Amazon. What is there to say about them that people don’t already know? Amazon is the biggest Internet-based retailer on the planet by total sales and market capitalization. They started as an online bookstore, but since then, they have expanded into other goods.
Getting a job at Amazon is definitely not easy.
Given AWS's global reach and immense career opportunities
that come with working for such a company, it stands to reason why you would
want to do everything you can to land a role within AWS.
The bar to entry is high for a reason! AWS only wants the
best of the best, and it takes an exceptional level of ability, as well as
preparation to land a job inside of AWS.
We know there is a lot of contradictory information out
there on what it takes to land a job at AWS, so we have put together this list
of key points to consider for each stage of the application process from
applying to interviewing.
Without further ado, let's dive in.
Choose your role wisely, take a single role type and go
for it!
You have to make sure you are applying for a role that you
actually want to do, and which actually adheres to your skillset. If you are
not being direct and honest about what level you are performing at you will
more than likely fail. The way to improve your chances of receiving your job
offer is by giving yourself the best possible chance by solely focusing on the
roles you know you have a chance of getting. The 'scatter-gun' approach of
applying to every single role under the sun does nothing to help your chances,
it only hurts them.
This takes a level of maturity in knowing your strengths and
your weaknesses and aligning them in your job search - if you do this you will
greatly increase your chances of landing your interview and eventually your job
offer.
Tailor your CV, do your research
Once you have decided which role is perfect for you, you now
need to do some research on the day-to-day responsibilities of what your role
will entail, as no two roles are the same. The CV your will use to apply for a
Software Development role vs a Solutions Architect role require different
skills, so they should be different.
Don't use the same CV you have been using unsuccessfully so
far, take your job specification and directly align it with what you are trying
to convey in your CV. This seems like an obvious point, but it is alarming how
many people will use a generic copy and paste CV for every job role. These
people simply won't land the interview as the CV won't include everything the
recruiter wants to see. Get specific to increase your chances of getting to
interview.
Get your database of answers ready!
Congratulations! You got to the interview stage! Although
there will likely be multiple stages depending on the role you are applying
for, you will be able to prepare for each stage in a similar way.
You will be able to get a good idea of what sort of
questions the interviewer will ask, depending on which role you have applied
for and based on reading websites like Glassdoor and reading other
interview prep websites.
Write all these potential answers down, and memorize them.
AWS like to hear you use the S.T.A.R method when answering (Situation, Task,
Action, Result), as it avoids rambling, and makes your state-specific value you
added in any situation.
I have heard of people writing lists of up to a hundred
potential questions for their interviews, and if you prepare correctly you will
sound confident, prepared and most of all competent for the role you are
interviewing for. Preparation is key.
Use real-life examples in your answers
People feel the need to tell fantastical stories about their
work lives during interviews that are clearly not true. This won't work for a
number of reasons.
Firstly, People can generally tell if your story isn't true
and if you are exaggerating. It removes any kind of rapport that you are
building with the interviewer, as no one wants to hire a dishonest person.
Secondly, once you lie, you have to keep track of your lies - which is nearly
impossible to do in a highly stressful interview setting. What's the best way
to avoid that? Don't lie at all!
If your answers include work-based scenarios, great - but if
your point would be made better by explaining how you tackled a problem outside
of work, that's fine too. The interviewer will want to see you show your
aptitude and that doesn't always occur in a workplace setting.
If you don't know how to answer, be honest!
Sometimes we don't know the answer - and that's fine!
Not knowing how to answer a question will probably not be
enough to automatically discount you from the role - but trying to pretend you
know more than you do definitely will! This will be seen immediately, as
interviewers know what they are looking for, and conduct interviews as part of
their job. They are impossible to fool in this regard, so don't lie.
To be honest, say something like: "I am afraid I am not
sure of the answer here, but I would love to learn". This answer shows you
are humble but curious, instead of braggadocios and dishonest.
What is your value add?
Don't feel shy when explaining the unique value you can
provide vs other candidates. You are unique after all, and if you can
confidently explain how your set of skills will benefit the organization, your
chances of being hired will increase dramatically.
Make sure you are clear on what your value add is before
your interview. Then you can refer to this constantly and effortlessly during
the interview itself. This will put you ahead above the rest, and avoid you
from using generic statements like 'hard-working' and 'passionate'.
Use Data in your answers
AWS is a data-driven company. If you want to stand out,
include data in your answers.
No one is asking you to prepare a slide deck or to bring a
handout with you with complicated graphs, but including snippets of data in
your answers will help massively. Compare the following two answers:
"In help boost the companies sales a lot last
year".
"In Q1 last year I increased to companies sales by 30%
compared to the previous quarter.".
Which one sounds better to you?
Not only does the second answer sound better, but if the
interviewer sees you are using data in preparation for the interview, that
shows you have done your research and know what kind of company AWS is.
Learn the leadership principles
Within Amazon as a whole, there are 16 Leadership principles (or
LPs) that guide everything that is done. When you are interviewing they will
want to see you make references to these LPs in your answers. This will again
show you have prepared, and that you will align with AWS's values once you have
the role.
Radiate passion and drive
This might be one of the most important on our list. If you
show you are passionate about the role you are applying for through your body
language, as well as how you answer questions, you will be that much closer to
landing the role of your dreams. If you truly feel that way, make sure the
interviewer knows how you feel! It will only end up working in your favor.
Thanks for reading this blog post about how to land a role within AWS. If you want to learn more tips and tricks on how to land your dream role in tech, or how you can learn the skills necessary to increase your salary, follow me on LinkedIn.