Interview Experience - 143 - Amazon | SDE2 | L5
Summary
📌 Job Role: Software Development Engineer
🔢 Number of Rounds: 4
📜 Offer Status: Offer
📍 Location: Bangalore
👤 Candidate Name: Not disclosing due to signed NDA
Interview Process
Amazon recruiter directly called me, and within a week, the first two rounds were scheduled.
All rounds were 1 hour each, and the entire process took around 15–20 days to complete.
I had 5 years of experience at the time of the interview.
Preparation Guide
I was already interviewing with other companies, so I was in momentum. This helped me stay consistent with my preparation.
For this specific interview:
I focused on Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) and ensured I could explain multiple approaches to a problem.
I brushed up on System Design concepts, especially concurrency-related problems.
I went through Amazon's Leadership Principles in detail and prepared real examples from my experience.
I also spent time understanding Amazon’s on-call culture, patent policy, and team structures, as these topics tend to appear in discussions.
Interview Rounds
Round 1: DSA Round
Duration: 60 minutes
Difficulty Level: Medium
Experience:
The round started with a brief introduction (around 3 minutes).
The interviewer first asked one leadership-oriented situation-based question, which took around 8–10 minutes. After that, we jumped into the DSA section:
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Q1. I can't recall the exact problem, but I first explained an approach using DFS and then another approach using Knapsack. The interviewer was satisfied with both, but he asked me to write the Knapsack-based solution. Time taken: 25–30 minutes. Q2. Find the intersection point of two linked lists. Time taken: 15 minutes.
In the last 5 minutes, the interviewer asked a few questions about Amazon’s on-call culture and patent policy.
I was confident about this round, especially since the problem-solving discussion went well.
Key Learnings:
Be ready to explain multiple approaches to a problem.
Expect a mix of technical and leadership-oriented questions.
Familiarize yourself with Amazon-specific topics like on-call culture and patent policies.
Round 2: LLD and HLD (with a bit of HLD)
Duration: 60 minutes
Difficulty Level: Medium
Experience:
There were two interviewers (one was shadowing). The round started with a brief introduction (5 minutes).
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Q. Design a scalable and concurrent parking garage system. Time taken: ~40 minutes
After this, I was asked to describe a challenging project I had worked on. This included a few follow-up questions and took around 15 minutes.
In the last 5 minutes, we discussed ongoing projects at Amazon and the differences in on-call culture between different teams.
I was around 80–90% confident about this round, although I felt I could have structured my design a bit better.
Key Learnings:
Practice system design questions involving concurrency.
Be ready to discuss your past projects in detail, especially how you handled challenges.
Understand the differences in team-level cultures at Amazon, especially regarding on-call responsibilities.
Round 3: Behavioral Round
Duration: 60 minutes
Difficulty Level: Medium
Experience:
This round was with the hiring manager and was primarily focused on behavioral evaluation.
Started with a basic introduction (~3 minutes).
Spent 45 minutes discussing leadership principle-based questions and team-related scenarios.
In the last 5–10 minutes, we talked about Amazon culture in general.
I felt confident during this round since I had prepared concrete examples aligned with Amazon’s leadership principles.
Key Learnings:
Deeply understand and prepare for Amazon's leadership principles.
Use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format to answer behavioral questions effectively.
Demonstrate strong team collaboration skills.
Round 4: Bar Raiser (BR Round)
Duration: 60 minutes
Difficulty Level: Hard
Experience:
This round had two interviewers (one hiring manager and one HR, who was shadowing).
Started with a quick introduction (5 minutes).
Spent 50 minutes discussing past experiences, projects, and leadership principles.
Then came questions about:
Amazon’s patent policy
Team structure and how task prioritization works
Expectations from an SDE2 role
By the end of this round, I was 90% sure they would extend an offer.
Key Learnings:
Be ready to go in-depth on your past experiences and projects.
Understand Amazon’s team structure and task prioritization process.
Demonstrate that you meet the expectations for an SDE2 role.
Final Thoughts
The entire process with Amazon was smooth and well-structured.
Key takeaways for future candidates:
Maintain a strong grasp of DSA fundamentals and be ready to explain multiple approaches.
System design, especially problems involving concurrency, is critical for SDE2 roles.
Leadership principles are non-negotiable at Amazon; prepare stories to back each one.
Research Amazon’s internal culture, like on-call responsibilities and patent policy, to stand out.
Confidence and clear communication matter just as much as technical skills.
If you are preparing for an Amazon interview, focus equally on technical depth and cultural fit.