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"he once vetoed a candidate for a programming job because the candidate didn't know much about a specific programming language, a detail others missed" He appe
by jayhuang 13y ago
"he once vetoed a candidate for a programming job because the candidate didn't know much about a specific programming language, a detail others missed"
He appears to be pretty proud of this. Most top companies actually care less about knowing specific languages as opposed to having the critical thinking skills they're looking for.
Not sure him vetoing a candidate because of a lack of knowledge in one language was a plus for Amazon.
- ignoramous 13y agoAmazon doesn't place emphasis on language-specific skill-set. But there are certain job roles that require specific skill set, for instance, someone interviewing for a Software Development Engg role might get asked a lot of Algorithms, Data Structures, Databases, Operating Systems and so on. Someone interviewing for Web Development Engg role might get asked questions about JavaScript and HTML. Same thing goes for SDEs being hired for Machine Learning or Big Data teams... there are times when these teams are on look-out for experts in certain fields. But yes, generally, AFA technical roles are concerned, Amazon doesn't place emphasis on language-specific skill-set.
- jayhuang 13y agoYep, exactly. I interviewed for a Front-end Development Engineer position with Amazon, and aside from the poor handling by the recruiter, the on-site interviews covered a very well-rounded set of topics that were extremely relevant to the position. One of the better interview experiences I had in terms of topics tested IMO.