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Software Engineering Internship Amazon Interview Experience

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Re: Software Engineering Internship Amazon Interview Experience

#181

Post by x0x0 »

manacit wrote: post #94

By all means, this is not unique to Amazon - not that it makes it any better. I did a post-grad interview for Epic (epic.com - healthcare software) in a similar fashion, that was at least as draconian. After passing a 15 minute phone screen, they sent me a link to a service that: * Installed their proprietary software on my Mac * Connected me to a real person who verified my DL against who they were expecting * Had m…

You still have time! Save yourself. Google around for others' experiences, and do not work for Epic.

Re: Software Engineering Internship Amazon Interview Experience

#182

Post by wutbrodo »

coldcode wrote: post #163
riazrizvi wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's a bit silly to get so worked up about this. The test is simply to gauge programming skill in an online test, and they want to check you are not cheating. Though I think they could have worded it without freaking people out: "You are going to be video monitored during the test".

What the heck is cheating in programming? Do people watch you on a webcam at work to see if you are reading stackoverflow?

Presumably you're aware that job interviews and the actual job are different things? At a real job no one cares if you use Stack Overflow because there's ample other data to assess your productivity (like...your actual productivity over the months and years that you're employed). The challenge with interviewing is trying to extrapolate performance from a much, MUCH shorter time horizon[1]. You're not testing the exact same environment, but you're using a different environment (the test/interview) to hopefully assess skills that are relevant in the environment you're optimizing for.

This is hardly a new concept: exams work pretty much the same way. There are other ways to assess candidates (like looking at their portfolios), but they have their own weaknesses, and testing skills in a constrained environment can still reveal things.

[1] And this is for the benefit of both parties: I've lost count of how many people I've heard complain about companies that have gauntlets of technical interviews.

Re: Software Engineering Internship Amazon Interview Experience

#183

Post by rhizome »

walrus01 wrote: post #41
jellicle wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, obviously putting paper over the webcam would result in a FAIL grade for the test, so it's hardly that easy. Maybe you could record yourself staring intently at the screen and play that back to the webcam during the exam.

What happens if you have an old laptop like a Thinkpad T60 that doesn't have a camera?

I have a Thinkpad 450s a little over a year old, and I ordered it without a cam.

Re: Software Engineering Internship Amazon Interview Experience

#184

Post by kafkaesq »

riazrizvi wrote: post #155
kafkaesq wrote: post #18

The following information will be collected during the duration of the exam: Your microphone Your webcam Your physical location Your head movements Your eye movements Your mouth movements Creepy as all get-out. By all means, lets have more leaks like this.

I think it's a bit silly to get so worked up about this. The test is simply to gauge programming skill in an online test, and they want to check you are not cheating. Though I think they could have worded it without freaking people out: "You are going to be video monitored during the test".

I don't think I was getting "worked up" about it.

It's kind of like when you notice someone staring at you in the subway -- you note to yourself that it's creepy (which it is), and you move on.

Re: Software Engineering Internship Amazon Interview Experience

#185

Post by nxc18 »

Emc2fma wrote: post #174
bsg75 wrote: post #27

> You will not be able to open any tabs or windows If I had to code purely from memory, without the benefit of language or library docs, I would not be able to write anything of use. Personally when hiring, I'm not interested in a candidate's memory recall, but the ability to use resources when faced with a new challenge.

Exactly. When I was doing this, one of the questions required the use of a custom comparator. I spent the remaining 20 minutes of the challenge trying (and failing) to remember the correct syntax for writing a comparator until it timed out.

I also did that question. You had access to the full Java docs.

I left a nice note explaining how I spent a lot of time trying to do it with the language feature, but couldn't due to runtime restrictions, and gave them a working non-optimized solution.

I was emailed to schedule an interview the next day.

Re: Software Engineering Internship Amazon Interview Experience

#187

Post by fullshark »

coldcode wrote: post #163
riazrizvi wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's a bit silly to get so worked up about this. The test is simply to gauge programming skill in an online test, and they want to check you are not cheating. Though I think they could have worded it without freaking people out: "You are going to be video monitored during the test".

What the heck is cheating in programming? Do people watch you on a webcam at work to see if you are reading stackoverflow?

In this scenario it would be things like having someone else answer for you, answer by committee, find the exact questions on a message board...

Re: Software Engineering Internship Amazon Interview Experience

#188

Post by nxc18 »

bsg75 wrote: post #27

> You will not be able to open any tabs or windows If I had to code purely from memory, without the benefit of language or library docs, I would not be able to write anything of use. Personally when hiring, I'm not interested in a candidate's memory recall, but the ability to use resources when faced with a new challenge.

There's different types of coding. Using xyz UI framework or fancy runtime environment will of course require reference.

Sorting a list of points or finding a simple pattern in an array will not. If you need SO to answer the types of questions they ask, you probably shouldn't be seeking an engineering position at a software company.

Re: Software Engineering Internship Amazon Interview Experience

#189

Post by uw_rob »

donatj wrote: post #173
riazrizvi wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's a bit silly to get so worked up about this. The test is simply to gauge programming skill in an online test, and they want to check you are not cheating. Though I think they could have worded it without freaking people out: "You are going to be video monitored during the test".

There is no cheating in programming. This is absurd.

I think Googling the question exactly and copy and pasting the answer would qualify as cheating.

(Disclaimer: I completed an internship at Amazon and accepted a second internship)

Re: Software Engineering Internship Amazon Interview Experience

#190

Post by amorphid »

imsofuture wrote: post #35
zeppelin101 wrote: post #4

Wait, I see nothing wrong with any of this. Obviously Amazon is trying to curb cheating on remote coding/compatibility tests. They don't actually care to collect any info about you beyond what you do during the test. They don't care which websites you visit before or after the test. Or how you use your clipboard - after the test. But during the test, it's not so unreasonable. People do cheat, especially if they can g…

The premise that cheating is a major risk or issue in job interviews is .... nutty.

Asking questions that give an incentive to cheat are typically poor questions in my experience. Or maybe an indication that the job is gonna suck a little bit.
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