![Employees engaged in discussion amidst a backdrop of plants](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/88f2e09/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1125+156+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F67%2F24%2F64195eb245a19f4b5d335ea92aa3%2Fhq2-office-2000x1125.jpg)

# I’m a recruiting manager at Amazon—here are 7 things I'd do differently if I could do my interview again

*Interviewing for a job at Amazon? Make sure you’re not making these seven mistakes.*

There is no such thing as a perfect interview, and we have all committed our fair share of interview blunders. It’s better to learn from the mistakes of others than actually repeat them yourself. That’s why we sat down with a few employees to get their first-hand experience of the mistakes they made and what they would do differently if they could do their interview again.

![A photo of the Amazon job interview process](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/90e36fa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1686x1124+0+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fed%2Ffe%2Fffe0446b4c02ba3c1ce9da600b25%2Falexis005-amazon-z9a7196-copy.jpg)

- [I recently interviewed for a job at Amazon. Here are 3 surprising things I learned along the way.](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-job-interview-questions-tips-preparation)

“During my preparation call my recruiter said, ‘Amazon is a casual and come-as-you-are company’ and suggested I wear what made me feel comfortable and confident," said Anna Duong, manager of Americas Stores Tech Talent Acquisition. "I don't know why I didn't take their advice because instead, I decided to go for a full pantsuit, which resulted in me feeling neither comfortable or confident. If I'd do it differently, I'd wear anything but the pantsuit and opt to take the advice to heart."

While traditional interview attire may be an expectation and norm at other organizations, this is not the case at Amazon. We embrace a “smart casual” look and encourage you to be comfortable, in most of our corporate offices people wear everyday clothes. We're interested in what you have to say, not what you’re wearing. As recruiters, we're here to help you and want to set you up for success throughout your journey so that you have a positive candidate experience. If you have a question about attire, or anything else just ask us so we can best support you.

When we say we value data, we mean it. A candidate’s inability to provide enough data can be the difference in getting an inclined offer versus not.

I’m slightly embarrassed to admit this, but I have actually interviewed at Amazon twice. During my first interview experience, I essentially had to go back for a supplemental interview to provide more context for my professional experience in how to interpret and prioritize data. Ultimately, I ended up not getting that particular role. Over a year later, I interviewed again and made sure to dive deep into the data in all of my responses and fortunately, ended up being successful the second time around.

It’s important to paint the picture of what you have accomplished in a clear and measurable way. The qualitative impact you made in your previous role is hard to translate on a resume, but math and numbers are a universal language so focus on the data during your interview.

![An image of a woman sitting on a chair, smiling for a photo against a white background while wearing a bright blue blazer.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/f90d41d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1333+0+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F2b%2Fa1%2Fc44cefa94d5183f4bc62ad323590%2Frasheeda.jpg)

- [11 Amazon interview tips from recruiters and hiring managers](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/recruiters-offer-their-best-tips-for-interviewing-at-amazon)

“If I had to do it all over again, I’d make sure my responses were clear and concise,” said Anika Goel, recruiting business partner of Amazon Operations. Rambling is a pretty common mistake candidates can make during an interview. We know it’s more a reflection of nervousness than their inability to properly organize their thoughts.

For our interviews, we recommend candidates format their responses using the [STAR](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-interview-best-tips) (situation, task, action, and result) method to answer behavioral-based interview questions, incorporating examples representative of [Amazon’s Leadership Principles](https://www.aboutamazon.com/about-us/leadership-principles). We value direct communication and we use the STAR method as a framework for clear answers.

![Andy Jassy talks Leadership Principles](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/0a19c61/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1621x1080+196+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F12%2F1e%2F6d5d42894b688e23b6f7a3f85e26%2Fandy-jassy-leadership-principles-a-to-z-headeroption-3-lp-explained.png)

- [Amazon CEO Andy Jassy explains 8 things you may not know about the company’s Leadership Principles](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-leadership-principles-video-podcast)

It’s okay to ask questions and we actually encourage you to do so during each step of the interview process.

“I was so nervous that I didn't even think to ask questions about the interviewers themselves, the role they played in the whole operation, or how I'd potentially be partnering with them as an employee,” said Anna Duong, manager of Americas Stores Tech Talent Acquisition. “It would have been a great opportunity to make those early connections and to see how I could build on top of them more after joining.”

During your interview process, you will meet with two to seven Amazon employees. They will likely be a mix of managers, team members, stakeholders from related teams, and a “[Bar Raiser](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-job-interview-questions-tips-bar-raisers)" (usually an objective third party from another team), and each will have different experiences and perspectives. Take the opportunity to ask them two to three questions that are important to you. Asking questions helps you gather necessary information, shows your interest and gives your interviewer a glimpse into how you think and what you’re passionate about. Conversations with your interview team are limited after your interview to prevent bias so asking questions during your interview is your best opportunity to get your questions answered directly and quickly.

![Two woman engage in a conversation with each other in an Amazon office. ](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/72cdb1d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2094x1396+193+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F4e%2F62%2F5011991b4bbbae4a230ed8a98eb1%2Fbarraiser-hero-2000x1125.jpg)

- [8 interview tips from Amazon Bar Raisers to help you clinch the job](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-job-interview-questions-tips-bar-raisers)

Candidates who interview for a corporate position will have at least four interviewers, and each of them will ask you a different set of questions. A [common mistake](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-jobs-interview-mistakes) we see is that candidates will repeat the same examples for each interviewer which results in a limited view into your strengths and experience. We encourage you to see interviews as a way to provide data points about yourself, and the more data points the better. As a candidate you are being evaluated on your ability to demonstrate Amazon Leadership Principles based on your past and current professional experiences; we believe the best indicator of your future behavior is past behavior. Given that, if you are being evaluated on Customer Obsession, one of our Leadership Principles, it’s more compelling if you provide six different examples that provide different vantage points into how you prioritize and deliver customer obsession in your day-to-day work, versus only one because that gives us a limited view.

"During my interview, I made the mistake of focusing on ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ which resulted in confusion of ownership," said Goel. "When telling your story, it’s important that you clearly identify what your responsibilities were and the actions you took to drive a particular outcome. This will avoid confusion on ownership." Before you get to your interview, look at the job description for the role you’re applying to and identify the unique skills you could bring to the role, then use data to highlight those skills during your interview. Be ready to describe the specific steps you took and how you contributed. Let us know what you actually did.

![An image of Amazon employee Francisco Nino in a work vest at Amazon in Greenwood, Indiana.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/dc7400d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1125+2+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fb9%2Fba%2F29c162cb400ab2180e656e6f21d6%2Fabout-amazon-hero-20220721-amazonindy-tg-0006.jpg)

- [7 unique benefits and perks available to Amazon employees](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/lesser-known-amazon-employee-benefits)

We often encourage candidates to have a quick reference sheet, often called a “cheat sheet” that they can leverage throughout their interview that highlights the data for the different professional examples they plan to discuss. However, more often than not, candidates do not create one, which results in them forgetting key examples or completely disregarding the necessary data. We want you to know we are evaluating you for how you are able to contribute to a role and not on your ability to remember concise details and figures from the past 10+ years of your professional career.

We hope these tips help you prepare for success in your upcoming interview with Amazon. Find [additional interviewing tips](https://www.amazon.jobs/en/landing_pages/interviewing-at-amazon#onlineapp) and [FAQs](https://www.amazon.jobs/en/faqs) on [Amazon.jobs](https://www.amazon.jobs/).

Next, learn [four ways to improve your resume before applying for a job at Amazon](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-job-application-resume-writing-tips).