Beware When Amazon Interviews Ask The 3 ‘Why’ Questions
Introduction
Amazon interviews are highly sought after, and with good reason. Amazon is a global giant that is growing with every single order that you and I place. This global giant is the fifth largest employer in the world and, as of 2021 data, employs around 1.3 million people! The jobs are versatile, from product designing, software development, and data management to the delivery agents who deliver your order at your doorstep. So if you are planning to apply for a job in Amazon, there are plenty of job opportunities in several job profiles that are available at Amazon.
How to Apply to Amazon Jobs
The easiest way to get a job at Amazon under any job profile is simply going on their official website and filtering the search down to what you are seeking. Generally, there are many openings for each job profile, and finding a job shouldn’t be a problem for you. Another place is, of course, LinkedIn. You can look for jobs at Amazon there and apply via that.
The ‘Why’ Amazon Interview Questions
Once you apply for a job, you need to prepare for the interview if you want to get the job. You might have figured out the basic ‘tell us about yourself’ and ‘tell us about your experience’ kind of questions, but the following category of questions are the more complicated ones. These are the ‘why’ Amazon interview questions.
Let us look at a few of these questions and briefly discuss the best replies to each.
1. Why do you want to work with Amazon?
Quite naturally, in this list of ‘why’ Amazon interview questions, this one is on the top. It is crucial not only for your interview but also for yourself. You need to know why you are applying for the job. You also need to understand why you want to work with the said company. If you are clear about these, then you won’t really have a problem answering this question.
When your interviewer asks you why you want to work with them, they are not looking for your life story or how you follow their brand. These things will not be of any benefit to the recruiter. Instead, what they are looking for is the answer to why should you be hired and not someone else? So, ideally, your answer should mention points that give the interviewer the idea that you know the company.
When you are applying to Amazon, you can always talk about their products, specific services that you admire, and other particular things that stand out to you. However, don’t be generic and say something like ‘I love what Amazon does.’ Instead, try answering which part of Amazon’s goals, missions, or work you actually love. When you are specific, your interviewer feels like you have done your research about the company, which is a huge plus point.
2. Why did you apply for this specific job profile?
Now that there is some clarity on why you applied at Amazon, the next ‘why’ Amazon interview question would be why you want that specific job. Let’s discuss this one with an example. Suppose you want a job as a data scientist at Amazon. At the time of writing this article, there are 371 jobs listed under data scientist job in the US on Amazon’s official website. Each one has a different requirement and is located in a different location. So when you apply for a particular one, you should be clear as to why you didn’t apply for the other ones.
Just like the first question, you have to sit and answer it for your own self first before you can answer anyone else. Here are a few pointers that should help you find an answer to this second ‘why’ Amazon interview question.
- The location of the job. You might have applied for a job in your own state because you don’t want to relocate.
- The qualifications. This one is really important because the qualification requirements might vary from one job to another. So make sure to convey to your interviewer that your qualifications match the job requirements perfectly.
- Your experience. The job might require you to have some experience, especially if you are looking for a job with a high profile. Work experience is something that is highly appreciated in the job market, and this is something that you should mention in your interview to get the interviewer’s attention. If you have other reasons that aren’t generic and are very specific to you, feel free to mention them.
3. Why should we hire you?
The third and the last on our list of ‘why’ Amazon interview questions is why should you be hired. Let us be realistic here. Amazon is a huge company, and many people would like to work for them. There were probably more people who applied for the same job as you did. So why should they hire you and not anyone else who applied?
This is your time to shine. Talk about all the courses you might have done, the freelance projects you might have worked on, and your experience in other companies doing the same job you applied for. Remember that you aren’t boasting. Think of yourself as a brand and your interview as a pitch. Not talking about your skills and what sets you apart from the crowd is a very foolish move. Be honest, and tell the interviewer why you are special and deserve the job over everybody else.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to apply and how to answer the ‘why’ interview questions, you are somewhat prepared for your Amazon interview. Of course, this is only a part of the knowledge you would need, and these are only a particular section of questions that you might be asked during your interview. Look at everything and prepare appropriately before you go for an interview. Be confident in your skills and what you are saying. All the best on your Amazon job interview!
