6 interview stages and trap questions: how to get an offer from an international company

Even very strong technical specialists are regularly rejected by FAANG (an informal name for five technology corporations: Meta (Facebook), Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google (Alphabet Inc)) not because they lack knowledge, but because they "fail" where they don't expect to. An interview at Amazon, Google, or Meta is not a test of skills, but a test of thinking, the structure of answers, and the ability to speak the language of business.The most painful thing is that many candidates realize where they fell short only after being rejected, when the chance is lost. Typical mistakes made by strong specialists cost them an offer, even if their resume is perfect.Career consultant, Chief Project Officer in Setelio Daria Sakharova, who received an offer from Amazon, and HR expert Yulia Gonchar explain LIGA.net, how candidates are actually evaluated in large companies and how to prepare for an interview to pass the crucial stage.How does an interview at Amazon go?The most common question I get from candidates aiming for FAANG is: "Am I strong enough to apply for this role? And how do I adapt my resume for a specific company?" People tend to compare themselves to ideal profiles on LinkedIn.Read alsoMost of the professions of the future are related to AI. Which direction should you choose at the start?For her, the decision to apply to Amazon was not so much about the brand as it was about testing her own professional maturity, recalls Daria Sakharova."Amazon is a company with a very rigid decision-making logic, clear leadership principles, and high expectations for a candidate's maturity and performance." Key insight: at FAANG, it's not enough to be a strong specialist. It's important to have business acumen, understand the system as a whole, be more than just a specialist in one area, be able to argue decisions, and demonstrate responsibility and impact. This is not learned through theory, but through interview practice in a format as close to reality as possible.Daria Sakharova was undergoing the selection process for the position of Senior Technical Program Manager. The process was multi-level and consisted of several stages:screening;several rounds of technical and behavioral interviews;a separate in-depth assessment of leadership skills based on Amazon's principles.– Your hard and soft skills are tested at the deepest possible level. I had 6 stages, and each of them was with a different person and recorded on video. They assessed not only knowledge but also logical thinking, the ability to make decisions under pressure, the ability to work with conflicts, responsibility for the result, and impact on the business. There were many situational questions, and with their help, a huge number of skills and experience can be assessed.Does it make sense to do a mock interview?According to the expert, a mock interview is a critically important stage of preparation and is actually number one on the list of priorities.ReferenceA mock interview is a practice interview that is as close to a real one as possible.In a real interview, candidates often "fail" not because of a lack of knowledge, but because of the stress, pace, and format of the interview. Even strong professionals can get flustered, fail to structure their answers, may not expect certain questions, or may not understand what the recruiter wants to hear.– A mock interview allows you to live through this experience in a safe environment, understand the logic of the evaluation, and remove the effect of the initial shock. I used to buy them. That's why it's one of the most popular requests in career practice: candidates want to come to a real interview not in a stupor, but in control, especially considering that the chance to get into FAANG might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.Behavioral Interview: Where Strong Candidates Break Down"FAANG companies are looking for people who can work in uncertainty, even if it's not your area of responsibility," explains HR expert Yulia Gonchar.Most often, rejections occur during the behavioral interview, continues Daria Sakharova.– Many people think that soft skills are not important, but this is a critical mistake. There are many people with good hard skills, but not so many with good hard and soft skills. That's why the former often get rejected and don't understand why.A behavioral interview doesn't assess "how polite and well-mannered you are," but rather how effective you are for the business, specifically:How do you think in stress and reality, not in theory?Your level of responsibility (ownership).How do you resolve conflicts, the level of thinking is operational vs. strategic.How quickly can you adapt your strategies and processes?How flexible are you when business decisions require it?Do you see the impact, the risks, the system, and not just your task?To what extent are you an asset to the company or a potential risk?And finally, to what extent your thinking and values align with the company's values.What not to do in an interview and how to package your experienceThe easiest way is to structure your experience using the STAR method, where S is the situation you worked in, T is the task you were solving, A is the action you took and why, and most importantly, R is the result."You need to practice answering questions using this structure. I was immediately asked to answer in the STAR format during my first interview," says Daria Sakharova.What you should stop doing:hiding behind the team instead of showing your own role;to talk at length without a conclusion or result;confusing responsibilities with achievements.How to structure:STAR or PAR methods (problem, action, result);1-2 metrics or facts in the result, clearly stating: what was your responsibility, what decision was made, and what effect it had on the business.What lowers and raises the chances of an offerSeveral very typical things reduce the chances of an offer.First, when a candidate talks not about their role and their own influence, but about "we and the team." In this format, it is difficult for the interviewer to understand what exactly the person was responsible for, what decisions they made, and what contribution they made personally.Secondly, there is a lack of specifics: no figures, metrics, scale, risks, cost of solutions for the business, or consequences. The stories sound general, without a clear "before/after" and without understanding why these particular actions were chosen.Thirdly, the fear of talking about failures. FAANG-level companies look at whether a person can honestly talk about their mistakes, what they learned from them, and how they changed their approach. This is an indicator of maturity, not weakness.Fourth, a lack of business thinking. When a candidate says they "did a task" but can't explain why it was important for the business, what the risks, dependencies, and alternatives were, and what value it brought.Another thing is the lack of passion in what you do. When you talk about your experience with passion, it makes you stand out in the market. This is especially true in FAANG, where there are 600 people per position.Enhances:a clear structure of answers and the ability to demonstrate your personal influence;specific examples with figures, results, and business value;the ability to speak openly about difficult decisions and mistakes;demonstration of logical thinking and responsibility;willingness to adapt quickly to changes;A practice interview before the real one, which will save you a lot of time.What a recruiter wants to hear"In my experience, what recruiters value most in an interview is how relevant your experience is to the job," admits Yulia Honchar. "It's very important to talk not about everything you've done in your life, but specifically about what is relevant to this position, to the kind of person they are looking for."At the same time, the recruiter is not the final decision-maker. Therefore, it's important to speak in terms of concrete results; that way, you're most likely to advance to the next stage.At FAANG, logic is always more important, notes Daria Sakharova. The interviewer observes how you think, how you construct your arguments, how you react to uncertainty, how you develop your ideas, and whether you have a "helicopter view." Very often, there is no right answer to the questions, and that's how they test your thought process, maturity, responsibility, and reflection.Offers are received by those who can think like a business partner. If you can explain what value you created for the business and why you acted in a certain way, – You are closer to getting an offer than most candidates.Read alsoFull-time is in question. Is part-time work beneficial in Ukraine?

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