Amazon.com receives thousands of resumes every week, from talented people all over the world. Our challenge is to find the very best and recruit them into one of the many challenging positions we offer.

Setting the bar high in our approach to hiring has been, and will continue to be, the single most important element of Amazon.com's success. During our hiring meetings, we ask people to consider three questions before making a decision:

  • Will you admire this person?
  • Will this person raise the average level of effectiveness of the group they're entering?
  • Along what dimension might this person be a superstar?

- Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon.com
1998 Letter to Shareholders

The Typical Interview Process

  1. One to two phone interviews with potential peers or the hiring manager
  2. On-site interview with five to seven people
  3. Reference and background checks
  4. Offer or decline call from recruiter

"I was a little nervous going into the interview, especially when I was asked to go to the whiteboard in the interview room and write some code. I felt confident, though, as it became evident that no one was trying to trip me up or trick me.... They just wanted to see that I could write great code. I could do that." --A candidate


How to Prepare

  • It's always a good idea to research a company before your interview.
  • Have a pencil and paper available during the phone interview, especially if you're interviewing for a technical position.
  • Request a copy of the job description from the person who schedules your interview.
  • Gather all of your prior company and supervisor information, as well as contact information for your references, before your on-site interview; it'll help you fill out your employment application faster.
  • Know your own resume, and be prepared to share really specific examples of the challenges you tackled and the impact you made in prior roles.
  • Depending on the job, you should be ready to go to a whiteboard to demonstrate some of your software-design, logic, planning, or process-design skills.
  • Prepare some good questions for your interviewers. Maybe ask how their group connects to the larger Amazon.com mission and what projects they're hoping you might be able to help with--after all, you're here to interview us, too.