Technically, Amazon interview process does not start until the candidate is invited to the interview. Yet, the hiring machinery sets in motion the minute you hit “Apply” button. To get the most up--to-date list of Amazon jobs, head over to their main website or try a job aggregator like Jooble. Your profile goes into the internal system and is added to the review queue. From then on, various participants of the hiring process filter out profiles to create a short-list. This shortlist will then move to the Hiring Manager’s queue. In 90% of cases, the recruiter will build an initial shortlist and will then pass it on to the Hiring Manager. In 10% of cases when, for example, the recruiter is on holiday, or filling the role is time-critical, the Hiring Manager can help the recruiter build the short-list. As a Hiring Manager, I will then pick the candidates who will be invited to the first stage of Amazon interview process - the Phone Screen. How would I make the decision on who to progress? The best and most relevant profile usually wins. Here, everything is important - the quality of the education, grades (if volunteered in the resume), the profile of employers, the content of the roles and achievements. There is no set formula for a profile that gets to move forward. This is because every role is unique, and every hiring context is peculiar. There are situations when, as a Hiring Manager, I’d be willing to take more risk on candidates and cast the net wide. One such situation is if I am thin on the ground and under pressure to hire. This does not mean that a hiring urgency on my side will increase your probability of getting in with an otherwise uncompetitive profile. It will, however, nudge up your chances of being invited to the Phone Screen. If there is an over-supply of applications, my risk profile becomes more conservative and the phone screen to applications percentage will have to go down. As a candidate, you won’t be able to influence or control 99% of Amazon interview process at this stage. What makes your profile competitive - your education, employers, roles and achievements - won’t change in an instant. However, there are a few things that you can do to reduce the odds of not being progressed despite having a winning profile. First, make sure that your resume is clear and easy to read. Fancy designs bring no added value to Amazon interview process if they don’t improve the speed at which I can scan the resume. Second, your responsibilities and accomplishments are the most important part. If pressed for space, prioritise them over skill charts and hobbies (as a Hiring Manager, I can attest that I’ve never looked at the Hobbies part of a candidate’s resume) Third, make sure that achievements in the resume detail your personal contributions. You should adorn accomplishments with end-results, and these have to be measurable. There is no need to divulge any confidential information, and all data can be benchmarked and indexed. Recent grads should focus on project work, part-time jobs, side-gigs and other extra-curricular activities (avoid over-indulging on classwork). Lastly, get a referral. Tech companies have mechanisms in place to give a morsel of extra consideration to profiles that landed through referral programs. If getting a recommendation, do ask your referrer to drop a note to the Hiring Manager and the recruiter to follow up.