How to Break Down the Coding Problem
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View a sample coding interview question and answer.
What does a front-end engineer do at Amazon?
Our front-end engineers (FEEs) build, create, and deliver delightful user experiences at a global scale. As an Amazon FEE, you’ll own the front-end software development life cycle. You’ll design solutions and code, test, implement, maintain, and iterate on those solutions.
You’ll need a strong understanding of front-end engineering fundamentals—things like inventing customer experiences and optimizing existing ones to support hundreds of millions of users. You’ll support a diverse customer base across a wide range of devices and browsers.
FEE traits
Innovative
Thinks creatively and comes up with original solutions to complex problems.
Analytical
Analyzes requirements and proposes efficient solutions.
User-centric
Keeps the end-user in mind when designing and developing interfaces.
Results-driven
Focuses on delivering high-quality results that meet or exceed expectations.
Detail-oriented
Excels in precisely translating designs and meticulously identifying and resolving bugs.
Accountable
Takes ownership and responsibility for own work and the success of the team.
The process
To be considered for an FEE role, first submit a job application. If you meet the basic qualifications, we’ll invite you to complete an online assessment. If you successfully complete the assessment, a recruiter will contact you to schedule a 60-minute technical phone screening. If the outcome of the phone screening is positive, we’ll proceed with the interview loop.
Job Application
Online Assessment
Technical Phone Screening
Technical Phone Screening Outcome
Interview Loop
Interview Outcome (within 5 business days)
Online assessment
You’ll have 90 minutes to answer two technical questions. You’ll then complete 20 minutes of systems design scenarios and an 8-minute multiple choice work style survey related to our Leadership Principles.
Technical phone screening
Your technical phone screening will be with a leader on our team. It will last 60 minutes. Half of the time will be spent on questions that focus on our Leadership Principles and the other half will be spent on front-end coding problems.
Interview loop
Your loop will include four 55-minute interviews where you’ll meet with members of our software development community.
You’ll have the chance to discuss your experiences and expertise in several areas that help us determine success at Amazon.
These areas include both technical competencies and non-technical competencies that are based off of our Leadership Principles, which different interviewers will be assigned to evaluate.
System design
At Amazon, designing front-end systems is unique due to our size and speed. Expect at least one question on front-end systems design.
Your interviewer will ask questions related to your design, and you should ask questions to complete and validate your design.
Objectives
- Usability
- Performance
- User experience
- Accessibility
- Security
- Scalability
System design resources
Front-end coding
Expect to be asked to write syntactically correct code—no pseudo code. If you feel a bit rusty coding without an IDE or coding in a specific language, it’s a good idea to dust off the cobwebs and get comfortable coding with Livecode.
The most important thing an FEE does at Amazon is write scalable, robust, and well-tested code. These are the main evaluation criteria. Also check for edge cases and validate that no bad input can slip through.
Coding resources
Coding videos
Solving the Coding Problem
Download video transcriptNow that you’ve broken down the problem statement, let’s get started on the solution.
Running the Solution and Test Cases
Download video transcriptNow, you’ll want to test and adjust your solution to ensure it passes all test cases.
Fine Tuning the Solution
Download video transcriptNow that you’ve verified a working solution, consider the runtime complexity of our solution, and how we can continue improving upon it.
Behavioral interview
A significant portion of the conversation will focus on how you’ve demonstrated our Leadership Principles in your past jobs. This is because past behavior is an indicator of future success. We won’t ask brain teasers. Instead, we’ll focus on the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of your experiences, as well as the ‘why’ of your decisions.
Each interviewer will typically ask two or three behavioral-based questions about successes or challenges and how you handled them using our Leadership Principles.
How to prepare
First, think about your most memorable experiences in your previous jobs and recall specific details. Amazon is a data-driven company, so your answers should include metrics or data where applicable. Then, consider how you applied the Leadership Principles in your experiences.
Have examples that showcase your expertise and demonstrate how you’ve taken risks, succeeded, failed and grown. Make sure your answers are well-structured. Use the STAR method to frame your responses.
Amazon culture
We’re a company that brings a wide range of perspectives to inventing on behalf of our customers. These include race, ethnicity, gender, age, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, culture, language, and education, as well as professional and life experience. We’re committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.