Give me an example of a time you showed initiative.
Hiring managers at Amazon are on the lookout for creative, action-oriented people who are proactive and ready to go above and beyond when needed. They want to see that you are confident enough to take the initiative when the opportunity arises. Having initiative also shows the interviewer that you are self-driven and determined to succeed in your job.
Your ability to take initiative at work can help you stand out from other candidates. Highlight an example of a time when you took initiative at work by explaining what you did and why you did it, and then discuss the results of your actions. Think about areas where you have helped a past company save time, money, or other resources. Ways of taking initiative could include proposing new ideas, solutions, or strategies, proposing new products or services, or improving upon current ones.
"I took the initiative when I felt that something should be discussed with the managers. Other colleagues were afraid to express their opinion, but I believe that feedback should flow freely in all directions in any successful organization. I often stood out and talked to the managers when I thought the work could be done more efficiently or that we needed more people in the team to handle the workload."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
"I took the initiative when I felt that a certain campaign could save us thousands of dollars. Other colleagues were not sure about proceeding, but I believed that it was worth trying. I stood out and talked to our CEO when I thought the work could be done more efficiently and that we needed more people in the team to handle the campaign. In the end, it worked and we saved around 50k last year"
Marcie's Feedback
Wow! You have provided a strong example of a time when you showed initiative and used the STAR method well to explain it logically to the interviewer. Consider giving additional details to further strengthen your answer. For example, why did you think this campaign would save the company money? In what ways did you believe the work could be done more efficiently? And what changes were made that ended up creating all these savings?
Unlock all 30 Amazon questions
Unlock expert responses to Amazon's leadership principle and data-driven marketing questions.
Get Started