Holly Lee, Leadership Career coach.
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Countless ambitious professionals and leaders are looking to level up in their career within the top technology companies, such as a MATANG employer — Microsoft, Amazon, Tesla, Apple, Netflix and Google. For many, it's the pinnacle of the tech professional ladder, with opportunities to learn from the industry's best. The level of competition is fierce, so you must be prepared and persistent to achieve your goal.
In the last 25 years, I had the opportunity to personally hire thousands of senior-level and leadership roles for most of the MATANG companies and partner globally with Amazon's L7 and L8 Bar Raiser to get the hiring team calibrated to be an interviewer for Amazon's teams. As a recruiting leader for Amazon, Google, Meta (Oculus) and Microsoft, I want to provide an insight into what these top technology companies look for and how you can end up working for one of your ultimate employers.
What MATANG Companies Look For
Cultural Fit. Each MATANG company has its own set of core values and company behaviors. Recruiters will identify whether you're the right cultural fit for the organization and meet the basic qualifications for the role. It's important to note that this doesn't just refer to your background but more about your fit within the company. Recruiters will assess this by determining your goals and the type of skills you're bringing with you.
Tips. These top companies' main similarity is looking for professionals who demonstrate strong ownership in making critical business impacts and good communication skills during the interview process. You need to have solid verbal and written communication skills to work for MATANG employers.
Experience. Regardless of the position, recruiters will know whether you have previous relevant experience. You don't need to have industry experience, but do you have examples of how you could deliver results at scale? It's a good idea to have a couple of real-world, large-scale project examples that demonstrate you have occasion for the job and the technical environment you'll be working in.
High Cognitive Ability. This refers to your ability to innovate and find ways to create quickly. These organizations need professionals who will embrace change to help the continuous growth of their customers to help the organization scale at large.
Qualities Valued By MATANG Companies
In my experience, candidates with leadership qualities are essential to MATANG companies, as they're crucial to driving the business forward and implementing new innovative solutions. Here are some of the most valued leadership competencies:
• Customer-Centric. You innovate with the customer in mind from the beginning until the end.
• Ownership. Knowing how to identify a problem and develop a strategic plan to bridge the gap.
• Think Big. Never sit comfortably. You are seeking ways to be more efficient and effective for your customers.
• Results-Driven. I love the Amazon "working background" mentality, the work culture that Jeff Bezos sets for employees. Know the results you want to achieve and have a clear action plan to deliver the end goal.
• Communication. Being a strong communicator isn't just a prerequisite for being a good leader and effectively delegating work to your team. Communication is vital to drive results as you'll need to find ways to influence decision-makers when pitching new ideas. Stakeholders want to see the value in your solutions, so convincing them effectively is crucial.
Overview Of The Interview Process
• Recruiter Call. In most cases, you'll speak with a recruiter who will screen your suitability for the role and identify whether you have the required skills and experience.
• Phone Interview. This is done with the hiring manager or a peer to assess if you can meet 70% of the core competencies for the role. For an example of interview questions, please check out my YouTube channel for the MATANG interview.
• Onsite Loop. This final-round interview is an opportunity for the employer to evaluate your thinking process, how you arrive at solutions and your knowledge level. A helpful tip is to look up examples online of people who have done problem-solving exercises at these companies and get an idea of why it worked for them. (Free resources: glassdoor.com and YouTube.)
Debrief Process Or Hiring Committee
This is the feedback review stage for the hiring team to evaluate the pros and cons to see if you would be a fit.
How to ace MATANG interviews:
• Do Your Research. MATANG companies want to see that you know more than just your job and role. You must also demonstrate an interest or understanding of the industry and what developments unfold at the company.
• Know Your Strengths. Understanding your qualities is essential for the interview process. When you discuss your background and experience, it's a good idea to demonstrate the events and projects that benefited from your qualities. This way, you're not just saying you're good at something; you're providing real-world examples that demonstrate your abilities.
• Be Direct. In my opinion, Amazon has one of the most effective written and verbal communication styles. The company uses the STAR method — Situation, Task, Action, Result — to help leaders community with conciseness and clarity and help save time. Using this will ensure that you're organized in your responses and allow you to say more in less time. Follow this format for all MATANG interviews (again, defer to my YouTube channel for examples).
Most Commonly Asked Interview Questions
To conclude, let's delve into some of the most common questions you may face at MATANG interviews. Preparing for these is an excellent exercise for getting to know yourself as a professional, even if you don't encounter them in the interview process.
• How do you build and maintain relationships with co-workers in other locations?
• How do you keep yourself and your team motivated?
• What were your role and responsibilities in your most recent project?
• What project are you most proud of, and how did you contribute?
• Who was your most challenging customer, and how did you handle their needs?
Technical Questions
• What coding language are you most familiar with?
• Explain the reversal of an array.
• What is a palindrome string?
• Binary trees: MATANG companies will typically want to see your ability to traverse, manipulate, read and build binary trees.
• System and software design: Questions can vary from how you'd design a simple game to designing software for an elevator system.
• Linked list problems: You'll often see questions on reversing and manipulating linked lists.
Remember, preparation is critical for acing your interviews at MATANG companies. If you find that you're unsuccessful, stay positive and be persistent. Take time to work on your professional skills and learn to slow down before moving fast.
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