ONLINE ASSESSMENT: Platform: Mettl: The test was of 100 minutes in total and there was no negative marking. It consisted of 11 sections. The first section was a coding section which (in my case) was related to hashmaps and was of medium difficulty level. The rest of the 10 sections had 5 questions in each section and they were respectively DBMS, SQL, Computer Networks, Python Programming, Linux Commands, Pseudocodes, Software Testing, Data Visualization, Data Structures, and Algorithms. The overall difficulty level was medium. There was no such sectional timing you just have to attempt the whole paper in 100 minutes and can also switch between the sections.
Tip: Focus more on the topics which are most important for the role you want to go for. For example: as a data engineer, you need to focus on python, DBMS, SQL, data visualization, and pseudocodes. If you have time then prepare for all subjects/sections but if not then just focus on your role’s sections and just take care of accuracy. Also do not waste a lot of time on just one section.
After the online assessment 43 students were shortlisted. 20 for QAE, 7 for BIE, and 16 for DE. And the next phase was the interview phase consisting of three interview rounds. All were elimination rounds.
ROUND 1: (Technical): The interviewer asked questions from three sections i.e. Python programming, SQL And Project, Big Data, DBMS, etc.
Verdict: 4 students were selected. 1 for QAE and 3 for DE. I was selected for DE.
1 Learn about Amazon’s culture
Many candidates skip this step. However, it’s important to take the time to learn more about Amazon and whether it’s the right company for you.
Amazon is a prestigious company, so it’s tempting to apply without doing your research first. In our experience, the prestige alone wont make you happy in your day-to-day work. It’s the company culture, people you work with, and type of work that will.
This is also an important step to take in order to prepare for the interviews. Amazon is looking for engineers who will fit in with their culture and are passionate about the company. Coming in with an understanding of the company strategy and your team’s work will show that you’ve done your research.
Here are some resources to help you get started:
1 What interviews to expect
Let’s take a look at these steps in more detail.
First, recruiters will look at your resume and assess if your experience matches the open position. This is the most competitive step in the process, as millions of candidates do not make it past this stage.
If you’re looking for expert feedback on your resume, you can get input from our team of ex-FAANG recruiters, who will cover what achievements to focus on (or ignore), how to fine tune your bullet points, and more.
If you do have a connection to someone at Amazon, it can be really helpful to get an employee referral to the internal recruiting team, as it may increase your chances of getting into the interview process.
Some candidates will receive an invitation for an online test before moving on to the first-round calls. These are more common for internship and junior positions, but may appear in experienced positions as well.
This assessment will focus your technical skills, requiring a strong understanding of SQL querying and some coding. There may be a question on data modeling as well. You’ll likely have a deadline by which you have to complete the assessment, but the test itself is not timed.
If you pass the online assessment, you’ll move on to your first calls with Amazon interviewers.
The next step includes one or two calls with Amazon interviewers via Amazon Chime, which last 45-60 minutes each. These may take place over video or be audio-only.
The first-round interviews will include a mix of technical and behavioral questions. You may have one interview entirely focused on SQL and coding questions, followed by a second interview that focuses on behavioral questions and data modeling. Or you may have one interview that combines all of these.
You’ll typically be doing your coding using a simple text editor like LiveCode, where you’re unable to run the code or see any static analysis. While most candidates chose to code in Python, you may use a coding language of your choice.
Your last step in the Amazon data engineer interview process is the final onsite or virtual interview loop. This will include four to six separate rounds, which last 45-60 minutes each.
The interviews will be one-on-ones with a mix of people from the team you’re applying to join, including data engineers, software engineers, hiring managers, and a senior executive called the Bar Raiser.
Bar Raisers are not associated with the team you’re applying for. Instead, they focus on overall candidate quality rather than specific team needs. They get special training to make sure Amazon’s hiring standards stay high, so they are a big barrier between you and the job offer.
Expect a higher emphasis on behavioral questions at Amazon relative to other tech companies. Each interviewer is usually assigned two or three of Amazon’s 16 leadership principles to focus on during your interview. We’ll dive deeper into the questions to expect in Amazon data engineer interviews in section 2.
For more information from Amazon about these interviews, take a look at their interview prep materials.
Interview process and timeline
What’s the Amazon data engineer interview process and timeline? It usually takes around one to three months and follows the steps below.