Hello, I have an interview next week with Amazon and I am going over their principles and jotting down the right situations I have been in that correlates to each principle. The deeper I go into this process I feel like the really want strong personalities to make for a tense work environment. I have a few questions: 1. is the above true? 2. In my interview, should I highlight the times I won in these tense situations? As I start consolidating all my behavioral situations I start to seem like a difficult person, but it doesnt seem like they value too much teamwork and collaboration. Your thoughts appreciated!
I wouldn’t have the mentality of trying to “win” in those situational answers. You can easily combine principles to show that you do like collaborating and that you value results at the same time. Keep in mind these people aren’t just looking for someone who is right for the role but also right for the team. No one wants to work with an a**. I’d combine an answer about a time you delivered results and combine how you earned trust of your colleagues at the same time or when talking about a time you were right (a lot) and at the same time incorporate have backbone; disagree and commit. You’re essentially trying to paint the picture that you do what’s right for the company while still being someone they’d want to work with.
I recently interviewed for a position at Amazon and every round had LP questions and they did dig deep to get the details. Just be yourself, give your own experiences/situations in detail and be ready to answer several follow up questions. After all, it would be difficult for you if you are not a right fit in the team.
+1
Amazon values delivering projects above everything else. Usually that involves collaborating and teamwork, but sometimes it means going over someone's head, etc. Try to frame your stories as: 'if this were my company, how would i solve the problem'. Obviously that mindset is not always realistic inside a giant corporation, but that's the gist of what they're looking for.