Amazon | SDE-2 L5 | Bangalore | Dec 2024 [Offer]

I applied to Amazon in October 2024 through a referral, and the recruiter contacted me within 1-2 weeks.

Online Assessment

The online assessment consisted of three parts:

• Part 1 (DSA): These were medium-level data structures and algorithms questions. I don't recall the exact problems.
• Part 2 (System Design): This section involved scenario-based questions with MCQs and ordering tasks. I had to select approaches for solving problems at Amazon using AWS services.
• Part 3 (Work Style): This part assessed my work style.

About two weeks later, the recruiter scheduled my interviews.

Round 1: DSA (Taken by SDE-2)

This round focused on Data Structures and Algorithms and Leadership Principles.

• Q1: I was asked to find the longest length of contiguous elements in an array following a specified pattern. This was considered a medium-level problem, but the specific pattern was not clearly detailed.
• Q2: The second DSA question was Binary Tree Maximum Path Sum (Hard). Since the code wasn't compiled, I had to manually trace through test cases to demonstrate my understanding and solution.
• Leadership Principles: We also discussed 2-3 Leadership Principles based questions.

Round 2: LLD (Taken by Sr.SDE)

This round was dedicated to Low-Level Design and Leadership Principles.

• Q1: I was asked to Design Google Docs. The interviewer's focus was not on actual code implementation but rather on class design, database schema, conflict resolution mechanisms, and suitable design patterns. This was a highly interactive session, with the interviewer challenging my assumptions and probing for the rationale behind my decisions.
• Leadership Principles: Similar to the first round, there were also 2-3 Leadership Principles based questions.

Round 3: HLD (Taken by Hiring Manager)

This round covered High-Level Design and Leadership Principles.

• Q1: The main task was to design an Amazon logistics system. The problem involved handling users creating orders for parcel delivery using various transportation modes. My discussion included functional requirements, non-functional requirements (NFRs), API design, database design, and some basic system estimations. The interviewer expected fundamental optimizations like the use of caches and message queues.
• Leadership Principles: Again, we covered 2-3 Leadership Principles based questions.

Round 4: Bar Raiser

This round had a less structured approach. It began with a Leadership Principle question, followed by numerous follow-up questions. We delved into topics like work style and code reviews. As anticipated, the interviewer consistently challenged my responses and asked probing follow-ups. We also briefly touched upon SOLID principles and Design Patterns. In the final few minutes, I was given a DSA question involving a 2D matrix and requiring the use of Priority Queues, and I was asked to quickly implement the code. However, the exact problem statement for this DSA question was not fully elaborated.

Leadership Principles Discussed Across Rounds:

• Most challenging project I worked on.
• Project where I took ownership.
• Instance when I went over and above for a client.
• Instance when I debugged a complex issue with the help of multiple metrics, data, logs etc.
• Instance when I disagreed with a senior colleague or manager.

The entire interview process was generally smooth, although there were some delays and reschedules due to the festive season. I noticed a significant emphasis on Leadership Principles in every round, matching the technical depth.