company.” What does this mean? It’s simple. We’re a company that obsesses over our customers. Our actions, goals, projects, programs and inventions begin and end with the customer top of mind. In other words, we start with the customer and work backwards. When we hit on something that is really working for customers, we double-down on it with hopes to turn it into an even bigger success. However, it’s not always as clean as that. Inventing is messy, and over time, it’s certain that we’ll fail at some big bets too.
You’ll also hear us say that at Amazon, it’s always “Day 1.” What do we mean? Our approach remains the same as it was on Amazon’s very first day — to make smart, fast decisions, stay nimble, innovate and invent, and focus on delighting customers.
“We continue to aspire to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, and we recognize this to be no small or easy challenge. We know there is much we can do better, and we find tremendous energy in the many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.” – Jeff Bezos
Customer-centricity
Amazon is built on the concept of a virtuous cycle focused on the customer. The idea was constructed on a napkin by CEO Jeff Bezos, and still remains a living, breathing part of Amazon.
Explore the videos below to hear CEO, Jeff Wilke, explain the the meaning of the virtuous cycle.
Amazonians and business teams
Amazonians and business teams
Meet a few of our Amazonians and explore our various business teams below.
Amazon Devices and Services
Amazon introduced the first Kindle in 2007 — at that time, it offered 90,000 eBooks and sold out 5.5 hours after the announcement. Since then, we have expanded to become the best-selling e-reader family in the world. We have gone beyond Kindle with our powerhouse Fire tablets, built for work and play with our Fire operating system. For streaming media lovers, we have created Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire TV Edition with voice search. Fire TV devices come with access to 500,000 movies, TV shows, and tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills. Most recently, we introduced Amazon Echo and Alexa, the voice service that powers Echo and other devices so customers can play music, control their smart homes, and get information, news, weather, and more using just their voice.
Amazon Marketplace
Shoppers think of Amazon.com as the place where they can buy most anything they need to live their lives, but shoppers aren’t Amazon’s only customers. Small businesses rely on Amazon as a trusted partner to enable them to reach millions of customers worldwide and help them grow their businesses, while also providing them with a safe place to sell their products. We have teams at Amazon responsible for finding, engaging, working with, and innovating on behalf of small businesses to help them be successful — on and off Amazon.com. In 2017, over 300,000 U.S. based small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) were selling on Amazon, and during Prime Day customers ordered more than 40 million items from SMBs worldwide, growing their sales by more than 60 percent over Prime Day 2016.
Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a secure cloud services platform, offering compute power, database storage, content delivery and other functionality to help businesses scale and grow. Millions of customers currently leverage AWS cloud products and solutions to build sophisticated applications with increased flexibility, scalability and reliability. Tens of thousands of customers use a broad range of AWS services. This has accelerated AWS’ pace in machine learning, artificial intelligence, internet of things, and serverless computing.
Business Development
The Business Development and Entertainment team includes Prime Video and Studios, Amazon Music, IMDb, Worldwide Advertising, Amazon Registry Services, and Corporate and Business Development. These teams drive new businesses that innovate in new or emerging market segments.
eCommerce
When customers shop on Amazon.com, they expect a safe, simple and consistent experience. A large number of systems and services contribute to that experience, from identity services to massive data warehouses and innovations, specifically focusing on managing the incredible scale and complexity of operating one of today’s most successful businesses. eCommerce Foundation (eCF) owns the core systems, services and infrastructure behind Amazon.com, delivering key aspects of the Amazon shopping experience, managing hosting for Amazon websites worldwide, and creating the services that technology teams across the company use to develop and run their systems.
Kindle, Digital Content and Publishing
With a mission to make every book ever written available in minutes, the Kindle, Digital Content and Publishing teams have pioneered services like Kindle Direct Publishing to empower independent authors to reach new audiences, and Kindle Unlimited subscription reading for avid eBook readers. Innovation doesn’t stop there, this team continues to build new tools for authors to publish and distribute their work, and readers to access a growing variety of content on any device, anywhere in the world.
Retail
From a garage-based start-up in 1995, to one of the world’s most respected brands today, Amazon has grown to become an integral part of customers’ lives. Amazon’s Retail organization is at the center of that evolution. We’re the people behind the Amazon.com website and customer experience, beloved programs like Amazon Prime, Amazon Go, Whole Foods, private label products, and all of Amazon’s retail categories. Whether it’s technical teams pushing the boundaries of what is possible using machine learning, or business teams launching new voice ordering capabilities, employees innovate on behalf of customers at a massive scale — and we’re just getting started.
Worldwide Operations and Customer Service
Amazon’s mission is “to be Earth’s most customer-centric company”, and our Operations and award-winning Customer Service teams are at the heart of that mission. Supported by innovative world-class technologies, our global network of FCs, delivery stations and customer service teams are dedicated to supporting customers worldwide. Together, we create, we build, and we take ownership for what we do — whether we’re developing new technology in-house, launching a new Amazon Fulfillment Center, or delighting our customers by delivering packages directly to them. We’re constantly creating the ideas, services, and products that make life easier for millions of customers.
What makes us peculiar?
Some of the best ways to learn about our peculiarities are to explore our Leadership Principles and to read Jeff Bezos’ letters to shareholders. Jeff has written this letter annually for the past 20 years, and each provides insight into our culture and how we operate. Each letter also ends with a key point from his 1997 letter, “our core values and approach remain unchanged. We continue to aspire to be Earth’s most customer-centric company.”
Here are some highlights:
• We “focus on hiring and retaining versatile and talented employees, and continue to weight their compensation to stock options rather than cash. We know our success will be largely affected by our ability to attract and retain a motivated employee base, each of whom must think like, and therefore must actually be, an owner” (1997 shareholder letter).
• We believe “some decisions are consequential and irreversible or nearly irreversible – one-way doors… If you walk through and don’t like what you see on the other side, you can’t get back to where you were before… But most decisions aren’t like that – they are changeable, reversible – they’re two-way doors. If you’ve made a suboptimal Type 2 decision, you don’t have to live with the consequences for that long. You can reopen the door and go back through. Type 2 decisions can and should be made quickly by high judgment individuals or small groups” (2015 shareholder letter).
• “We want to be a large company that’s also an invention machine. We want to combine the extraordinary customer-serving capabilities that are enabled by size with the speed of movement, nimbleness, and risk acceptance mentality normally associated with entrepreneurial start-ups” (2015 shareholder letter).
• A “one-size-fits-all thinking can turn out to be only one of the pitfalls. We work hard to avoid it… and any other large organization maladies we can identify” (2015 shareholder letter).
• When it comes to obsessing over customers, we’re in it for the long haul. “A remarkable customer experience starts with heart, intuition, curiosity, play, guts, and taste” (2016 shareholder letter).
• Every day is Day 1 at Amazon. In Amazon’s 2016 letter to shareholders, Jeff Bezos said that, “Day 2 is stasis. Followed by irrelevance. Followed by excruciating, painful decline… And that is why it is always Day 1.”
• “We don’t do PowerPoint (or any other slide-oriented) presentations. Instead, we write narratively structured memos and silently read one at the beginning of each meeting in a kind of “study hall.” These papers generally range from one to six pages and articulate the project goal(s), approach to addressing it, outcome, and next steps” (2017 shareholder letter).
• We “believe in building a culture of high standards. Naturally and most obviously, because we’ll build better products and services for customers. More subtle: a culture of high standards is protective of all the “invisible” but crucial work that goes on in every company; it’s the work that gets done when no one is watching. In a high standards culture, doing that work well is its own reward. Once you’ve tasted high standards, there’s no going back” (2017 shareholder letter).
Want to know more?
•Explore how we continue to evolve our communities, build a diverse work environment, and push for a sustainable world.
• Learn about our culture, opportunities for veterans, and more.
• Stay up to date with our Day One blog and get the latest about what’s happening at Amazon.
• Get to know our Seattle headquarters.
• Meet a few Amazonian dogs who work to delight and energize some of our offices.
• Browse Amazon Awards
Videos
The videos are hosted on YouTube but aren’t the kind where you can copy the link to them. When I published this a new text box appeared telling me that of I enabled Javascript I could see the video links.
Fun Fact I Discovered Recently
The Silk browser on Amazon Fire Tablets can enable Javascript and even play flash coded things…I think…at least it could int the beginning.
Our Furry Friends
A Door Desk
365 days of Day 1
The virtuous cycle
vsatips 