Amazon employee reveals she impressed Jeff Bezos by answering 2 questions, landed job on the spot

By Ankita ChakravartiWorking for big tech companies like Amazon, Google and others is a dream a lot of people have. However, getting into those is not an easy task. Ann Hiatt, who had no degree in computer science or experience working for a CEO, submitted her application to become a junior assistant at Amazon. Despite not having any relevant degree or experience, Hiatt was called in for an interview.

After qualifying for all the rounds, Hiatt had her final interview with Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, who promised to ask only two questions. Bezos told her that he will only ask her two questions. “I took a deep breath as he stood up and uncapped a pen at the whiteboard wall. ‘I’ll do the math. I want you to estimate the number of panes of glass in the city of Seattle’,” Hiatt told CNBC.

The first question was a brainteaser that required Hiatt to estimate the number of panes of glass in the city of Seattle. Hiatt initially felt terrified, but she quickly outlined how she would approach the question, starting with the number of people in Seattle and working her way up to estimating the number of windows each person might have.

Bezos and Hiatt spent about 10 minutes on the question, but to Hiatt, it felt like hours as Bezos filled the whiteboard with numbers. In the end, Bezos circled the final estimate and declared that it looked about right.

The second question Bezos asked was about Hiatt’s career goals. Hiatt shared that she had no idea what it is like to be an assistant, but she knew the importance of being outside of her comfort zone. “I wanted to jump into an astronomical learning and growth curve,” she told CNBC. “I told him that Amazon had proven to be a company full of ambitious and passionate people. I wanted to be like them and learn what they knew.”

Bezos was impressed with Hiatt’s responses and hired her on the spot, giving her an open desk just three feet away from his own. It was the closest desk to him at the company.

For Hiatt, this was a dream come true. She felt grateful for the opportunity to work with such an accomplished leader and to learn from the best. Over time, Hiatt proved to be an excellent assistant, handling everything from Bezos’s schedule to his emails and ensuring that everything ran smoothly.