Amazon Discover: Spring Insight Participant Review

Opportunity to listen to talks and panel sessions from various speakers about Amazon, recruitment processes and software engineering roles. Specifically there were sessions on coding interviews, coding online assessment and behavioral interviews. Technical workshops which were led by Amazon software engineering were provided in small groups to work on coding and computer science skills. Tasks and challenges were set were discussed as a group and attempted to write solutions. Feedback was then given on how to improve.

Learned a lot about how to approach coding online assessments and coding interviews, in terms of preparation, skills required and how to actually complete them on the day. Also had the opportunity to practice explaining code to others and engage in pair programming. Problem solving challenges to developed the mindset needed to be comfortable in approaching unfamiliar challenges, with a key focus being on how to extract the necessary information and requirements before beginning an implementation.

A lot of information about the workplace culture at Amazon was given which was very insightful, and highlighted the ways in which Amazon differs from other employers. Repeated emphasis on the leadership principles was interesting and useful for any future applications. The variety of roles available was also something that came across from multiple speakers, making Amazon seem like an exciting, innovative place to work which has lots of potential for personal and career development.

A session on the Amazon Affinity Groups provided some good information about the diverse and thriving community culture at Amazon, with these groups set up to provide networking, social and career growth opportunities, centered around shared characteristics. It made Amazon seem like a very friendly, welcoming place to work which welcomes people with all backgrounds and experiences. The atmosphere throughout the 3 day insight programme was consistently friendly, encouraging and left a very positive impression.

I very much enjoyed the insight and it met and exceeded my expectations for the value it would provide. The small group sessions were fun, challenging and engaging. The panel sessions were useful and thoughtful. Working with others was a nice opportunity and was inspiring and motivating. Hearing from employees who have been through the process and were successful was a great experience and hugely enjoyable. I would recommend the experience to anyone interesting in software engineering roles.

Yes

The importance of leadership principles was something stressed many times through the insight programme. Taking the time to learn them and considering how they can be applied to daily activities would be a valuable use of time. Furthermore, considering how you have already shown these skills in your prior experience in preparation for interviews is crucial, as these will be assessed. Additionally, Amazon has many varied and sometimes unexpected opportunities, so be sure to keep an eye out for all of these.