How I cracked AMAZON Off-Campus Interview | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Maliha shares her off-campus journey to securing an Amazon job offer.

Key Insights

• 🥺 Applying for jobs without referrals can still lead to success; many candidates secure interviews through direct applications.
• ❓ Online assessments emphasize the importance of understanding data structures and algorithm implementation in practical programming scenarios.
• 🤔 Interview success is often tied to a candidate's ability to communicate their thought process and coding approach clearly.
• 🛝 Each technical interview round typically contains medium-level questions, focusing more on fundamental skills rather than competitive programming.
• 🧑‍💻 Maintaining a positive mindset and continued practice is essential for success in the competitive tech job market.
• ⌛ Understanding timing and efficiency can help candidates manage online assessments effectively and avoid time-related stress.
• 🤢 The bar raiser interview is crucial for assessing a candidate's foundational knowledge and problem-solving abilities within a more informal environment.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What was Maliha's application process for the Amazon offer?

Maliha applied for the Amazon position without a referral directly through the job portal for recent graduates. She submitted her resume and was shortlisted for the online assessment. After initially taking the application casually, she decided to attempt the test for the experience, which was a crucial decision leading her further in the process.

Q: What was the format and difficulty level of the online assessment?

The online assessment consisted of three questions to be completed within 90 minutes. The questions' difficulty ranged from medium to hard, primarily based on data structures and algorithms. Maliha noted the importance of understanding variable limits in programming, which could lead to overflow errors, a common issue if not appropriately managed.

Q: How did Maliha prepare for her interviews?

To prepare for her interviews, Maliha focused on strengthening her fundamentals in data structures and algorithms, particularly practicing implementation without relying on standard libraries. She revisited key concepts and was encouraged to maintain clarity and organization in her code, reflecting the importance of code quality in the interview process.

Q: What is a bar raiser interview round, and how did Maliha experience it?

The bar raiser interview round is a specialized final round where the interviewer assesses the candidate's fundamental knowledge rather than typical HR questions. Maliha found this round to include medium level questions that tested her understanding of fundamental concepts. The interviewer's positive feedback on her clarity regarding core concepts helped boost her confidence.

Q: Did Maliha face any challenges during her interview process?

Yes, during the second technical round, Maliha encountered a moment of doubt when she forgot a minor syntax element while implementing a data structure. However, the interviewer was understanding and allowed her to proceed, emphasizing that as long as the logic was correct, minor syntax errors wouldn't significantly impact her results.

Q: How did Maliha stay motivated despite challenges during her job search?

Maliha faced stress during her job search but maintained motivation by continuously studying and preparing for interviews. She did not allow temporary setbacks, such as not receiving a PPO from her internship at Uber, to derail her progress. Her resilience and focus on developing her skills were key to her eventual success at Amazon.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Maliha applied for the Amazon position without a referral, through the direct job portal, focusing on newly graduate roles. After submitting her resume, she waited for the online assessment, which she approached casually.

• The online assessment lasted 90 minutes and consisted of medium to hard questions mainly focused on data structures and algorithms, emphasizing the importance of understanding variable limits and avoiding overflow errors.

• The interview process involved three rounds: two technical interviews covering various topics and a final bar raiser round assessing fundamentals and problem-solving skills, ultimately leading to her successful offer.