When preparing for an interview, there's a lot to keep in mind. But if you're going to remember to do anything, Miriam Park, director of Amazon's university recruiting, tells CNBC Make It that it should be this: "Be your authentic self."
The head recruiter, who has worked at the retail giant for almost six years, says that companies are truly interested in learning about their prospective employees.
Employers want to know "how you have owned a role and moved the needle forward, demonstrated curiosity and where you have solved a problem," says Park.
More importantly, applicants should express who they are rather than who they think the company wants them to be. "Be you," she says.
Park points to Amazon, which has recently been on a hiring spree. The company's intent when interviewing is to make sure that the candidate aligns well with the company culture. This, she says, leads to more "fulfilling work."
The university recruiter says that Amazon's recruiting staff "lives and breathes by our leadership principles." When interviewing candidates, they look for applicants who align with company-wide beliefs, which include: customer obsession, ownership, curiosity and thinking big.
"We have phenomenal thought leaders and we have built a brand that's amazing," says Park, "It's a very dynamic environment because we are growing at a fast rate."
Just last year, Amazon hired 110,000 employees and plans to grow its full-time U.S.-based workforce to over 280,000 in the next 18 months.
To find candidates who can help the company grow, Park says interviewers must get to know candidates authentically during the interview process.
Candidates go through an online assessment and a phone screening before their first in-person meeting. Interview questions can run the gamut, she says, from behavioral and situational to technical and functional questions.
"We focus on hard and soft skills to learn about candidates and how they operate in different situations," says the recruiter.
The retail giant receives a for each role because the company "keeps millennials' voracious appetite satisfied," says Park.
Another suggestion for young professionals seeking a job: "Don't be nervous. Focus on what your strengths are, your accomplishments and a demonstration of deep curiosity."
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