"I'm a software engineer at X. Previously at Y, I built Z. I want to work on..."
Strengths & Weaknesses
STAR for strengths; honest + improvement plan for weakness
"I excel at system design. My weakness is public speaking — I joined Toastmasters."
Ambiguity
Clarify → Break down → Iterate
"When requirements are unclear, I ask stakeholders, prototype, and validate."
Conflict resolution
Listen → Understand → Propose solution
"Two devs disagreed on architecture. I facilitated a meeting with data to decide."
Failure / Mistake
Own → Learn → Improve
"I merged untested code. Now I enforce CI checks."
Leadership
Influence without authority
"I mentored 3 juniors and established code review standards."
MAANG Leadership Principles (Amazon LP)
1. Customer Obsession
2. Ownership
3. Invent and Simplify
4. Are Right, A Lot
5. Learn and Be Curious
6. Hire and Develop the Best
7. Insist on the Highest Standards
8. Think Big
9. Bias for Action
10. Frugality
11. Earn Trust
12. Dive Deep
13. Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
14. Deliver Results
15. Strive to be Earth's Best Employer
16. Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility
STAR Method
Situation — Set the context
Task — What needed to be done
Action — What you specifically did
Result — Outcome (quantified if possible)
✏️ Exercise: Prepare STAR stories for: conflict resolution, a time you took initiative, a failure you learned from, and a time you influenced a technical decision. Practice aloud.