Status: Junior/Senior, BS in NOT CS (something else)
No current Employment
Interview Date: February 2021
Interview Process:
The usual 3 part Amazon OAs in which I did about average to above average (not perfect by far) - still received the chance to interview
45 minute virtual interview which consisted of 2 behavioral questions and 1 coding question (leetcode medium/hard).
My behavioral responses were very good but maybe a bit long.
My coding solution worked on some level but was also far from perfect.
I worked harder than I had ever worked in my life when studying for the assessments and interviews.
I prepared reponses to common behavioral questions in the STAR format which totaled probably 8 pages of writing.
I did probably 30 leetcode problems which were on leetcode's list of frequently seen questions from Amazon. I know plenty of people practice WAY more problems and still get rejected. The problem I got was one I knew about but had not actually done before. I came up with the solution on the fly, and it was rocky.
The purpose of this post is to motivate. By all accounts I probably should not have gotten the position. Luck probably had a very large part to do with receiving an offer. In fact, at first I was waitlisted. My interview was labeled as "inclined" but they did not give me an offer initially. I put my name on a waiting list and received an offer a week later out of seemingly nowhere.
These things are obtainable but just know there is some level of luck involved in getting an offer. My school is known for having a top CS program in the country, but I am not part of that program. If this is the job you want, don't be afraid to go for it even if you aren't exactly what they are looking for! (CS)
Be confident, kind, and human. Put in the work and don't give up! That's the best you can do.