Hey guys, I am back after a long time and I am feeling so proud while saying this (well, technically writing 😜 this) that I had the chance to interview with Amazon India for a Non-SDE position. So, I will be taking you on a journey with me to narrate how the opportunity landed in my inbox and how I made the most of it.
Goal 🎯
I'm crafting this blog because during my preparation for this role, I encountered a scarcity of interview experience blogs tailored for Non-SDE positions. Most available resources predominantly focused on SDE roles. So, I thought why not contribute one more blog to help others in their journey?
Roadmap 🪜
This roadmap represents the step-by-step journey and I am gonna dissect each step in detail for you. So, let's go 🏁🚗💨
Step 1: Registering For Amazon WoW 📝
I received an interest form from Amazon via its Wow program. Now, the question arises what is Amazon Wow?
Amazon Wow is a unique annual program tailored for female students pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering. This platform offers an array of benefits, including skill-building sessions, access to resources, engaging discussions with alumni regarding their career journeys, and an immersive introduction to Amazon's work culture. These sessions are spread across the year, focusing on fostering professional development. Moreover, Amazon Wow serves as a gateway to explore internship and full-time opportunities at Amazon. To delve deeper or enrol, you can visit their official website:
🔗https://amazonwowindia.splashthat.com
Step 2: Filling the Interest Form 📄
Following several months of active participation in Amazon Wow events, I received an opportunity to fill out an interest form for a Non-SDE position at Amazon. I was presented with a choice between two roles:
Data Analyst Intern
Quality Assurance Engineer (QAE) Intern
Both roles offered a 6-month internship period, slated to run from January 2024 to June 2024. The form required basic details such as name, email, phone number, and resume along with preferred interview dates and location.
I opted for the QAE Intern role in the form and submitted it.
Step 3: Online Assessment 👩💻
Shortly after, I received an OA link which was to be completed in the given window time from 9 AM to 6 PM. The duration of the test was 2 hrs and was hosted on the Mercer | Mettl platform. The web camera 📸 and mic🎙️were turned on during the OA.
The assessment covered topics relevant to both the Data Analyst and QAE roles, encompassing a total of 14 sections. The first section was a coding one and the other sections were MCQ based. All the other sections contained 5 questions each.
The sections were:
Hands-on Programming (One coding question on string - Medium level)
Algorithms
Data Structures
Linux
Networking
Pseudo Codes
Software Testing Methodologies (Selenium)
Software Testing Concepts
Scripting (Python)
Database Query Languages
Data Visualisation
Data Modelling and Warehouse
Operating System
OOPs
Note- Do check your system compatibility before giving the test.
Step 4: Preparation for Virtual Interview 💁♀️
After a few days, I received an email from Amazon stating that I had qualified the OA and was shortlisted for the QAE role. Along with this, I was asked to apply for the job via Amazon Jobs Portal through the link provided in the email.
Understanding that the next step would be an interview, I began my preparation based on the skills specified in the Job Description (JD). Here are the topics I decided to cover within the designated time frame:
OOPs
Manual Testing
Testing Methodologies (Regression, Smoke, Sanity, Monkey Testing, etc.)
Agile Methodologies & JIRA
Selenium
DBMS & SQL Queries
UNIX environment & Shell Scripting
🔗https://www.youtube.com/@sdetpavan This YouTube channel is like a goldmine. I studied most of the topics from here only.
Approximately five days later, Amazon sent me an Interview Preparation Guide, comprising Interview Tips, Amazon's Leadership Principles, and guidance on what to anticipate during the interview. I included this guide also in my preparation schedule.
Two days after receiving the above-said mail, I was informed at around 7 PM that my interview was scheduled for the following day, from 12 PM to 1 PM, on the Amazon Chime platform.
As I had dedicated time to cover most of the technical topics, I shifted my focus towards preparing my introduction. I kid you not, you should definitely give time to curate your introduction according to the role. Structuring your introduction can significantly impact the conversation. Here's the framework I followed and enhanced according to my profile.
Express gratitude for the opportunity.
Name
College name, Year, Branch, CGPA
Previous Experience (Internships, Open-source contributions)
Projects (Highlight skills relevant to the JD)
Other achievements ( Fellowships, Campus Ambassador, Mentoring, etc.)
Soft skills
Since I didn't have projects directly linked to the QAE role, I prepared to discuss my open-source contributions in the testing domain at an organisation named 'OpenMRS'.
Then, I moved on to focus on Amazon's leadership principles. There are 16 of them. I thought of incidents in my life that aligned with their principles and noted them using the STAR ⭐ method. Amazon emphasises following the STAR 🌠 method to structure your answers in a well-defined way.
Step 5: Interview (Round 1) 💻
Here comes the interview day, I woke up with a blend of nervousness and excitement 😰. Following my regular morning routine 🧘♀️🍵, I revisited the notes 📖 I'd compiled over the past few days. Around half an hour before 🕦, I changed into formal clothes 👩💼. Even though it was a virtual interview, dressing formally has its perks. Your mind must perceive it as a real interview to perform its best.
At precisely noon, I joined the link with a smile 🌞. There were 2 interviewers aka Amazonians present. After they introduced themselves, I followed suit and introduced myself. I briefly highlighted my familiarity with agile methodologies and other relevant skills. The conversation kickstarted with a question about the agile model. Then, the following questions were asked to me:
Testing concepts like regression testing and monkey testing
Difference b/w smoke and sanity testing
What are test cases and test data?
Can an empty value be test data or not?
Functional and Non-functional testing
Types of Testing
Test data design techniques
What is BVA?
Test cases for a Bluetooth headset
After I gave the verbal responses, the interviewer shared a document with a set of questions and asked me to write the answers in that document. The questions were:
Write test enumeration for FaceBook features such as sign up, log in, 2FA, chat, post, and friends.
Write test data for a debit card payment.
Write test data for functions to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in a calculator.
I tried my best to analyse the given questions and provide answers. When I was thinking of the solutions, I was also speaking them aloud as it is recommended so that the interviewer gets aware of your thought process. The interviewers were supportive and offered hints when I missed some test cases, aiding me in rectifying and enhancing my solutions.
Towards the conclusion of the interview, the interviewer asked me whether I had any questions for him. I asked a question regarding his experience at Amazon. I would suggest that always ask a question. This would show the interviewer that you are genuinely interested in working at the company.
Step 6: Interview (Round 2) 💡
I felt I did well in Round 1 and was confident that I would qualify it. But little did I know, that Round 2 would happen on the same day only 🫨. At around 2 PM, I received the mail that I had been selected for the Round 2 interview. It was from 4 PM. I calmed my nerves and started revising the notes.
I joined the Chime meet link, there were 2 interviewers. I introduced myself. Then, one of them explained what they would ask in the interview, i.e., coding questions and testing questions.
He shared a doc link and there were 2 coding questions in it. He explained the questions to me and asked me to code it without using any in-built functions. The topics from which the questions were asked are:
Binary search (Medium level)
String (Medium level)
Initially, I clarified the question and asked about the constraints. Then, I told him the approach and time complexity of the solution. He asked me to go ahead and code it. I did and later explained my approach by doing a dry run for an example. Then, we discussed how we can optimise the code. He seemed satisfied with my solutions and moved on to the testing questions.
What is testing?
Why a software or product is tested?
Types of Testing
Role of QA
Priority categorisation
Then, he asked whether I had worked on any framework. I mentioned that I know the basics of Selenium.
The interview concluded with me inquiring about the interviewer's experience at Amazon, receiving an enthusiastic response. Round 2 - done & dusted 🤓.
If you've made it this far, then you're probably just as curious about the final outcome as I was. I never knew waiting for a response could be this nerve-wracking 👻. I found myself frequently checking my email every 10-15 minutes for the next few days until I finally received the much-awaited email. So, cue the drum roll 🥁, please
Verdict - Selected
Yes! I landed the internship 🥳. I was constantly working and manifesting 🤞 for it. I feel incredibly grateful for this opportunity.
So, that's a wrap on my interview experience. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog. If you have any queries or ideas to share about it, feel free to drop your comments or message me on LinkedIn. Until then, bye-bye and take care! 🤗