In this article we're tackling a topic that many of you find perplexing: the number of stories you should prepare for an Amazon interview.
Unfortunately, given the complexity and variability of Amazon's interview process, there's no straightforward answer, but we're going to try to guide you through the nuances and help you navigate this with as much clarity as possible.
A Disclaimer on Variability
Before diving into specifics, it's crucial to understand the enormous variability in the Amazon interview process. Factors such as the length of your stories, the interviewer's preference and style, and even the interview duration (which ranges from 30 minutes for junior roles to 60 minutes for more senior positions) play significant roles in determining how many stories you'll need.
Technical Roles: What to Expect
Focusing on technical positions—from Software Development Engineers to Solutions Architects—we'll assume a simplified interview path: two early rounds followed by the loop, involving five interviews. It could be different to this, but I'm using this flow as a simplifier or this article could turn into a book.
The Early Stages: Rounds 1 and 2
Round 1: The Introduction
In the first round, expect to face introductory questions such as "Why Amazon?", "Tell Me About Yourself", and discussions around your resume and proud projects. This round aims to gauge your functional competency—essentially, your technical prowess. Given the focus on these areas, you might only need one story ready, primarily if it highlights your technical skills.
Round 2: Diving Deeper
By the second phone screen, the interviewer will have a baseline understanding of your experience and skills. This round tends to focus more on re-validating those initial impressions and delving deeper into Amazon's Leadership Principles through Leadership Principle behavioural questions. Though you might face some repeat questions from Round 1, the emphasis here shifts towards behavioural aspects, necessitating 2-3 solid stories.
The Final Hurdle: The Loop
Making it to the loop signifies a deeper evaluation through five interviews. Amazon employs two main strategies for mixing functional and behavioural questions in technical interviews:
Strategy 1: Two interviews focus entirely on functional questions, and three are dedicated to behavioural questions, leading to a total of 12-18 questions across the loop.
Strategy 2: A 50/50 split between functional and behavioural questions in all interviews, slightly reducing the total number of questions.
Story Repetition: A Cautious Approach
A common query is whether repeating stories across questions or rounds is permissible. While there's no one-size-fits-all answer due to differing interviewer preferences, Day One Careers recommends avoiding repetition when possible. If repeating a story is unavoidable, ensure you highlight different Leadership Principles each time.
Variation In Number Of Rounds
There are plenty of roles where fewer rounds are employed in the end to end process. Some candidates only have one early round before moving to loop. Some teams skip straight to loop from online assessments and avoid early rounds entirely. In some candidates' cases a round may be required after loop, if there is uncertainty or the Bar Raiser hasn't been able to come to a conclusion.
Variation In Number Of Interviewers
The seniority of the role is going to determine how many interviewers you have in your final loop. Junior candidates can have as few as 3, very senior candidates can have up to 8. The number of interviewers you have at this round will obviously effect the number of stories you'll need.
Minimising the Uncertainty
The variability in the Amazon interview process means that the exact number of stories varies significantly among candidates. While some may navigate the entire process with fewer stories, others might find themselves preparing more. The best way to get a better read on how many stories to prepare is to get specific details from your Recruiter on the format of your interviews.
Ask them these questions
- How long will my interview be?
- Will I be asked Functional questions about my technical skills?
- Will I be asked Leadership Principle questions?
- If I'm going to be tested on Leadership Principle questions, how many Leadership Principles will they try to cover?
- If you're going into Loop- how many interviewers will I have?
In Summary
There is no single answer to this question of how many you "should" prepare. If you want to be prepared for anything we recommend you aim to have 2 examples ready to go through for each Leadership Principle. Although you may want to skip "Success & Scale Bring Broad Responsibility" and "Strive To Be Earth's Best Employer"- which are very rarely tested since their introduction in 2022.
If you want to leave no stone unturned in your preparation for your Amazon interview check out the range of Day One Careers' comprehensive Amazon interview preparation digital courses here. Or if you'd like something more personal our ex-Amazon coaches would be delighted to work with you 1:2:1. For more information click here.
