A tale of two clients: preparing for an interview at the last minute

Let me tell you about two clients I had this year. Both were applying to SDM roles at Amazon (Software Development Manager), and both were qualified for the job.

Client #1 knew she was going to start applying to jobs in three months and wanted to plan her interview prep steps during those three months. She wanted to be ready when the time came for interviews. She didn’t want to rush. She wanted to be super prepared.

Client #2 emailed me on Thursday night with an interview coming up the following Monday.

Both of these clients wanted to get the job.

Could they, or was one of them doomed?

This is an interview story but it’s also a story about life, right?

We all intend to be Client #1, and in the best of all possible worlds we would be. But the truth is, sometimes we’re Client #1 and sometimes through no fault of our own we’re Client #2.

Surprises happen. You might be thinking about looking for a new job in January, but a recruiter emails you about your dream job in September before you’ve even rewritten your resume.

Should you tell the recruiter to forget it? Probably not, since you never know if the chance will come around again.

You could unexpectedly get laid off from your job at Meta because Mark lurvs the metaverse and that’s not your area.

You never know what could happen, even if you think you had it all planned out.

So because it’s hard to plan our career moves 100%, I get clients in both situations.

So was Client #2 doomed or did I actually help her? No she wasn’t doomed, and yes I helped her. She got the job.

You can prepare for your interview even if you’re in a last-minute scenario. You don’t need three months to prepare.

Being an interview coach involves talking clients through a flood of last-minute panic, usually after they’ve spent half of the day watching interview tips on YouTube (which takes a lot of time, trust me).

I’m the nerdy type so I naturally over prepare for all situations, especially if it involves thinking about myself, writing, and making flash cards, but for some reason, and I can’t imagine why (haha), I’ve noticed that many of my clients don’t love these things.

If you’re looking for some help navigating the challenging world of interviewing, let me know. I’ll probably not suggest flashcards (because no one but me uses those anymore), but let’s discuss notes and cheat sheets you can quickly pull together for any situation.

Jennifer Scupi is the founder of Interview Genie, where the Amazon recruiters refer their candidates. She’s an interview coach who’s worked with thousands of clients preparing for job interviews. They appreciated her honest feedback and say it’s obvious she used to be a teacher because she’s good at explaining the best way to approach answers. Her clients have landed roles at FAANG companies like Amazon, Fortune 500 companies, startups, and more.

For advice about Amazon interviews, visit the Amazon resources page or read her book about Amazon behavioral interviews.

If you need to prepare for your interview, let’s get started. See the Interview Genie services or schedule a consultation.