I'm graduating in a few months and I just got offered to interview for a senior position as a Software Engineer with Amazon (?!?!?)

Submitted by twovests in programming (edited )

So, I received an email. I won't paste the full text, but here is what I got out of it:

Our team came across your profile and wanted to see if you are interested in pursuing Senior positions with our team in Seattle. We're looking for engineers to work in [various areas that I have only a high level grasp of.]

Here's what adds to the legitimacy of it:

  • There are some English flaws in the email, which is a red flag, but checking everything for spoofing, it seems legit.

  • I'm Good At Software Engineering; I think I am at least above average for my peers.

  • I have a lot to show for myself, and can sell myself well, so it's not unreasonable they think I'm Super Good At Software Engineering

  • edit: Even given all this, I am by no means super remarkable. I have a high GPA and a few mildly interesting projects, and that's it

But:

  • Even if I was a prodigy, surely I'm not fit for a senior position, right? I've had only two internships

  • And even if I had great software engineering skills, these are in areas that I never worked in, and I doubt other undergrads get much experience in.

  • And I already accepted an offer elsewhere

What do? What does this mean for me? Has anybody else had an experience like this?

EDIT: Update:

I said "That sounds cool but I accepted a position somewhere else, maybe some other time" (paraphrasing.) I didn't mention that I'm just an undergrad because it seems like I'd be downplaying mysefl and I am told to Not Do That.

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Comments

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neku wrote

working at amazon sounds extremely stressful but it would be like a good thing to have on your resume, i feel, as someone who doesnt know a fucking thing

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devtesla wrote

What address did the email come from? I'd exspect the address would just be straight up amazon.com if it was legit.

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hollyhoppet wrote

A lot of recruiters will take a shotgun approach to finding employees so they might not have actually read your profile that closely.

That being said you can ask them with fairly little risk if they actually mean to hire someone fresh out of college for a senior position.

You may want to uh not work for Amazon though if you value not getting an ulcer from how stressful that place can be.

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emma wrote

Replying to hollyhoppet (#2,563)

A lot of recruiters will take a shotgun approach to finding employees so they might not have actually read your profile that closely.

This. I had a recruiter from Google pester me before I was even out of high school. They'd found me through my GitHub profile which had a bunch of terrible projects that just screamed 'novice programmer'--no way I'd actually belong there.

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twovests OP wrote

Replying to hollyhoppet (#2,563)

Ooh this makes the most sense.

I ended up emailing them back before I saw your reply. I said "thanks but i got a job sorry", I'm wondering if I should have said "also i am basically a babby programmer"

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RoundSparrow wrote (edited )

Interview isn't a job. This sort of thing isn't uncommon in tech industry.

Did they not give you a name and phone number you can check on an Amazon directory of employees?

Developers at all levels have to not fall for a phishing attack: verification of contact isn't a bad thing, and actually shows a level of consciousness in the role all employees play in security.

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