The path to getting a job in tech can be a long one. My journey with Amazon for an SDE 1 role was exactly that: a marathon. It taught me a lot, not just about coding, but about persistence and how to handle setbacks.
It all began in January, when I sent in my application. Then came the waiting. Months passed, and I wondered if I would ever hear back. Finally, in June, an email arrived. It was an invitation for the online assessment.
The First Challenge: The Online Assessment
This part of the interview was made up of a few different sections:
- Coding Questions: I had two LeetCode medium problems. One involved a graph and the other was about tree traversal. These needed careful thinking and good coding skills.
- Work Simulations: These were like puzzles that put me in different work situations. They wanted to see how I would solve problems on the job.
- Work Style Survey: This section checked if my way of working fit with Amazon’s company culture.
I was really happy to find out I passed this round. It was a big step! In August, I got the call to schedule my final interviews.
The Final Rounds: A Mix of Coding and Leadership
My interviews were set for September 9. But two days before, on September 7, one of my three interviews got moved to September 22. This made things a bit tricky, but I tried to stay focused.
Interview 1: Technical Coding Deep Dive
This first chat was all about coding. The interviewer gave me a problem: find the next possible word from a list, based on what someone types. Think of it like making an autocomplete feature. I understood how to solve it and had a good plan, but I got stuck on one small part, which took up a lot of time. The interviewer was very kind and helpful, which made it easier, but I knew it wasn’t my best performance.
Interview 2: Leadership Principles
This round was about Amazon’s Leadership Principles, which are very important to them. I was asked eight questions, with extra follow-up questions for about two or three of them. I had practiced telling stories from my past work that showed these principles. I felt really good about this one, and the interviewer seemed happy with my answers.
Interview 3: Coding and Leadership Together
My last interview, on September 22, was a mix. For the coding part, I had to design a ‘find’ command like you would use in a Unix system to search a file. This went well. I explained my steps clearly. Then came the Leadership Principles questions. I got two main questions, each with three or four follow-ups. Again, I felt confident here.
The Result: A Learning Experience
After 3 days, I finally heard back. The result was a rejection. I wasn’t satisfied with my performance.
Of course, it’s disappointing to hear no after putting in so much effort. But this experience has given me a lot of hope and a clear path forward. It showed me exactly where I need to get better. This isn’t the end of my journey, it’s just a step. I know what to prepare for next time, and I’m ready to learn even more.
I’m taking this as a sign to prepare even harder for the next opportunity.
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