Amazon Discover Review

The insight was a two-day event in which attendees went to a series of panels and workshops in order to learn more about Amazon and improve their interview skills. The panels covered everything from learning about Amazon's inclusivity groups and learning & practicing programming, including data structures and algorithms, in a small Zoom meeting of around 8 participants, with a mentor. In this smaller meeting, everyone had their microphone and camera on, and personal feedback was provided.

Yes: I learnt how to perform better in interviews, both technical and non-technical. When it comes to technical interviews, I learnt, in the smaller workshop, the importance of clearing up ambiguities and clarifying requirements from the interviewer (or would-be client). You should avoid making assumptions. For example, if asked to implement a deck of cards, it was stressed we should not assume what the deck contains, and instead ask relevant questions to find this information out.

It gave me a better view of Amazon's internal workings, especially when it comes to the application of their Leadership Principles. I also found it really valuable to hear that frontend opportunities are available in the software development engineering internships during the Q&A near the end. Overall, I left this Insight Week having a much better understanding of Amazon than when I went into it, and I have a better idea of what my place at Amazon might be.

The company culture and general atmosphere were both really positive. I especially found my mentor during the workshops to be really friendly and easy to talk to; and they were happy to go over things that we could do better on. We also learnt about the Amazon Leadership Principles, which gave a great insight into the company culture, and it's clear Amazon employees care about these principles a lot and make it a part of their daily life at Amazon.

I enjoyed the insight tons, and I definitely found it worth it. However, some of the content during the panels was a bit repetitive and not that useful/interesting. I do understand, however, that the insight event has to cater to everybody, including those who might not have as large a knowledge base about how Amazon's internships work coming into the event. Overall, I would recommend it to others who are considering applying; it was a lot more useful and fun than I might have thought!

Yes

I would advice you, first of all, to read up and try to digest/soak in the Amazon Leadership Principles, as they seem to play a really core part of the interview process. I'd also recommend coming to this Insight Event! It's genuinely been very helpful and I think it'll give me a great leg up when it comes to applying for and interviewing for summer internship roles at the company. In terms of interview advice: make sure you ask enough clarifying questions.