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I never stated that I felt "insulted". You're just projecting that, maybe based on bad experiences you have had. There's an old saying: a job interview is a

I never stated that I felt "insulted". You're just projecting that, maybe based on bad experiences you have had. There's an old saying: a job interview is a two-way street. You are interviewing them (or should be) every bit as much as they are you. If the applicant asks a basic question about the position, the interviewer has a duty to either answer the question or say "I'm not sure what role this is for; I've just been asked to check your technical knowledge, and then we'll get you to the actual manager who can give you a better answer. Okay?" If the interviewer is immature, arrogant, rigid, etc., and regards the interviewer-applicant relationship as an antagonistic one, and views the applicant as incompetent and dishonest until proven otherwise, the interview will have that flavor. To me, that is a red flag about the organization. Indeed, I've heard from many sources that Amazon is a toxic environment; I have yet to hear anyone say "Amazon is a terrific place to work! [for engineers/programmers]" I suspect that if you're a high level product person who comes up with a clever idea like an AWS feature, and are able to pitch it to the top management, then you're a star, you're well paid, and life is good. But for the people in the trenches... not so great.

justapassenger 6y ago
Original comment started by stating your many years of experience and noting that interviewer was much younger. Then complains about being asked to do coding. And then, based on just those two, saying that you know you'd be unhappy working with people like him. Amazon isn't great environment in most of the pockets of the company (haven't worked there, but worked with a lot of people who came from there), so it's quite possible that you "dodged the bullet". But only when pressed, you start to complain how interviewer is immature, arrogant, rigid. That's not what you originally stated - you had issues with an interviewer age and being asked to do coding. I'm not trying to defend the interviewer - it's very possible that they were bad interviewers - big tech companies push people early to start interviewing. But things that you complained about initially make it sound like you maybe also not a very pleasant candidate to work with, that comes into the interview with a lot of bias.
- blisterpeanuts 6y ago
  I didn't state that I had issues with his age. I merely observed that he was probably half my age; he talked and behaved rather immaturely. I work with younger folks all the time and 90% of them are perfectly fine; actually I enjoy their energy and drive (and there are plenty of older jerks out there). This guy, I didn't enjoy. When I hung up the phone, I was not angry, as I recall. Just disappointed that a great company would have such petty people vetting applicants. You don't have to agree with me. I'm not even sure what we're arguing about at this point; if you're just trying to prove I'm a jerk... fine, I was a jerk that day. Happy now? Have a nice day. I don't work at Amazon and I'm having a wonderful day :)
  - notretarded 6y ago
    If it didn't matter you wouldn't have mentioned it. Unnecessary description.
cozos 6y ago
Interviewers at most tech companies have to follow a script, one that most definitely requires them to ask you to code. The interviewer has no choice other than to ask you write code. You describe the interviewer as arrogant and immature, but to me the candidate who hangs up fuming because he was asked to do a little bit of typing is the one who is antagonistic.

justapassenger 6y ago

Original comment started by stating your many years of experience and noting that interviewer was much younger. Then complains about being asked to do coding. And then, based on just those two, saying that you know you'd be unhappy working with people like him. Amazon isn't great environment in most of the pockets of the company (haven't worked there, but worked with a lot of people who came from there), so it's quite possible that you "dodged the bullet". But only when pressed, you start to complain how interviewer is immature, arrogant, rigid. That's not what you originally stated - you had issues with an interviewer age and being asked to do coding. I'm not trying to defend the interviewer - it's very possible that they were bad interviewers - big tech companies push people early to start interviewing. But things that you complained about initially make it sound like you maybe also not a very pleasant candidate to work with, that comes into the interview with a lot of bias.

blisterpeanuts 6y ago
I didn't state that I had issues with his age. I merely observed that he was probably half my age; he talked and behaved rather immaturely. I work with younger folks all the time and 90% of them are perfectly fine; actually I enjoy their energy and drive (and there are plenty of older jerks out there). This guy, I didn't enjoy. When I hung up the phone, I was not angry, as I recall. Just disappointed that a great company would have such petty people vetting applicants. You don't have to agree with me. I'm not even sure what we're arguing about at this point; if you're just trying to prove I'm a jerk... fine, I was a jerk that day. Happy now? Have a nice day. I don't work at Amazon and I'm having a wonderful day :)
- notretarded 6y ago
  If it didn't matter you wouldn't have mentioned it. Unnecessary description.

cozos 6y ago

Interviewers at most tech companies have to follow a script, one that most definitely requires them to ask you to code. The interviewer has no choice other than to ask you write code. You describe the interviewer as arrogant and immature, but to me the candidate who hangs up fuming because he was asked to do a little bit of typing is the one who is antagonistic.