I accepted an offer as a new grad SDE1 at Amazon. I have read lots of horror stories on Blind about the awful WLB and how Amazon is a pip factory. I am completely unqualified for this role and there is no reason I should have received an offer other than luck; I have no internships, one pretty janky MEAN project, only 60 LC (I got lucky on the interview and got questions I saw already) and a very low gpa from a state school. I don't know HOW I got the job. Because of this, I'm convinced that I was picked as a hire-to-fire candidate and I feel like I'll be pipped within 3 months, so I'm going to be grinding leetcode as much as I can after work so I can get another job asap after being fired. What can I do from now until my start date to make sure my coding skills are up to snuff so that I can delay pip as long as possible? I do know how to code somewhat but I rely extensively on online tutorials and stack overflow to get literally anything done, even a simple CRUD app. I have 3 months until I start. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity but it has been nothing but stress for me since I got this offer because it feels like it has inflamed my imposter syndrome. Once I have started at amazon, are there any tips you guys have to help make sure I survive? TC: 0 New TC: 162k
i understand your fear of pip, i feel it myself. but i try to enjoy my time here as much as i can :) i feel like āsqueaky wheel gets the greaseā at amazon. you have to show initiative if you want something done be proactive, listen to the feedback, try to own every task from start to finish and beyond
Grind it out for 12 - 18 months then start applying
So as a newbie if I can get in an Amazon and pay my dues for a year I can consider myself IN? Any advice on how someone like OP can get into Amazon aside from his luck?
Amz interviews are kinda weird some get to only explain the questions which they got in OA others have perfect 3 onsite rounds of DSA (in my case it was 4 onsits with LLD mixed and got LC hard too) Best bet would be prepare LC and sys design in general terms so that you can be ready for the worst
Which location?
Austin
At least we'll be neighbors šÆ But seriously, there's plenty of opportunitie here.
I joined Amazon as a new grad last year. I was also shitting my pants bc of all the horror stories on blind. I would recommend focusing on your job and trying to excel. I ended up really liking my team and don't think it's toxic at all though. Def keep your leetcode skills up in case you get shafted with a shit manager or team though.
It's easier once you start. You're not really expected to do too much as an SDE-I, it's not that likely to be PIPped in 3 months, plus once you last that long, there's extra warnings and process to URA, so it's possible to come out relatively unscathed if you play the cards right (like keeping stringent documentation, strategically filing policy violations complaints against the manager if they try to PIP you over bullshit, take protected LOA if you get too anxious or depressed etc). We even have things like Pivot Appeal. One guy on Blind actually won his appeal. I think he was SDE-I, too. It's basically doable, and we do have some rights as SDEs, too. If you're not even on a visa, there's really nothing to worry about. As long as you're willing to go down to the same backstabbing level as your manager, you'll be okay! One other guy recommend to HRBP skip and VP/Director to PIP his manager, skip and even HRBP, and he, too, was taken out of the bogus Focus, by HRBP. So it's all doable if you're willing to face it. Welcome to Piplandia!
Student pipelines put you in where "business demands are most needed". So bad managers on some VP's (bad) pet project gets prioritization. on staffing. I would expect that there is a 50% chance you dont like your team and you should switch companies or teams or both within 5-14 months.
As an SDE1, youāll be given lots of educational resources as part of your initial onboarding (BT101, SDE Foundations, KNet, etc.). They also have a pretty good company-wide wiki, search engine, and StackOverflow-esque Q&A platform for employees. In many ways, landing your first SWE role at Amazon is fortuitous - being as big as they are, they invest a ton of resources into onboarding new hires and helping them learn as much as possible. I do agree, keep LCing so you can eventually find another job because the culture/WLB at Amazon does suck for a majority of SDEs. But donāt dread your time there - see it as an opportunity to learn as much as you can.
The beginning resources, bt101, sde foundations, etc. were all pretty bad IMO. I would always consult your team on the best documentation for learning Amazon internals. And always keep LCing. Amazon will always try to work you more doing busy work or micromanageing small stuff to make managers feel like they're working, when actuality they're decreasing productivity. So keep your skills sharp, and once you hit 12 months recruiters will be thirsting for you (if you came into Amazon with no experience, otherwise you likely may already be getting the recruiter-exposure you need in tech).
Take the job! Work as much possible sincerely! It should work just fine. Even if it doesnāt you still Get Amazon on your resume which will be a helping factor to find another job in worst case. So itās a improvement from your current status anyway. So just go with it! Give it your best!
Iāll be starting Amazon as an SDE1 too soon. Blind makes me scared but iāll give it my best. Rooting for you
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Itās not that bad, relax and enjoy.