Amazon Hiring/Interview process MEGATHREAD (Seattle: kitchen, build, lesbians)
Seattle areaSeattle and King County Suburbs
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I see...they will be ok with a candidate without a lot of experience, but if it happens that they get a better candidate all for the better. I should have imagined, this is not a company who is tied to budget when comes to hiring...
My husband has a second phone interview scheduled for a Software Developer position. Does anyone know how much weight graduate school carries? He doesn't have a lot of work experience that's quite Amazon caliber, so we're not necessarily banking on this panning out. It's great that he was even considered, and moved onto another round! Either way we figure it's great practice interviewing and being put on the spot with coding questions.
He is very smart, and has a great aptitude and foundation to grow his skills quickly. I just figure with as intelligent and diverse a candidate pool that Amazon draws, he needs to have some kind of edge or be absolutely excellent. He got a 4.0 in his masters program from a good school. Of course, as is often the case in school you learn a lot more theory than really getting experience applying some of those advanced concepts. He worries about how he'll stack up when it comes to those coding questions. Basically I am wondering if they'll be a little more forgiving if his on the job technical skills are a little less solid, knowing he has proven himself as an excellent student. Or if so many people are on the job skilled AND well educated that he has to be perfect. Thanks in advance for any insight!
This thread has been such a great resource - thanks to all who have contributed! I have my third phone interview today - first was recruiter (found me on Linked.In), second was with a person who'd be my co-worker, today's is with the hiring manager. I'm excited about the possibility of working for Amazon, but have a couple of sensitive questions for those of you who are already at Amazon:
1. Is it an LGBT-friendly environment? I'm a lesbian, been with my partner for almost 20 years, we are married (live in Los Angeles) and we have 2 small kids. I'm assuming it must be fine, but it's important so I thought I'd ask.
2. My youngest is 5 months old and exclusively breastfed. If I'm asked to come for an on-site interview, I'm wondering how I'll handle the pumping issue. I'd need to pump twice during the day, 15 minutes each time. Should I keep it to myself and just try to work it out, or look at it as a way to suss out how my possible new team is with me pumping (I'd be doing it at work until he is a year). If they have an issue, it might be good to know now before relocating, know what I mean?
From what I can tell, Amazon just wants people who have the right character, and can do the job well. I don't think they are super-focused on education and was told that directly, more than once.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AwGeez
My husband has a second phone interview scheduled for a Software Developer position. Does anyone know how much weight graduate school carries? He doesn't have a lot of work experience that's quite Amazon caliber, so we're not necessarily banking on this panning out. It's great that he was even considered, and moved onto another round! Either way we figure it's great practice interviewing and being put on the spot with coding questions.
He is very smart, and has a great aptitude and foundation to grow his skills quickly. I just figure with as intelligent and diverse a candidate pool that Amazon draws, he needs to have some kind of edge or be absolutely excellent. He got a 4.0 in his masters program from a good school. Of course, as is often the case in school you learn a lot more theory than really getting experience applying some of those advanced concepts. He worries about how he'll stack up when it comes to those coding questions. Basically I am wondering if they'll be a little more forgiving if his on the job technical skills are a little less solid, knowing he has proven himself as an excellent student. Or if so many people are on the job skilled AND well educated that he has to be perfect. Thanks in advance for any insight!
I am in the interview process for a marketing position at amazon. I've had my two phone interviews. How long have people waited for the final interview invitation? It's been, as of today, a week. I thought I got rather positive responses to my phone answers, but am preparing for the "no thanks."
Mostly I am curious if they let you know in a certain time frame on whether they will move forward or not. As others have said, waiting is the worst part!
This thread has been such a great resource - thanks to all who have contributed! I have my third phone interview today - first was recruiter (found me on Linked.In), second was with a person who'd be my co-worker, today's is with the hiring manager. I'm excited about the possibility of working for Amazon, but have a couple of sensitive questions for those of you who are already at Amazon:
1. Is it an LGBT-friendly environment? I'm a lesbian, been with my partner for almost 20 years, we are married (live in Los Angeles) and we have 2 small kids. I'm assuming it must be fine, but it's important so I thought I'd ask.
2. My youngest is 5 months old and exclusively breastfed. If I'm asked to come for an on-site interview, I'm wondering how I'll handle the pumping issue. I'd need to pump twice during the day, 15 minutes each time. Should I keep it to myself and just try to work it out, or look at it as a way to suss out how my possible new team is with me pumping (I'd be doing it at work until he is a year). If they have an issue, it might be good to know now before relocating, know what I mean?
Thanks in advance!
1. I'm sure no one cares as long as you keep it to yourself. The workplace isn't really a good environment to champion around your sexual preferences. I'm sure if someone asked about a husband, and you mentioned you were gay, people wouldn't think much of it. It's generally an issue when you throw it in people's face I'm sure. But I have an issue with anyone parading around their sexual preferences, be it gay or straight. I'm sure most people are much the same.
2. I'm sure you can "pump" in the rest room in private. The interviewers don't need to know anything about it. I'm sure you're allowed to take bathroom breaks throughout the interview.
Hm, I hope not everyone at Amazon is as brusk as you seem to be, branh0913. I'm not looking to "champion around" my sexual "preference" (not really a preference, but I digress) but would like to be able to speak openly about my family without there being any weirdness. It's not a problem at my current workplace.
As for pumping, I decided to be direct and ask for one break mid-day and a place to pump. The recruiter was happy to oblige and even congratulated me on my baby. Pumping is not something easily done in a bathroom in a few minutes.
If your attitude is the general one at Amazon, I'd definitely pass on working there so I'm hoping you're in the minority and that most employees are more open-minded and welcoming.
Does anyone know how much weight graduate school carries?
... Basically I am wondering if they'll be a little more forgiving if his on the job technical skills are a little less solid, knowing he has proven himself as an excellent student. Or if so many people are on the job skilled AND well educated that he has to be perfect. Thanks in advance for any insight!
It really depends on the people interviewing him. I know my husband has had poor experiences with people with a lot of education and no professional experience so that factors into his expectations going into the interview. But some of his coworkers view higher degrees very positively, and ultimately the great equalizer is how well they do with the technical questions.
Having said that, I know of two cases where the candidate didn't quite meet the coding bar but the hiring team advocated very strongly for them - the first guy was an excellent communicator and the second guy was very bright and a fast-thinker. In both cases the interviewers felt that it would be easier to get their coding up to scratch than it would be to find an already-excellent programmer with the x-factor that these candidates had. In the end it was up to the bar-raiser and the hiring manager - they didn't end up hiring the first guy but did make an offer to the second one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gloomcookie
1. Is it an LGBT-friendly environment? I'm a lesbian, been with my partner for almost 20 years, we are married (live in Los Angeles) and we have 2 small kids. I'm assuming it must be fine, but it's important so I thought I'd ask.
It's a huge company so individual teams are going to vary and my husband's experience is going to be of limited use ("some straight guy says it's totally fine for gay people at Amazon!"). But people aren't going to blink twice if you have a coupley photo on your desk, talk about the hike you went on with your wife, or bring your family to the company picnic.
That's just his team, but in general you should be fine. I would be genuinely shocked if someone were openly homophobic in a large company, let alone a large tech company in Seattle where the CEO had donated $2.5M in support of same-sex marriage.
Quote:
2. My youngest is 5 months old and exclusively breastfed. If I'm asked to come for an on-site interview, I'm wondering how I'll handle the pumping issue. I'd need to pump twice during the day, 15 minutes each time. Should I keep it to myself and just try to work it out, or look at it as a way to suss out how my possible new team is with me pumping (I'd be doing it at work until he is a year). If they have an issue, it might be good to know now before relocating, know what I mean?
I don't know if there are pumping rooms but at the very least you can book out a meeting room if you want to pump in private (you can pretty much book rooms for any reason - my husband has so he can get work done in peace, and some of the guys have done it to play board games after work).
Hm, I hope not everyone at Amazon is as brusk as you seem to be, branh0913. I'm not looking to "champion around" my sexual "preference" (not really a preference, but I digress) but would like to be able to speak openly about my family without there being any weirdness. It's not a problem at my current workplace.
As for pumping, I decided to be direct and ask for one break mid-day and a place to pump. The recruiter was happy to oblige and even congratulated me on my baby. Pumping is not something easily done in a bathroom in a few minutes.
If your attitude is the general one at Amazon, I'd definitely pass on working there so I'm hoping you're in the minority and that most employees are more open-minded and welcoming.
First I don't work at Amazon. I do have an face to face interview with them next week. I'm not "closed minded". Not even sure where you would even get that from. Keeping your personal life to yourself, IMO is sound advice. People can't judge you based on things that they can't possibly know about you. Again, I think most people are going to have an issue if you keep throwing your sexuality in their faces. But it's more of you throwing it in their faces constantly, moreso than than you simply having the preference to begin with. You don't need to talk about your family life to co-workers, you just need to go into work and do your job. Work life is that simple. You can live your life anyway you want off the clock. But I'm not sure why people need to be especially accepting of you being a lesbian, when I'm sure you're not being hired to talk about how you're a lesbian.
Way back in the mid 90s, my mother worked with a young lady who was a lesbian. My mother was raised in Missouri, and it was her first time really dealing with anyone who was gay. In the end, my mother didn't care about the young lady's sexual preference. But there was a bigger deal when she'd invite her partner to the office and start tonguing her in the lobby. And in staff meeting she kept bringing up issues she's having with her girlfriend. Ultimately the girl got fired, tried to sue the company my mother worked with for discriminating against her because was a lesbian. When really it was her unprofessional behavior that got her canned. Most people were willing to deal with the fact she was gay, but they didn't need to hear it in the office all day. And they didn't need to see her making out with her partner who came and picked her up for lunch nearly every day.
There is a fine line between acceptance, and using your status in the LBGT community to say people discrminate, or to hide behind unprofessional behavior. The fact that you think I'm not "accepting" simply because I said "People don't really need to know in the WORKPLACE" speaks volume of how you think of people who just won't put up with your stuff. Good luck on your interview though.
Hm, I hope not everyone at Amazon is as brusk as you seem to be, branh0913. I'm not looking to "champion around" my sexual "preference" (not really a preference, but I digress) but would like to be able to speak openly about my family without there being any weirdness. It's not a problem at my current workplace.
As for pumping, I decided to be direct and ask for one break mid-day and a place to pump. The recruiter was happy to oblige and even congratulated me on my baby. Pumping is not something easily done in a bathroom in a few minutes.
If your attitude is the general one at Amazon, I'd definitely pass on working there so I'm hoping you're in the minority and that most employees are more open-minded and welcoming.
You are going to need to lighten up a bit to find a home there. his responses weren't "brusk" and his attitude was nothing more than helpful. IMO you read way more into it. Maybe its a super sensitive issue with you, and that may be something to consider.
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