Daiki Shibata
Amazon, AWS and Microsoft interview preparation
Drawing on hiring and practical experience at Amazon, we examine the decisions you made, the responsibilities you held and the results you achieved.
GCAP Amazon
Application and interview preparation for Amazon
Turn your experience into impact at Amazon.
Connect your experience with Amazon’s assessment criteria: what you considered, why you made each decision and how you achieved results. Coaches with first-hand knowledge and GCAP’s structured approach help you build clear answers that demonstrate your ability to perform after joining.
Discuss your preparationAssess your readiness and priorities before applying or interviewing.
YOUR COACHING TEAM
Work with experts who know Amazon and AWS.
Meet some of our Amazon interview coaches
Yangjie Wu
Interview preparation for data/technical fields
Drawing on the coach’s data and technology experience at Amazon, refine how you connect your decisions with business value.
Ryutaro Yamada
Google and AWS interview preparation
Drawing on practical experience at AWS and Google Cloud, we help you explain your contribution to customers and the business.
These are some of our coaches. We bring together a wider range of expertise to suit your target company, role and preparation needs.
THE STANDARD / OLP
Show what you did, how you decided and why it mattered.
Amazon’s guiding principles:
Our Leadership Principles (OLP).
During the interview, you will be asked how you have demonstrated behavior consistent with these guidelines through your past jobs. Just knowing the principles does not tell you where to convey your own experience.
GCAP compares job-specific expectations with the person's experience and selects the evidence needed for the answer. First, we complete the answers to the main questions, and then prepare for deeper dives that ask reasons, numbers, and alternatives.
FROM PRINCIPLES TO YOUR EXPERIENCE
Explore examples of OLP.
See how to communicate your experience.
The following four are representative examples of OLP. Know the behavior that the principle means, find the basis from your own experience, and formulate it into a form that can be conveyed as an answer. In the table, “things to confirm from experience” and “things to prepare with GCAP” are matched to help you visualize actual preparation.
01
Customer Obsession
Use the customer’s needs as the starting point for decisions.
What to confirm from experience
What impact did it have on whom and what were the priorities?
What to prepare with GCAP
Separate the customer's voice from the facts, and go back to your experience and organize the reasons why you chose your proposal.
02
Ownership
Go beyond your own responsibilities and take responsibility for results.
What to confirm from experience
What responsibility did you take on, and how far did you follow it through?
What to prepare with GCAP
From among the team's achievements, clarify what you decided, what you did, and what structure you left behind.
03
Dive Deep
Verify the facts, down to the details and evidence.
What to confirm from experience
A breakdown of the numbers, an estimate of the cause, and information that supported the decision.
What to prepare with GCAP
Ask additional questions about the assumptions and alternatives for the aggregation so that you can explain the basis for your conclusions.
04
Deliver Results
Focus on and deliver on important results.
What to confirm from experience
How did you overcome the constraints, what changed, and how did you confirm it?
What to prepare with GCAP
Divide into goals and results, the person's contribution, remaining issues, and even describe the reproducibility in the next job.
THE STRUCTURE / STARStructure your answer.
Structure your answer.
Make the evidence clear.
Situation, Task, Action, Result.We will use the STAR method to assemble the entire project, and make sure that the judgment and contributions of the person who is familiar with OLP are not hidden. GCAP combines structured instruction with practice for follow-up questions.
Read the concept of OLP and evaluation in the explanation of GCIA CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR EXPERIENCE
Go deeper than your first answer.
What we introduce here is behavioral interviewing.Preparation for in-depth follow-up questions after giving the initial answerIt is. Rather than changing past judgments themselves, we improve the accuracy of communicating the person's responsibility, reasons for judgment, actions, and reproducibility in line with the facts.
- 01Read sample questions
- 02get the first answer
- 03Select additional questions
- 04See example responses that include the rationale
Examples of preparation/behavioral interview
Experience in business planning/program work
Example questions from the interviewer
“Tell me about your experience working with departments with different interests to improve customer impact.”
Candidate's first answer example (Summary)
"We have unified the criteria for sales and logistics decisions regarding shipping delays during busy periods. We tested the operation on a group of products where delays occur most often, and made improvements in terms of both customer support and the burden on the field."
The outline of the initiative has been communicated. From here, check your own judgment and actions with additional questions.
Additional questions from the interviewer / responsibility
「What was the problem you needed to change?」
This is the scene where you explain the facts and reasons for your decision, which were omitted in your first answer.
Coach's Perspective / What to find out with this additional question
Determine the size of the problem and the person's responsibility. It embodies the challenges you have undertaken, which cannot be seen just by your title or the team's achievements.
Practice with GCAP
Check the scope of responsibility of the job you are applying for and explain who your role was in solving which problems and to what extent.
Choose your experiences. Examine the evidence.
Practise with different questions.
We extend this process across several experiences, identify actions that demonstrate OLP, and structure answers using STAR. Follow-up questions, revisions and mock interviews help you explain how your strengths and contributions could transfer to work at Amazon.
YOUR PROGRAM
Deeper preparation. Stronger responses.
8
An example of preparation, stage by stage
Standard course · 60 minutes per session
Prepare examples from several experiences, respond to probing questions, revise your answers and practise again. This sample 8-session curriculum provides time for that process. We adjust the focus to your target role, preparation needs and interview schedule.
A separate appointment after contracting and before regular sessions beginPreliminary mock interview and detailed analysis
We use your responses to identify preparation needs and create a report. The preliminary mock interview is separate from the regular course and is not counted as a regular session.
- Session 1
Choose relevant experiences using OLP and your readiness analysis.
Review the detailed analysis report and choose the experiences to prioritize against OLP and the responsibilities of your target role. You will also begin practising the key tasks.
Identify the gaps in each assessment area and decide what to prepare first.
- Sessions 2–3
Use STAR to make your responsibilities and actions clear.
Organize your experiences such as achievements, failures, and conflicts using the STAR method. Check the connection with Ownership and Customer Obsession, and separate the results of the entire team from the individual's contribution.
Build several answers that demonstrate OLP through specific actions.
- Sessions 4–5
Examine the evidence behind your answers to prepare for Dive Deep.
We ask follow-up questions about the numbers, alternatives you did not choose, differing views and lessons learned. Rather than simply naming an OLP, revise your explanation to connect the reasons behind your decisions with the actions you took.
Refine your concise main answer and your responses to probing questions.
- Sessions 6–7
Practise applying your experience in an interview.
Respond to questions addressing different OLPs while maintaining the STAR structure. For each question, review your choice of experience, time allocation and explanation in the interview language, then practise again.
Check that your answers are consistent across different questions.
- Session 8
Address remaining weaknesses before the real interview.
Use the final rehearsal to identify answers that need clearer explanations and prepare your reasons for applying and questions for the interviewer. We refine last-minute practice around your interview schedule and remaining preparation needs.
Prepare a final set of priorities you can review independently before the interview.
PEOPLE & PRACTICE
Turn knowledge into your own preparation.
Use the videos to understand the assessment approach, then apply it to your experience through individual coaching. We bring together expertise in business and hiring, career strategy and English communication to address your preparation needs.
- Company/Recruitment
- Select experiences relevant to your target role and connect them with the assessment criteria.
- Career strategy
- Develop the strengths of your experience and consistency for your next role.
- practice in english
- Develop your communication skills, from designing content to responding to additional questions.
PROGRAM & FEE
Choose your course and depth of preparation.
Increase your experience and questions, correct the issues you see in practice, and try again. By increasing the number of sessions, you can prepare more and have more opportunities to see improvements.
Standard courses offer 4, 6, 8 or 10 sessions. Each session lasts 60 minutes. Choose a course to suit your preparation needs and goals. We also offer intensive preparation when interviews are approaching, and focused sessions to address specific challenges.
Select a session count to view an example curriculum.
CURRICULUM EXAMPLE / 8 SESSIONS
Repeated analysis, practice, and correction
We will prepare the experience according to OLP, dig deeper with Dive Deep in mind, and repeat revisions and re-practices through mock interviews.
What we aim to achieve in this course
By using your experience in line with OLP throughout the interview, you will be able to answer with a consistent basis even when the questions include numbers, alternative ideas, and learning.
- Session 1
Choose your focus from OLP and analysis
Read the detailed analysis report and prioritize experience and practice assignments based on Our Leadership Principles (OLP) and the responsibilities of the job you are applying for.
- Sessions 2–3
Communicate your responsibilities and actions with STAR
Organize experiences of achievements, failures, and conflicts into Situation, Task, Action, and Result, and clarify the basis for actions that lead to Ownership and Customer Obsession.
- Sessions 4–5
Prepare for Dive Deep by strengthening the evidence behind your explanations
Check the breakdown of numbers, options not selected, opposing opinions, and learning from failures with additional questions. We will separate the main answer and the deeper response, and flesh out the answer by simply naming the OLP.
- Sessions 6–7
Change the OLP questions and get through the whole interview
Continuing to ask questions related to multiple OLPs, we will check how to use your experience and how to allocate your time. Keeping the structure of STAR, we will revise and re-practice according to the interview language.
- Session 8
Convey your contribution to Amazon in the interview
We review your experience against OLP, your contribution to the target role, your reasons for applying and your questions for the interviewer. Practice before the real interview helps identify any remaining issues.
This is an example curriculum. Your current preparation, target company and role, and time before selection determine how we tailor the content and allocation of sessions.
The course usually includes an analysis report.
For company-specific measures, we conduct mock interviews in advance after signing a contract and before the start of the session. Preliminary mock interviews are not included in the number of sessions.
For people with an interview approaching
Intensive preparation course
4 sessions × 105 minutes
448,900 JPY
For people who want to work on specific issues through practice
Focused sessions
60 minutes per session; reports are not included.
- 1 session
- JPY 64,500
- 2 sessions
- JPY 121,100
- 3 sessions
- JPY 175,300
CHOOSING YOUR COURSE
Find the right course through a conversation.
We work with you to plan your preparation, budget and schedule. You can start with a shorter course and extend your support as you progress.
Start with a focused session or a 4-session course
You can start with a focused session or a 4-session course. If you wish to continue, you can upgrade by paying the difference.
If the situation changes, you can cancel the contract midway.
If the selection results or circumstances change, you can cancel your contract midway. Detailed terms and conditions, including payment upon cancellation, will be provided to you before you apply.
Prepare for multiple employers
You can prepare for multiple employers and roles, including Amazon and Google. We tailor the curriculum around shared preparation and the requirements of each application.
In a free consultation, we explain each course’s support, scope and application conditions.
Payment is generally made in one instalment. Courses of 8 or more sessions can be paid in up to 2 instalments.
QUESTIONS
Preparing for Amazon: your questions
QHow many examples from my experience should I prepare for OLP?
As a guide, prepare 10 to 20 responses, with at least one and preferably two examples for each OLP important to your target role. You do not need a separate experience for every response. A core experience may demonstrate several OLPs, with the focus adjusted to the question. At GCAP, we map your experience to the OLPs, identify gaps and backup examples, then practise STAR answers and responses to probing questions. The number of examples and preparation priorities depend on the role, level and selection process.
QI haven’t applied yet. When can I start preparing with you?
You can consult with us before applying. Compare your desired job and responsibilities with your experience, and organize the achievements you want to include in your application documents, the experience you will convey in your interview, and the order of preparation. If you want to think broadly about where to apply, we can also guide you to PIVOT.
QWill you help me develop answers that demonstrate the Leadership Principles?
Based on the behavioral guidelines, select experience related to the job for which you are applying, and specify your responsibilities, judgments, actions, and results. In addition to naming guidelines, practice responding when asked for reasons and alternatives. I will not add achievements that are not included in my experience.
QHow do I choose between 8, 4, 6 and 10 sessions?
Base your choice on the scope of preparation, your interview schedule and the time you can devote to preparation. We recommend 8 sessions as the standard, allowing you to practise and refine answers across several experiences and questions. Choose 4 or 6 sessions for a more focused scope, or 10 sessions for additional practice.
QDo you also support interviews in English?
We are compatible. Students will practice communicating their experiences and ideas in response to questions by organizing what they will convey, asking and answering questions, and rehearsing. We will inform you about the person in charge and how to proceed according to the job you are applying for, language used, and assignment.
QI have an interview coming up. Can I consult with you?
Tell us your interview schedule and how far you have prepared. Alongside the standard course, we offer a 4-session intensive course and focused support of 1-3 sessions. We will confirm the available scope and schedule, then recommend an approach.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Build your Amazon preparation on real experience.
Easily check your readiness level based on the job you applied for and your current readiness status. We will guide you on the tasks to prioritize and the courses that suit you.
Discuss your preparationYou do not need to choose a course before speaking with us.