Answering Behavioral Questions in Amazon Interviews: Advice for Candidates at All Levels

by Jennifer Scupi

Kindle Edition

Published May 20, 2020

Reviews

[Barack Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

588-Amazon Interview Behavioral Questions Answered-Jennifer Scupi-Interview-2020

Barack
September 28, 2025


"Answering Behavioral Questions in Amazon Interviews", first published in 2020. It explains how to prepare for behavioral questions in Amazon interviews.

Jennifer Scupi studied at the University of Michigan and Northeastern University and is currently an interview coach.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Managing Interview Stress
Chapter 2. Amazon Interview Process Basics
Chapter 3. Video Interviews
Chapter 4. The Amazon Behavioral Interview
Chapter 5. Amazon Written Interview Questions
Chapter 6. Behavioral Interview Basics
Chapter 7. Preparing for Your Interview
Chapter 8. How Behavioral Interview Answers Are Rated
Chapter 9. Using Stories
Chapter 10. Selling Yourself in Interviews
Chapter 11. Which Leadership Principle Is This Question Asking Me About?
Chapter 12. How to Answer Questions About Each Leadership Principle
Chapter 13. Follow-Up Questions
Chapter 14. Avoiding Common Mistakes
Chapter 15. After the interview

When I was job hunting in China, I was often asked similar questions—like, "Tell me about a time you resolved a team conflict," or "Tell me about a time you handled a difficult client." At the time, I assumed these were just casual reminiscences about past experiences, my first reaction being, "I can definitely answer that; I've experienced so much." But I didn't realize there was a clear logic and standard underlying these questions. They all share a common name: behavioral interview questions. They're essentially not testing what you know, but what you've done. It's like when someone asks, "What is HTTP?" they're looking for a definition. But behavioral interviews are different; they're looking for examples—you have to use a real-life story to demonstrate a certain quality or ability. Thinking about this, I finally understood that the rhetorical device of "giving examples" that teachers repeatedly emphasized in Chinese class wasn't just for writing; it was the underlying logic of human communication and persuasion: If you say, "I'm good at collaboration" or "I'm good at management," without a story to back it up, those words are hollow and unpersuasive. You need to bring these abstract terms to life by describing a specific situation—how you resolved team conflicts, used a specific skill, or achieved goals under pressure. Unfortunately, I fell into a trap: because the questions revolved around my "experience," I assumed the answers were simple and could simply be explained. This even led to me failing several important behavioral interviews. These failures made me realize that preparing for behavioral interviews requires more than just "experience." It's more important to learn how to tell a story—to clearly articulate the context, goals, actions, and outcomes, like telling a novel. This way, the interviewer not only understands but also believes in the interview. Looking back, those failures weren't necessarily a bad thing; they forced me to develop a more systematic approach. An interview isn't just about memorizing answers; it's the art of storytelling.

An interview, after all, is like an exam. We all learned in school: the dumbest thing to do is to wing it, the smartest to prepare. However, a common mistake I made during my job search was approaching interviews with a "wing it" mentality, especially when it comes to behavioral interviews. This can put me at a disadvantage. Why is it important to prepare? Just like you never want to be presented with a paper you've never seen before, the same is true for interviews. The first step in preparation is to ask questions. Many people think an interview is just a test, but you actually have a role to play. For example, I now ask HR directly before the interview about the format, whether it will include whiteboard coding or system design. With a general framework in place, my preparation can be more targeted. The second step is to carefully study the job description: What does the job title mean? What skills are being assessed in each line of the responsibilities? This information shouldn't just be a quick glance; it should form the core clues for your responses. Third, don't forget that AI can be a valuable assistant. Feed it the job description and let it generate a sample test, or search online for interview experiences for similar positions. Just like memorizing past TOEFL exam questions, while tedious, it often yields twice the result with half the effort. I used to be too lazy to do this research, ultimately driven by laziness and a tendency to rely on luck, which naturally led to repeated interview failures. Preparing for behavioral interviews has a deeper logic— for example, Amazon's "Leadership Principles" serve as a guide for your behavioral interview answers: they tell you what qualities and mindset the company values. Preparing for an interview isn't just about figuring out the story you should tell; it's also about researching what kind of story the company wants to hear. It's like building a product: you don't blindly build a feature you like, but first ask yourself, "Who are the users?" "What are their pain points?" and "What are they willing to pay for?" Similarly, before an interview, you should clarify the company's positioning, product lines, and team responsibilities—because different teams within the same large company may have completely different focuses. If we think about it more deeply, this approach can even be applied to everyday communication. I often rush to speak my mind as soon as someone finishes speaking, but I overlook a more crucial question: What is the other person's purpose in saying this? What are their emotional needs? What does they want from me? If we don't even think through these questions, communication will become a matter of each person talking at cross purposes. Similarly, behavioral interviews are, by their very nature, a highly intensive "communication"—you need to demonstrate, within a few minutes, that you understand the other person's expectations and respond to them with your own story.

If we want to get a high score on an exam, the first thing we need to do isn't to slog through the exams, but to understand exactly what the test setter is looking for. This principle should be familiar to me—after all, Chinese students have been taking exams almost constantly since childhood. Strangely, however, I often forget it when it comes to interviews. The principle is the same: receiving a job description is like receiving the topic for a "proposed essay." Your job isn't to just tell a story that you think is "brilliant," but to craft a story that accurately captures the qualities the interviewer values most. Just like when I was writing essays in high school, I always loved to write wildly imaginative prose. I wrote with great enthusiasm, but I never got high scores. On the other hand, students who stuck to the main theme and cited a few classic examples always scored higher. At the time, I was secretly dissatisfied, thinking it was "stereotyped" and boring. But now I think about it: interviews, like writing, are essentially "proposed expression": it's not about creativity, but about whether you can score within the other party's rules. So, when an interviewer asks me a question, I should first ask myself: What is he trying to gauge through this question? Is it my integrity? My execution? My communication skills? Or my ability to analyze and judge complex situations? Only by clarifying these points can I know what kind of story to tell. Furthermore, I need to consider: What behaviors truly embody qualities like "customer focus" and "ownership"? For example, simply saying "I'm customer-focused" isn't enough; I need to demonstrate a concrete action so the interviewer can "feel" this quality through my story. A core inspiration from this book is that every behavioral interview question has a corresponding Leadership Principle, and the goal of your storytelling is to illustrate that principle with your own experience. The number of stories isn't the key, but the accuracy. The author also recommends a more systematic preparation approach: first, review all your past projects and experiences, then analyze them from different perspectives. For example, if applying for a Program Manager position, you should consider your accomplishments in areas such as "scope and impact," "project management and design," "ability to handle ambiguity," and "process improvement and delivery results." This allows the same experience to be told from different perspectives—emphasizing teamwork in one way, highlighting the ability to identify root causes in another, and demonstrating how to solve problems under pressure in yet another. To put it bluntly, it's like those classmates who earned high scores in their essays back then. They weren't afraid of using "old examples" but learned to interpret the same story from different angles. At the time, I looked down on this approach, thinking my unrestrained and expansive writing deserved high scores, only to be surpassed by classmates who simply memorized. Looking back, I realize I was being too narrow-minded. An interview isn't about creative writing or talent; it's about finding the right spot. If you're not yet qualified to set the rules, don't rush to "express your personality "; instead, learn to score well within them. Only when you truly "stand on your own" will you be able to discuss "what I want to say." Until then, the smartest thing to do is to understand what the other person wants to hear and respond in the language they expect.

The essence of a behavioral interview can be summed up in one sentence: it's not about memorizing theory, but about "telling a story." However, this "storytelling" isn't about making up a plot; it's about presenting your real experiences in an organized and structured way, allowing the interviewer to discern your abilities, qualities, and potential from the story. I used to think storytelling was just about giving examples and chatting casually, but the real challenge lies in "structuring"—how to explain something clearly and logically so that people can immediately understand your value. I remember when I received an internship interview invitation from Amazon in December 2022, HR specifically sent me a guide in advance that mentioned the STAR method commonly used in Amazon interviews. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. For example, if an interviewer asks, "Tell me about a time when you solved a new problem," I should first explain the "Situation": "During my graduate studies, I was responsible for solving blockchain throughput issues in the IoT context." Then, I should explain the "Task": "My goal was to find a solution to improve performance." Next, I should describe the "Action": "I consulted numerous papers, transferred strategies from other research, and conducted experimental verification." Finally, I should summarize the "Result": "I ultimately developed a model for the trade-off between performance and security, significantly improving efficiency while sacrificing a small amount of security." This kind of storytelling is not only clearly organized but also allows the interviewer to directly observe your thought process and abilities. Actually, you don't have to use the STAR structure in an interview; other structures are also acceptable. However, mastering a structured storytelling method is much more effective than improvising on the spot. Another lesson I've learned is: Don't rely too heavily on your impromptu reactions. I used to think I could improvise, but when I was on set, I struggled to convey my ideas and my stories came out disjointed. The book recommends preparing a "story bank" of thirty stories in advance. While interview questions may vary, most can be addressed from different angles using these thirty stories, thus achieving the goal of "responding to the infinite with the limited." For example, one story could revolve around "Customer Obsession," highlighting your dedication to meeting user needs; another could address "Dive Deep," describing how you analyze the root causes of problems; and yet another could address "Be Right, A Lot," demonstrating how you maintain sound judgment amidst team disagreements. This way, you won't be overwhelmed by various challenges. Instead, you can simply pick the most appropriate story from your prepared toolbox. I've come to understand that interviews are essentially a battle of routines: the more thorough your research and the more systematic your preparation, the better you'll be able to control the flow. In fact, it's not just interviews; nearly all complex situations follow the same principle: first, discover the underlying structure, then design your actions accordingly. The world never operates randomly; it always follows certain patterns. Our job is to identify these patterns and then use them to win.

An interview is like a sales meeting—except this time, the product you're selling isn't anything else but yourself. This might be understandable in American culture, where people are encouraged from a young age to express themselves, showcase themselves, and market themselves. But for someone like me raised in Chinese culture, it felt incredibly unnatural at first. Our traditional upbringing instilled in us the values of modesty, reserve, and not taking credit for our achievements. Boasting about yourself can seem unseemly. But as I've grown older, I've come to realize that learning to market yourself isn't just a vain pursuit, but an essential skill for adult survival—not just in interviews, but in every aspect of daily life. As children, social relationships are built through time and companionship: going to school together, playing together, and gradually getting to know each other. Adult relationships are completely different. Often, the first meeting involves discussing collaborations, projects, and interests. No one has the patience to spend months getting to know you. You must convince someone that you're trustworthy and worth collaborating with in just a few minutes. This is when the ability to market yourself becomes crucial. So, how do you market yourself? This book gave me a very insightful answer: selling yourself isn't about endlessly spouting what you want to say, but rather speaking from the other person's perspective about what they want to hear. This sounds simple, but it's the biggest mistake many people (myself included) make in the past. For example, the other party was looking for someone with strong coding skills, but I kept talking about my literary prowess; they were looking for someone who could solve problems independently, but I emphasized my teamwork skills. As a result, no matter how brilliant my pitch was, the other party wouldn't buy it. This made me constantly question myself: What's my starting point during an interview? Do I rush to toss out all my strengths, or do I first understand what the other party really needs? If I find that the other party isn't looking for something I'm good at, shouldn't I stop and ask myself, "Am I really the right person for this position?" Sometimes, we're so eager to prove ourselves that we try to "cut our feet to fit the shoes" to please others, resulting in not only pain but also loss of self. Perhaps the smarter choice is to spend more time searching for roles that truly require my value, rather than wasting time trying to become someone else's "ideal self." This principle applies beyond interviews. Making friends, finding a partner, or even a business partner all essentially follow the same logic: You can't just grab someone and spend the rest of your life desperately trying to change yourself to meet their expectations. Ideally, you should invest more effort in the "search" phase, finding someone who truly appreciates and needs you. This is how a healthy and long-lasting relationship can be built. Therefore , first, an interview is essentially a sales pitch, and sales relies on understanding the client's needs. Second, your presentation should revolve around these needs, rather than aimlessly flattering yourself. Third, if your needs are fundamentally mismatched, rejection isn't necessarily a bad thing; it can actually help you find the opportunity that truly belongs to you.

There's a line in this book that really stuck with me: If you can't figure out which Leadership Principle a behavioral interview question corresponds to, forget about trying and structure your answer around "Excellence." Ideally, it's best to align your answers with a specific principle, such as customer focus, digging deep, or ownership. However, interview questions vary widely, and you may not always be able to accurately identify the point they're testing. Forcing a specific principle into your answer can make your answer seem forced, unnatural, or even contrived. It's better to avoid pretending to understand and simply highlight your own excellence, emphasizing how you've exceeded expectations and surpassed average performance in a particular area. This actually reveals a deeper truth: preparation is a matter of balance. We should, of course, thoroughly research the position, analyze the company culture, and consider the story's entry point in light of the Leadership Principles. This is just like filling in gaps and covering every possible knowledge point during exam preparation. However, after completing all the preparation, we must also learn to "step back"—don't spend the exam day desperately trying to guess the examiner's intentions. Instead, trust the inherent power of the stories you've prepared. Your job is to tell these stories naturally and persuasively, demonstrating your commitment to excellence. It's like a trick I learned while mountain climbing: when tightening a safety lock, don't tighten it all the way in. Instead, back it off half a turn at the end; this is the most stable and secure method. The same applies to interview preparation: you should tighten it as hard as you can, but when it comes time to actually do it, back it off appropriately to allow for natural expression and flexibility. Another point worth reflecting on: Leadership Principles are only systematically defined within companies like Amazon. If you're interviewing at other companies, they might not even use these terms, nor might there be a clear list of principles for you to identify with. Therefore, memorizing these principles by rote is completely ineffective. The only surefire way to avoid mistakes is to firmly grasp the core of "excellence," focusing on "how I performed better than average," "how I exceeded expectations," and "how I delivered exceptiona

[like · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review your career while reading the book

The book serves as a lead in guiding you to review your career - what have you been up to and why. This is good for preparing interviews for any company and for self introspection.

I like the explanations on Amazon principles and the answer samples. Those are absolutely the most juicy parts of this book. You learn both good and bad in behavior questions interviews.

[Aeon Chang · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very concise but well-written book. The comprehensive list of questions as well as the suggestions on answering them was most helpful. I was not convinced at the beginning but now I am so glad that I read this book.

[Artur Ejsmont · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly good!

It was recommended to me as a general read to prepare for job hunting, but I got much more out of it.

Book shares the mindset, practices and techniques used in hiring at Amazon. I think it worth reading for anyone leading and building teams.

[Cristina Benigno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful

I found the examples very useful, not only to pass an interview at Amazon. Behavioural questions ate sometimes harder than the functional ones