Amazon Data Analyst Interview Preparation Notes

Round 1: Introduction

During this round, the interviewer will ask questions to learn more about your background and experience.

Round 2: Behavioral

During this round, the interviewer will ask questions to assess your past behavior and how you approach problems.

Question 1

Can you describe a time when you had to analyze a large data set to gain insights?

Situation: At my previous internship, I was tasked with analyzing a large data set of customer sales data to identify trends and opportunities for growth.

Task: My goal was to identify actionable insights from the data that could help drive business results.

Action: I used Excel and Minitab to clean and analyze the data, and created charts and graphs to visually represent my findings. I also presented my analysis to the team, highlighting areas where we could improve our sales strategies.

Result: My analysis helped the team identify a new sales opportunity that ultimately led to a 15% increase in company sales.

Question 2

Can you describe a time when you had to collaborate with a team to complete a project?

Situation: As part of my academic coursework, I worked with a team of three to design a custom hand cycle for polio victims.

Task: Our goal was to design a product that provided a comfortable and efficient means of transportation for those with limited mobility.

Action: I worked with my team to create a project plan, dividing responsibilities and setting milestones. We also communicated regularly to ensure everyone was on the same page and resolved any conflicts that arose. I personally worked on the modeling of the hand cycle using SOLIDWORKS.

Result: Our final product was recognized by the faculty audience as the "Best Presentation" out of 15 teams.

Question 3

Can you describe a time when you had to work under pressure to complete a project?

Situation: During my internship at ABC Solutions, I was tasked with authoring three technical reports for relocated packaging equipment following IQOQPQ guidelines.

Task: My goal was to author the reports with detailed procedures, equipment diagrams, and data processing.

Action: I worked relentlessly on the task for two weeks straight, dedicating extra hours over weekends. I wrote clear and precise reports that provided detailed information on every process. I also worked with the validation team to improve or suggest new IQOQPQ protocols that would enhance the reports’ quality.

Result: My reports were accepted, which showed the high quality standards that the organization maintained in the validation process.

Question 4

Can you describe a time when you had to resolve a conflict with a colleague?

Situation: At my previous job, I was working with a colleague who was very confrontational and was not open to feedback.

Task: My goal was to find a way to communicate effectively with my colleague to ensure we could work together successfully.

Action: I made an effort to understand my colleague's perspective and identify the root of the conflict. I then approached the colleague in a calm and professional manner and expressed my concerns and suggestions. I also worked on changing my communication style to be more assertive but respectful of their input.

Result: Eventually, we were able to develop a better working relationship, and our interactions became more productive and respectful.

Question 5

Can you describe a time when you had to present complex data to a non-technical audience?

Situation: During my internship at MedApps, I had to present new product features to the sales team, who had a limited technical background.

Task: My goal was to clearly present the features in a way that the sales team could understand and use in their sales pitches to customers.

Action: I created an engaging presentation that included visual aids and explained the new features in clear, non-technical terms. I also provided examples of how the features could be useful in real-life situations. Finally, I encouraged the team to ask questions and provided them with materials to take away after the presentation.

Result: The sales team was able to use the information presented to effectively communicate the new product features to potential customers, resulting in increased sales.

Round 3: Technical

During this round, the interviewer will ask questions to assess your technical skills and knowledge.

Question 1

Write a Python function to calculate the factorial of a number.

Answer:

def factorial(n):	if n < 1:		return 1	else:		return n * factorial(n-1)	

Time Complexity: O(n)

Space Complexity: O(n)

Question 2

What is the time complexity of a binary search algorithm?

Answer: The time complexity of a binary search algorithm is O(log n).

Question 3

Can you explain the difference between a join and a subquery?

Answer: A join is used to combine rows from two or more tables based on a related column, while a subquery is used to retrieve data from one or more tables based on a condition specified in the subquery.

Question 4

What is time and space complexity?

Answer: Time complexity is the amount of time taken by an algorithm to run as a function of the input size. Space complexity is the amount of memory used by an algorithm to run as a function of the input size.

Question 5

What is the difference between an inner join and an outer join?

Answer: An inner join returns only the records where there is a match in both tables being joined, while an outer join returns all the records from one table and matching records from the other table (in the case of left outer join) or all the records from both tables (in the case of full outer join).

Round 4: Design

During this round, the interviewer will ask you to design a solution to a hypothetical problem.

Question 1

Design a system to track customer orders for an online retailer.

Answer: The system could consist of a database to store customer information and order history, as well as a web interface for customers to place orders and track their order status. It would also involve a backend system to process orders and update order status, and could include automated email notifications to keep customers informed about their order status.

High level details:

Low level details:

Question 2

Design a system to measure and report the performance of a new product feature.

Answer: The system could include instrumentation within the code to track the usage of the new feature and performance metrics, such as response time. The data could be stored in a database for analysis, and a dashboard could be developed to provide real-time reporting on the feature's performance. Alerts could be set up to notify the development team of any performance issues.

High level details:

Low level details:

Question 3

Design a system to improve the customer checkout experience for an e-commerce website.

Answer: The system could include improvements to the user interface to make the checkout process more user-friendly. It could also involve upgrades to the backend system to improve the speed and accuracy of order processing. Additionally, new payment options could be added to provide customers with more payment flexibility and security.

High level details:

Low level details: