amazon | Software Engineer | Interview Experience
Interview Date: Not specified
Result: Not specified
Difficulty: Not specified
Interview Process
The interview process consisted of four rounds. The first round was a coding interview with a branded interviewer, where I was asked to design a leaderboard problem involving finding the top k elements. Although the problem wasn’t difficult, I struggled with the interviewer’s accent, which caused some distractions and required me to ask for clarifications multiple times.
The second round also featured a branded interviewer who focused on my resume and previous experiences, which felt somewhat repetitive.
In the third round, I encountered a problem involving a large string with potential forbidden words. The solution involved trie traversal, but I became nervous and missed some details during my explanation. This round included an Asian leader who asked me various marginal questions, leading to an overwhelming experience after over an hour of discussion.
The fourth round was a system design interview, where I was asked to design the Amazon Locker system.
Technical Questions
- Design a leaderboard (Top K problem)
- Forbidden words in a string (Trie traversal)
Tips & Insights
- Be prepared for potential communication barriers, especially with interviewers who have strong accents.
- Practice explaining your thought process clearly and concisely to avoid confusion.
- Familiarize yourself with common system design questions, such as designing a feature like Amazon Locker.