Can I ask you a personal question?

Why do you really want to work for Amazon? 

Think about that for a minute.  There's no one else here, just us.  I don't care how simplistic your real answer is. I don't care how vain, or arrogant, or desperate, or unspeakable. I don't care what you think the right answer is. Or what you think the interviewer wants to hear. Or what the ‘professional’ thing to say is.  

All I care about is your honest motivation. 

Go ahead. Admit the unspeakable. Get it out. Write it down. 

No really. Write it down. It’s really important that you write it down. Indulge me, you've gotten this far. Why not?

Sidebar: The biggest mistake people make is hiding the honest reason.  

They see it as unspeakable. The hope no one asks about it.  And so they script perfect, generic, flattering answers which at best come up as superficial, and at worst as dishonest.  

Did you write it down?

Rule #1: Your ‘Why do you want to work at Amazon’ answer must be rooted in reality

That reality needs to be understood from different angles before being shaped into an interview-ready response. We’ll talk about this process next. It’s a bit like creating abstract art, which a famous cubist painter once described in this way:

“There is no such thing as abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality." 

- Pablo Picasso

And he made paintings that looked like this.

Honest answers to “Why Amazon?” run something like this

“Because I'm so bored in my current job. I'm underutilized and undervalued. I'm more capable than what I’m doing and I can’t keep doing this. It’s a waste of my experience, education, and ability. In a different place I can do so much more.”

Or

“Because I'm underpaid. It's getting ridiculous. I've been asking for a raise and promotion for years. But there’s always something that comes up. Nothing ever changes. I’m desperate for a place where I can be paid my value.”

Or

“Well, it's Amazon. They’re such an amazon company and they’re putting my current company out of business. They’re the hardest company to get a job with. My friends will be impressed. My parents will be impressed. My significant other will be impressed. I'll be more valuable.”

Sound familiar?

Truthful answers resonate because they hit a common chord that transcends individuals. They speak to the struggle and the goals that keep us all moving forward. Human motivation comes down to six common things: Status, Power, Money, Recognition, Attention, and Love. Most of our decisions relate to achieving one or more of these in some way.

Did you notice what the thoughts above all have in common?

None of them are specific to Amazon. Thy could easily be used to answer why Google? Why Facebook? Why NASA? Why The Navy? Why law school? Why a Tibetan monetary? And so on.

The key is to take these inward looking answers and connect them to concepts unique to Amazon. Let’s do that next.

Rule #2: How to shape your honest answer to “Why do you want to work at Amazon?”

1. Look at what you wrote down as your honest answer to “Why Amazon?” Don’t judge it.

2. On your page or writing app make 4 sections or columns. Label each section with the headings: products, values, people, business.

3. In each section write down five specific things that connect your honest answer to Amazon’s products, values, people or business. Spend at least 20 minutes thinking about this. It’s important to go beyond your instinctive answers and engage deeper thinking. Set a timer.

   • If you’re stuck, look at what you already wrote and dig deeper into it. Walk away and come back to it later if you have to. 

4. Review your answers and select the points which resonate the most. You can focus on developing one strong reason, or 2-3 smaller reasons.

5. Practice articulating it in 5 sentences. Define the key ideas or concepts to get across.

Use these prompts if you get stuck:

• Why do you want a role working on this product - why not Amazon’s other products? What is it about this product? 

• Which Amazon products do you use? What do you like about them? How could you improve them?

• What are your strengths or values? Are they represented in the Amazon Leadership Principles? 

• Have you met any Amazon employees? Have you read articles or blogs by employees? What about their personalities resonates with you? How are you similar? Be specific. (You can also sign up for an Amazon office visit which would give you an opportunity to interact with Amazonians.)

• Is there a particular leader they hired recently that you want to work with? Research major hiring announcements on the team.

• What part of Amazon’s strategy or business practices are you drawn to and why? Check out Amazon‘s 2020 letter to shareholders if you’re stuck.

• What aspects of Amazon’s culture are you excited to take advantage of? Check out how Amazon treats employees and Amazon's training & development opportunities.

• Which is your favorite Amazon Leadership Principle and why? Amazon emphasises Customer Obsession, Ownership, Raising the Bar and Drive Results. What stands out for you?

• Is there something unique or unusual about your experience that Amazon is looking to hire?

That's it. 

Luckily, we have a handy blueprint guide and template for working through this.

Raw, honest answer + structured brainstorm = polished answer

Strong answers connect you and Amazon in a unique way

There are many benefits to grounding answers in reality

• You develop a razor sharp answer that builds rapport and confidence. You communicate that you know what you want.  

• You stop rambling, trying to get too many ideas in the hope that one hits a chord.

• You stop thinking in terms of right or wrong, anticipating what they want to hear. Instead you focus on what you have to say.

• You stop being generic. You show a unique fit between you and Amazon that could not be contrived.

A strong answer to the ‘Why Amazon?’ interview question can set a positive tone for the rest of the interview. It’s also a very key part of the first round phone interview stage and can make or break your progression to the next step.

If you want help preparing for your Amazon interview questions, take a look at our Premium resources which will guide and support you on your journey to success.

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