Interview process
The initial phone interview lasted around 40 minutes, including time at the end for me to ask questions about the role and the company.
The first questions were biographical, ensuring the details on your CV concerning your education were correct and up-to-date and then more practical questions about your available to start work.
The second part of the interview was based around Amazon's leadership principles and was a similar format to the competency questions asked by many graduate recruiters. It is good to use the STAR framework when answering (Situation, Task, Action, Result), in order to guide the interviewer through your answer logically.
There were also business-related questions relating to Amazon and its competitors, so it would be useful to do some background research about the company and current issues in the retail industry.
Most difficult question
Talk about a time when you have made an improvement to a process.
Interview tips
The leadership principles are an absolutely key part of both the recruitment process and careers at Amazon - make sure to familiarise yourself with them before both your telephone interview and the assessment centre. Try to think of an example answer for each of the principles and structure your answer around the STAR framework.
Do some background research about Amazon, its competitors and the retail environment in which it is operating before your interviews, to enable you to offer informed answers about business-related questions. Although it seems obvious, also ensure you are familiar with Amazon's website, including all product categories, postage policies and additional services. This will help you to speak confidently about the company under pressure.
Experiences at the assessment centre
2 x one-to-one interviews (CV and competencies)
Group exercise
Individual exercise and presentation