Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Interview Process

I recently interviewed for the SDE role at Amazon, and the overall process was structured and efficient. Here's a breakdown of my experience:

Online Assessment (OA)

The first step was a two-part online assessment, focusing primarily on algorithms and programming. The questions included topics like dynamic programming, graph traversal, and array manipulations. The problems were challenging but manageable with preparation, especially if you're comfortable with LeetCode-style questions.

Technical Phone Screen

After passing the OA, I had a technical phone interview. This involved solving a couple of medium to hard algorithmic problems on a shared coding platform. The interviewer was friendly and provided hints when needed, which made the experience less stressful.

Virtual Onsite Interviews

The final round was a series of virtual onsite interviews, consisting of four sessions:

• Coding: Focused on data structures and algorithms. Think problems involving binary trees, sliding windows, and hash maps.
• System Design: For a new grad role, this was a simplified version, focusing on designing a scalable service and discussing trade-offs.
• Behavioral: Centered on Amazon’s Leadership Principles. Be ready to share specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
• Combination: A mix of coding and behavioral questions.

Preparation Tips

• Practice extensively on LeetCode, especially focusing on medium and hard problems.
• Review Amazon's Leadership Principles and prepare stories for behavioral questions.
• Familiarize yourself with system design basics if applicable.

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