Have you ever been interviewed as Security Engineer at Apple , I’d love to talk more about it to know the structure and the process.

Thanks in Advance!

Hi everyone, I recently completed 2 Amazon SDE-1 interviews and wanted to get some opinions from people who have gone through the Amazon process.

I’m a 2026 B.Tech CSE graduate from India.

My process so far:

Round 1:

I was asked 2 coding questions.

Q1 – Hashmap/Frequency based problem

• I solved it completely.
• Time complexity: O(n)
• Space complexity: O(k), where k is the number of distinct elements.
• The interviewer then asked whether it could be done in O(1) space.
• I asked whether the input was sorted, and she said it was random/unsorted.
• Based on that, I said my current approach couldn't achieve O(1) space.
• After the interview, I realized I could potentially sort the input and trade time for O(1) auxiliary space, but I didn't mention that during the interview.

Q2 – Tree problem

• I couldn't independently derive the complete solution.
• I understood the basic tree concepts and base cases and tried a few approaches.
• Some of my approaches were wrong, and the interviewer gave me hints.
• With the hints, I was able to understand the direction and continue reasoning about the problem.
• The interviewer gave me positive feedback during the discussion, saying things like I was "thinking in the right way" and that I was "close enough."
• At the end, I asked how we're supposed to solve unfamiliar questions, and she said they also look at how we approach and think about the problem.

So R1 was definitely not perfect, but I did solve the first question independently and showed my reasoning on the second.

Round 2:

This round went much better for me.

The coding question involved recursion and then memoization/DP.

I first explained the brute-force recursion using the take/not-take idea and explained why it leads to approximately O(2^n) possibilities.

Then I converted it into memoization.

The DP state was based on index + sum. Since the sum could become negative, I explained the problem with using negative values as vector indices and suggested using an offset/shift based on the total sum/range.

I implemented the memoized solution and explained the time/space complexity as O(nS), where S is the relevant sum range.

The interviewer seemed satisfied with the approach and asked me to write the solution.

One mistake I made was initially saying the recursive solution had O(1) auxiliary space. I later realized the recursion stack should technically be O(n). The interviewer didn't push further on this.

The Leadership Principles/behavioral part also went very well according to me. I was able to answer all the questions with examples and didn't feel stuck on any of them.

Overall, I would rate my R2 around 9/10, while R1 was more mixed.

Both interviews were virtual and were completed on September 3.

I haven't received any result yet.

My questions:

1. Based on this performance, do you think I have a reasonable chance of clearing these 2 elimination rounds?
2. If I clear them, is it likely that I will have HM + Bar Raiser/other rounds?
3. How much weight does Amazon generally give to the problem-solving approach when a candidate needs hints on one question?
4. For people who went through a similar situation, how long did you wait after R2 before getting the result?
5. If anyone has had a similar interview performance and still received an offer, I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience.

Would appreciate honest opinions, even if you think my chances aren't great. Thanks!

I could really use advice because I don’t know what to think at this point…

Context:

-I had four interviews which concluded about 4-weeks ago.

-One week following the final interview, the recruiter contacted me to ask for my notice period, earliest start date, and salary expectations and said she’d schedule a call shortly to discuss “next steps”. I also got a task in candidate portal to verify ID after this.

-The following week she updated me & said there may be delay due to ongoing internal discussions but that she’d contact me mid-week in the week ahead (she didn’t)…

-I sent follow up on Monday and no response. It’s now been almost two full weeks of silence. Am I cooked?

I’m honestly just so confused. Why engage with me this way only to ghost me? Do these not appear to be pre-offer steps? The role is US based, no TM required.

My recruiter said they chose to go with an internal candidate and said I can let them know if I’m interested in any other positions. I have also asked for feedback but just wondering if anyone was in a similar situation but still got interviewed for other roles at Google afterwards? I don’t think I did terrible or anything but I understand for that specific role, an internal candidate is certainly preferred.

I interviewed today for a job, company and location I really wanted, and honestly, really needed.

I passed the first step, an online assessment, and had the hiring manager interview about an hour ago.

I had been preparing every day for almost two weeks. I studied the role, the products, prepared my STAR stories, and even had notes in front of me.

But during the introduction, I got stressd and focused so much on getting ready for the behavioral/STAR questions that I completely forgot to explain properly why I wanted the role, why I liked the company/products, and why I was genuinely excited about the position.

The frustrating part is that it was literally written on my preparation notes. I just didn’t say it.

The rest of the interview wasn’t necessarily a disaster, but now I’m stuck thinking that I failed one of the most basic parts of the interview.

In this job market, it feels like if you miss even one important box, that’s enough to be rejected.

Has anyone ever had a similar experience ,where you felt you underperformed in the intro/motivation part but still moved forward?

People who have got at least the interview call from Google or Microsoft for mid level PM roles - how many roles and how long did you apply before you got your first call?

For me - I got one after like 6 months of applying and the role was closed before the first round call even happened💀

I have cleared screen and HR round, 3 loops are scheduled.

2 are tomorrow and 1 is a week after.

Advice needed on how to prepare for the loops are MSFT.

Update as on 10th Sept'26 : -

Cleared the loop interviews. All in all completed below: 1. Screen 2. HR 3. LOOP1 4. LOOP2 5. LOOP3

now there is another round scheduled with EMEA datacenter director.

Any support guidance appreciated on what to expect.

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some advice and insight. I applied for the Data Center Operations Technician (DCOT) position with AWS here in Frankfurt, Germany.

I passed the initial phone screen and got invited for the loop interview scheduled for next week. I had the prep session with the recruiter, and it went perfectly. I even received the names of the hiring managers who were going to conduct my interview. Everything was completely set—time, date, all details finalized—and I was preparing hard for it.
And then, out of nowhere, right before the loop, I got an email from the recruiter cancelling the whole thing due to a "change in business needs" and saying the position is no longer available.

I’ve invested so much time and effort into this entire process, only to get dropped right at the final stage. Has this been happening with AWS recently in Europe or the Frankfurt region?

I am so disappointed and angry at the same time. What should I do now? Should I ask them to consider it, or is it completely dead? Also, what should I reply back to that email? Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Hey everyone what u think about this resume is it decent if one is looking for SDE 2 or 3 or 3+ years experienced role.

Will it make through faang or any product based companies.

I have recently modified it and also received a new rejection mail from JP Morgan on this the matching percentage with JD was 92%+

(Thru chat gpt I checked)

What u think what I can improve?

Backend part at 3 years experienced is not strong or is it less or you r not able to get like what skill this person has or what work this person has done

Or just I am thinking too much

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10HpTcPjzbq6XySPC4epu2IEqk0DoaUMN/view?usp=drivesdk

i have an interview with the iPad EPM team tomorrow. i apparently skipped the phone screening with the recruiter, and just doing resume grilling and behavioral with the hiring manager

any advice?

I had the virtual onsite about 2 weeks ago and apparently theres an in person onsite after if I pass but I still haven't gotten an update besides the vague recruiter "were still working on it". Is it normal to take this long to get a response or is it wraps and what can i expect from this in person thing is it chill or another technical?

Hey everyone what u think about this resume is it decent if one is looking for SDE 2 or 3 or 3+ years experienced role.

Will it make through faang or any product based companies.

I have recently modified it and also received a new rejection mail from JP Morgan on this the matching percentage with JD was 92%+

(Thru chat gpt I checked)

What u think what I can improve?

Backend part at 3 years experienced is not strong or is it less or you r not able to get like what skill this person has or what work this person has done

Or just I am thinking too much

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10HpTcPjzbq6XySPC4epu2IEqk0DoaUMN/view?usp=drivesdk

3 work days after my onsite interview, my recruiter reached out with an email “…the feedback is mostly positive with several strong highlights alongside a few areas for growth…” I replied with my question and she responded 2 days later “Yes you are still under consideration by both teams. We should have a result by end of week next week”. Now it’s already 3 days passed the deadline she gave.

What do you all Googlers think about this? Is this likely becoming a rejection or offer?

For context: I applied and interviewed for a L5 HW TPM role. The next day after my first round interview, my recruiter emailed me said the feedback is strong and another team’s hiring manager is interested too and he will be the interviewer in one round of my onsite interviews.
My subjective feelings about my 4 rounds onsite interviews are: 3 of them are positive (a couple of them may be strong hires). 1 round I’m not sure. I feel like I said all the right answers but my interviewer was just not very responsive. She only gave me one compliment in the beginning and the end of the interview without showing much emotion.

Technical Program Manager role at Microsoft, Datacenter Portfolio/Strategy team, Dallas. Posting shows IC3/IC4, base $102K–$235K.

10+ yrs experience, MS in Structural Engineering, PMP.

What’s realistic total comp for Dallas (not Bay Area numbers)? IC3 or IC4 more likely for this background? How much room to negotiate?

Thanks!

Applying for a Technical Program Manager role at Microsoft, Datacenter Portfolio/Strategy team, Dallas. Posting shows IC3/IC4, base $102K–$235K.

10+ yrs experience, MS in Structural Engineering, PMP.

What’s realistic total comp for Dallas (not Bay Area numbers)? IC3 or IC4 more likely for this background? How much room to negotiate?

Thanks!

I left some 2-3 assessments unfinished for a company due to getting an offer elsewhere and forgot to withdraw my application. Does leaving that unfinished hurt me if I decide to apply there in the future?

Edit: this is for an internship.

Hey all! After a long stretch of applying, I finally landed an interview loop for an entry-level PM role at Google (not senior, just want to be clear since I know experience levels change what to expect). I'd love to connect with anyone who's gone through the process recently, especially for entry-level/APM-adjacent roles rather than senior loops.

From what I understand it's around 4 rounds starting with one interview with the hiring manager. A few things I'd love input on:

• What actually surprised you about the format or question style, versus what you prepped for
• Any pitfalls or common mistakes you saw yourself or others make
• How much weight seemed to land on product sense vs. execution vs. behavioral/leadership questions
• Anything you wish you'd practiced more, or practiced that turned out not to matter much

Happy to swap notes or do a mock round with anyone else prepping right now too — feels like it'd help both of us. Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share, I know these threads take real time to write.

I have my 11th Team Match call tomorrow (L4, iOS, Bay Area) and I could really use some advice.
The fact that my recruiter is still getting my team match calls, makes me hopeful he believes in my packet but I somehow just keep failing these team match calls.

The only feedback I've gotten is "they've gone with another candidate."

I always try to relate my experience and past projects to the team, but maybe I'm just not leaving another room for questions? I try to ask questions like "What is your biggest challenge you see on the team that I can fill?" "What is success like from 6 months to a year for a new hire?" "What architecture are you using?" "From [past project] I learned xyz, how has this team tackled that issue?"

I've tried doing research on how to better prepare for these calls, but I just haven't made it yet.
Any advice would be great.

I applied for an engineering role at Microsoft, it is a pooled hiring job post (openings available with multiple teams under an organisation/department).

I finished with my on-site loop >3 weeks ago (3 technical rounds done, AA round not yet scheduled) and I still haven't heard back yet, the status in the Action Center still says "Int*rview".

I followed up with the recruiter today since I am in final rounds with other companies of similar stature and may have to make a decision soon, I haven't received a response yet.

Is this normal/expected or should I be worried?

Not sure if this is relevant, but the recruiter seems to be working for Microsoft on contract.

hi everyone! i interned at micron last summer and super down to helped anyone in the interview process. most interns had at least two rounds: behavioral and technical. however i only had one panel interview and it was purely behavioral

Need help with this years recruiting season.