Practice 30 Amazon Brand Specialist interview questions covering brand growth, data analysis, and Amazon's vendor systems.
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Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Amazon's 14 Leadership Principles are the foundation of your Brand Specialist interview. Knowing and understanding these 14 points will determine how successful you are in the interview process.
Amazon's 14 Leadership Principles are:
#1) Customer Obsession.
Leaders start with the customer and work backward. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers.
#2) Ownership.
Leaders are owners. They think long-term and don't sacrifice long-term value for short-term results. They act on behalf of the entire company beyond just their own team. They never say, 'that's not my job.'
#3) Invent and Simplify.
Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify. They are externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by 'not invented here.' As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time.
#4) Are Right, A Lot.
Leaders are right a lot. They have strong judgment and good instincts. They seek diverse perspectives and work to disconfirm their beliefs.
#5) Learn and Be Curious.
Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. They are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them.
#6) Hire and Develop the Best.
Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion. They recognize exceptional talent and willingly move them throughout the organization. Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others. We work on behalf of our people to invent mechanisms for development like Career Choice.
#7) Insist on the Highest Standards.
Leaders have relentlessly high standards -- many people may think these standards are unreasonably high. Leaders are continually raising the bar and drive their teams to deliver high-quality products, services, and processes. Leaders ensure that defects do not get sent down the line and that problems are fixed, so they stay fixed.
#8) Think Big.
Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results. They think differently and look around corners for ways to serve customers.
#9) Bias for Action.
Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk-taking.
#10) Frugality.
Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention. There are no extra points for growing headcount, budget size, or fixed expense.
#11) Earn Trust.
Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully. They are vocally self-critical, even when doing so is awkward or embarrassing. Leaders do not believe their or their team's body odor smells of perfume. They benchmark themselves and their teams against the best.
#12) Dive Deep.
Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and anecdotes differ. No task is beneath them.
#13) Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit.
Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly.
#14) Deliver Results.
Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business and deliver them with the right quality and in a timely fashion. Despite setbacks, they rise to the occasion and never settle.
The interviewer wants to see evidence that you have put ample effort into preparing for your Amazon interview. Choose 1 of the 14 Leadership Principles that you feel you need to improve on the most. Include why you chose the principle, and focus the bulk of your response on the action you plan to take (or better yet - are already taking!) to improve. Then, discuss how your improvements will benefit Amazon if they hire you as their next Brand Specialist.

Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"Of Amazon's 14 Leadership Principles, I feel that I need to work on Principle #13, 'Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit.' I have been actively working to improve my confidence in having the backbone to disagree with others, particularly my leaders. I am new to my career, and disagreeing with a leader seems like a bold move for a person coming out of university and brand new to their career. I have studied Amazon's 14 Leadership Principles in-depth and found that this principle was the one that made me feel a touch uneasy. I understand that it's important to challenge decisions respectfully, even when it feels uncomfortable. I have a great deal of personal conviction, and I am eager to develop this conviction in my professional life. Once I recognized room for improvement in this area, I enrolled in assertiveness training through the Impact Factory. This 2-day assertiveness course focuses on giving clear messages, increasing confidence in conflict, the art of saying no and changing yourself to change others. I am excited to grow in this particular area so that when I join the Amazon team, I will be ready to embrace this Leadership Principle without hesitation."

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Written by Rachelle Enns
30 Questions & Answers • Amazon

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