How I prepared for Amazon in just 1 Day 😱 My Amazon Interview Experience | Amazon Interview Question

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares their Amazon interview experience, detailing the preparation process and challenges faced. With only one day to prepare, they focus on revising key topics such as coding, operating systems, behavioral questions, and previous interview experiences. They also discuss the STAR technique for answering behavioral questions and how prior practice helped them tackle the coding rounds. The speaker walks viewers through each interview round, including coding questions, project discussions, and the final bar-raiser interview. Throughout the video, they offer valuable insights and advice for those preparing for similar interviews.

Takeaways

• 😀 Prioritize reviewing previous interview experiences: Studying past Amazon interview experiences on platforms like GeeksforGeeks helps identify frequently asked questions and key topics to focus on.
• 😀 🕑 Time management is crucial: The speaker had limited preparation time, with only one day to study, so managing that time effectively was essential for success.
• 😀 📚 Behavioral questions are a key focus: Amazon often asks behavioral questions in interviews, so it's important to prepare specific situations that demonstrate skills like ownership, conflict resolution, and handling pressure.
• 😀 🛠️ Use the STAR technique for behavioral questions: The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique helps provide structured answers and ensures you don't stray off topic during interviews.
• 😀 💻 Coding questions can be efficiently tackled with prior practice: Although limited on time, the speaker was able to quickly solve coding problems by leveraging prior practice and revisiting concepts.
• 😀 🔄 Don't skip core topics like operating systems: Even with limited time, the speaker focused on reviewing key concepts like deadlocks, scheduling algorithms, and virtual memory that were highly relevant in the interviews.
• 😀 💡 Focus on concepts over memorization: The speaker didn't memorize solutions, but instead reviewed concepts and thought through problem-solving approaches to improve efficiency.
• 😀 👥 Prepare for multiple rounds: The interview process included multiple rounds, including coding, behavioral, and system design questions, so it’s essential to be ready for a variety of question types.
• 😀 🤝 Interviewers value your past project experience: Talking about past projects and technologies you’ve worked with helps interviewers gauge your technical expertise and decision-making.
• 😀 🌟 Bar-raiser round is crucial: The final round evaluates if you can raise the team's average performance. Behavioral questions and coding challenges are also a part of this round, testing overall competence.

Q & A

How much time did the speaker have for preparation before the Amazon interview?

The speaker had only one day to prepare for the Amazon interview due to a project deadline at their previous company, Urban Clap.

What resources did the speaker use to prepare for the interview?

The speaker used Geeks for Geeks for previous Amazon interview experiences, Interview Bit for coding practice, and revisited their own notes for operating systems, networking, and other relevant topics.

What strategy did the speaker use to prepare for behavioral questions?

The speaker focused on practicing the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure their responses to behavioral questions. They also reviewed 35 sample situation-based questions from previous interviews.

What topics did the speaker prioritize in their one-day preparation?

The speaker prioritized behavioral questions and operating system concepts, particularly those related to deadlock, scheduling algorithms, and virtual memory, as these were frequently asked in Amazon interviews.

How did the speaker manage their time during the preparation day?

The speaker split their day into various segments, balancing work, interview preparation, and other responsibilities. They dedicated time to coding revision, behavioral questions, and revising technical concepts like operating systems.

What was the first round of the Amazon interview focused on?

The first round consisted of two coding questions, one on Priority Queue and another on Game Theory. Behavioral questions were also asked during this round.

How did the speaker prepare for the coding round?

The speaker revisited previously bookmarked questions on Interview Bit, practiced solving them in their mind, and refreshed their understanding of key concepts rather than coding everything from scratch.

How did the speaker perform during the second interview round?

In the second round, the speaker answered questions about their previous projects, explained technical choices (e.g., using Elasticsearch), and successfully answered questions on deadlock, scheduling algorithms, and operating system concepts.

What happened during the third interview round?

The third round focused on coding questions, including a string-based pattern-matching question and a Game Theory question. The speaker struggled with explaining the Game Theory solution, but ultimately solved both coding problems.

What is a 'bar-raiser' round at Amazon, and how did the speaker handle it?

The 'bar-raiser' round at Amazon tests if the candidate can raise the average standard of the team. The speaker successfully navigated this round by discussing previous projects, answering behavioral questions using the STAR technique, and solving a binary search problem.