Frequently Asked Questions - Amazon L6/L7 Engineering Manager Interview¶
📋 Interview Process FAQs¶
Q: What's the typical interview process for L6/L7 EM roles at Amazon?¶
A: The process typically includes: 1. Recruiter Screen (30 mins) - Role fit and compensation expectations 2. Hiring Manager Screen (60 mins) - Technical depth and team fit 3. Technical Phone Screen (60 mins) - Coding or system design 4. Onsite Loop (4-6 interviews): - 2-3 Behavioral (Leadership Principles) - 1-2 System Design - 1 Coding (sometimes) - 1 Bar Raiser 5. Debrief & Decision (1-2 weeks)
Q: How long does the entire interview process take?¶
A: Typically 4-8 weeks from initial contact to offer: - Week 1-2: Recruiter and hiring manager screens - Week 3-4: Technical phone screen - Week 5-6: Onsite interviews - Week 7-8: Decision and offer negotiation
Fast-track processes can complete in 2-3 weeks for urgent roles.
Q: What's the difference between L6 and L7 interviews?¶
A: Key differences include:
L6 Focus: - Team-level leadership (10-25 engineers) - Component architecture and design - Direct people management - 3-5 years of management experience
L7 Focus: - Organizational leadership (50+ engineers) - Platform and ecosystem design - Manager of managers experience - 7+ years of management experience - Strategic thinking and vision
Q: Do I need to code in an L6/L7 EM interview?¶
A: It depends: - L6: Usually yes - one coding round focusing on problem-solving and code quality - L7: Sometimes - may have coding or may focus entirely on system design and leadership - Coding expectations are lower than for IC roles but you should be comfortable with: - Data structures and algorithms basics - Writing clean, working code - Discussing time/space complexity - Code review and optimization
💡 Preparation FAQs¶
Q: How much time should I spend preparing?¶
A: Recommended preparation timeline: - With strong background: 4-6 weeks (2 hours/day) - Career switcher: 8-12 weeks (2-3 hours/day) - Returning after break: 6-8 weeks (2 hours/day)
Weekly breakdown: - Leadership stories: 30% - System design: 30% - Coding practice: 20% - Mock interviews: 20%
Q: What are the most important Leadership Principles for L6/L7?¶
A: While all 16 matter, focus especially on:
Top 5 for L6: 1. Customer Obsession 2. Ownership 3. Deliver Results 4. Dive Deep 5. Earn Trust
Top 5 for L7: 1. Customer Obsession 2. Ownership 3. Think Big 4. Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit 5. Hire and Develop the Best
Q: How many STAR stories should I prepare?¶
A: Prepare 15-20 unique stories: - 2-3 stories per critical LP (Customer Obsession, Ownership, Deliver Results) - 1-2 stories per other LP - Each story should demonstrate 2-3 LPs - Mix of success and failure stories - Recent examples (last 2-3 years preferred)
Q: Should I mention specific technologies in system design?¶
A: Yes, but appropriately: - Use AWS services when discussing cloud architecture - Be prepared to discuss alternatives - Show flexibility in technology choices - Focus on trade-offs and decision-making - Don't assume interviewer knows every technology
🎯 During the Interview FAQs¶
Q: How should I structure my behavioral answers?¶
A: Use the STAR method: - Situation (20%): Context and challenge - Task (20%): Your responsibility and goals - Action (40%): Specific steps you took - Result (20%): Quantified impact and learnings
Keep initial answer to 2-3 minutes, then elaborate based on follow-ups.
Q: What if I don't have experience with something they ask about?¶
A: Be honest and pivot: 1. "I haven't directly experienced X, but here's a similar situation..." 2. "I haven't done X, but here's how I would approach it..." 3. "That's not in my experience, but I've researched it and understand..." 4. Show learning agility and problem-solving approach
Q: How technical should my system design be?¶
A: Balance based on level:
L6 System Design: - Focus on component architecture - Detailed technical decisions - Specific technology choices - Performance calculations - Code-level optimizations
L7 System Design: - Focus on platform architecture - Organizational considerations - Build vs buy decisions - Multi-year roadmap - Team structure and skills
Q: What questions should I ask the interviewer?¶
A: Prepare 2-3 thoughtful questions per interview:
Good questions: - "What are the biggest technical challenges the team faces?" - "How does the team balance innovation with operational excellence?" - "What does success look like in this role after 6 months?" - "How does this team contribute to Amazon's broader goals?"
Avoid: - Questions easily answered by research - Compensation/benefits (save for recruiter) - Negative questions about work-life balance
📊 System Design FAQs¶
Q: What scale should I design for?¶
A: Unless specified, assume Amazon scale: - Millions to billions of users - Global distribution - 99.99% availability (52 minutes downtime/year) - Sub-second latency requirements - Petabyte-scale data
Always clarify requirements early in the interview.
Q: Should I use AWS services or generic components?¶
A: Prefer AWS services but show flexibility: - Start with AWS services (S3, DynamoDB, Lambda, etc.) - Explain why each service fits - Be ready to discuss alternatives - Show understanding of trade-offs - Mention cost considerations
Q: How do I handle the whiteboard/virtual board?¶
A: Best practices: - Start with high-level architecture - Add details progressively - Keep diagrams clean and labeled - Use consistent symbols - Leave space for additions - Practice on physical/virtual whiteboards before interview
💰 Compensation FAQs¶
Q: What's the typical compensation range for L6/L7?¶
A: Varies by location (2024 data):
L6 (Seattle/SF Bay): - Base: $160K - $185K - RSUs: $250K - $400K (4-year vest) - Sign-on: $100K - $150K (2-year) - Total Year 1: $300K - $400K
L7 (Seattle/SF Bay): - Base: $185K - $220K - RSUs: $500K - $800K (4-year vest) - Sign-on: $150K - $200K (2-year) - Total Year 1: $450K - $600K
Q: When should I discuss compensation?¶
A: Follow this timeline: 1. Initial recruiter call: Share expectations if asked 2. During interviews: Deflect to focus on role fit 3. After onsite: Detailed discussion with recruiter 4. Offer stage: Negotiate based on data and competing offers
Q: Can I negotiate the offer?¶
A: Yes, but strategically: - Research market rates thoroughly - Have competing offers if possible - Focus on RSUs and sign-on bonus (base is less flexible) - Consider non-monetary benefits - Be prepared to justify your ask - Work with recruiter as partner
🚀 Post-Interview FAQs¶
Q: How long before I hear back?¶
A: Typical timeline: - Phone screens: 2-3 business days - Onsite loop: 5-7 business days - Final decision: Can extend to 2 weeks - Follow up with recruiter after 1 week if no response
Q: What if I get rejected?¶
A: Don't be discouraged: - Ask for specific feedback - You can reapply after 6-12 months - Focus on addressing feedback areas - Consider other Amazon teams/roles - Build additional experience - Practice with mock interviews
Q: What happens after accepting an offer?¶
A: Onboarding process: 1. Background check and references (1-2 weeks) 2. Team matching (if not predetermined) 3. Start date negotiation 4. Equipment and access setup 5. First day orientation 6. 30-60-90 day plan with manager
🎓 Leadership & Management FAQs¶
Q: How do I demonstrate "Hire and Develop the Best"?¶
A: Show evidence of: - Building diverse, high-performing teams - Creating career development plans - Mentoring engineers to promotions - Improving interview processes - Building talent pipelines - Performance management (including exits)
Q: What if I've never managed managers (for L7)?¶
A: Demonstrate equivalent complexity: - Led large cross-functional initiatives - Managed 20+ person teams - Influenced without authority - Drove organizational change - Managed distributed teams - Led through team leads/tech leads
Q: How do I show "Think Big" for L7?¶
A: Demonstrate vision and strategy: - Multi-year technical roadmaps - Platform thinking vs features - Industry-changing innovations - $10M+ impact initiatives - Organizational transformations - Market expansion strategies
🛠️ Technical FAQs¶
Q: Do I need AWS certification?¶
A: Not required but helpful: - Shows commitment to learning - Demonstrates AWS knowledge - Provides talking points - Solutions Architect Associate is most relevant - Don't spend excessive time if interview is soon
Q: What programming language should I use?¶
A: Choose your strongest: - Python and Java are most common - JavaScript/TypeScript acceptable - Go, C++, Ruby also fine - Avoid obscure languages - Be consistent throughout interviews - Know standard library well
Q: How deep into distributed systems should I go?¶
A: Based on level and role:
L6 Depth: - CAP theorem basics - Consistency models - Partitioning strategies - Load balancing - Caching strategies - Message queues
L7 Depth: - Consensus algorithms - Distributed transactions - Global data replication - Multi-region architectures - Chaos engineering - Service mesh patterns
📝 Final Tips FAQs¶
Q: What's the biggest mistake candidates make?¶
A: Common pitfalls: 1. Not being specific enough - Use numbers and concrete examples 2. Over-talking - Keep answers concise initially 3. Not asking clarifying questions - Assumptions kill system design 4. Ignoring Leadership Principles - They're critical to Amazon culture 5. Not preparing failure stories - Shows growth and learning
Q: Should I mention competing offers?¶
A: Yes, strategically: - Mention during compensation discussion - Don't bluff - be honest - Share timelines to create urgency - Use for negotiation leverage - Be professional, not threatening - Remember Amazon values long-term thinking
Q: What if I need accommodations?¶
A: Amazon provides various accommodations: - Extra time for coding/design - Breaks between interviews - Written vs verbal communication - Assistive technologies - Alternative assessment formats - Contact recruiter early to arrange
Q: Can I interview for multiple teams?¶
A: Yes, with considerations: - Usually sequential, not parallel - Share interest with recruiter - May share interview results - Different teams may have different bars - Consider team fit carefully - Don't interview for practice
Q: What's the "Bar Raiser" interview?¶
A: Special interview with trained interviewer: - From different team/org - Ensures consistent hiring bar - Has veto power - Focuses on Leadership Principles - Often asks hardest questions - Treat like any other interview - Cannot be influenced by hiring manager
🔗 Additional Resources¶
Official Amazon Resources¶
Recommended Practice Platforms¶
- LeetCode (coding practice)
- System Design Interview books
- Pramp (mock interviews)
- Blind (salary data and experiences)
Community Resources¶
- Reddit: r/cscareerquestions
- TeamBlind Amazon discussions
- LinkedIn Amazon employee networks
- Local Amazon meetups and events
Remember: Every interview experience is unique. Use these FAQs as guidelines but adapt based on your specific situation and role requirements.