Indian UX Designer’s Journey: From Amazon to Google & MAANG Interviews
Ganesh Karthik Sankar, a 29-year-old UX designer based in Seattle, transitioned from a role at Amazon to Google in February 2026, a move he attributes to a deliberate strategy of continuous interviewing and a search for a role aligned with his specific expertise. Sankar’s experience, detailed in a recent Business Insider report, involved interviewing at all five of the major tech companies commonly known as MAANG – Meta, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google – even after accepting a position at Amazon in April 2025.
Sankar joined Amazon as a product designer, initially enthusiastic about the opportunity to work on projects at a larger scale and the accompanying increase in compensation. However, he simultaneously continued interviewing at other tech firms. “I was genuinely excited about the role — especially the opportunity to work on projects at a much larger scale. The compensation was also a significant increase from my previous position,” he told Business Insider. He explained that this ongoing interview process wasn’t necessarily about dissatisfaction with Amazon, but rather a desire to understand industry hiring standards and evaluate his options.
His job search began in late 2024 while working as a senior UX designer at Qualcomm in San Diego. Sankar was seeking opportunities to contribute to projects with broader impact and increased financial reward. To maximize his chances, he strategically focused his resume and portfolio on his specialization in designing complex enterprise software and developer tools. “I targeted only roles that matched this niche, which I believe was the biggest reason I received as many interview callbacks,” he said.
Sankar leveraged both professional referrals and direct outreach to secure interviews. He actively participated in the design community through organizations, events, and alumni networks, including the Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction. Referrals proved successful in landing interviews at Amazon, Google, and Meta. His Amazon interview, for a role in their enterprise customer service division, followed a standard process of online assessment, recruiter conversations, and interviews with hiring managers. A similar referral process led to a UX designer interview at Google, beginning with an online assessment and progressing to discussions with recruiters and portfolio reviews.
While referrals opened doors at several companies, Sankar also pursued opportunities through direct application and outreach. He applied directly to Apple and was contacted by a recruiter, leading to a full interview process. For Netflix, he followed up a LinkedIn application with a direct email to a hiring manager, which he believes helped secure an interview. He noted that contacting hiring managers directly can be effective when focused on roles that align with a candidate’s expertise.
Google’s offer proved the most compelling. Sankar stated that both Amazon and Google demonstrated openness to candidates with relevant, though not identical, experience, a contrast to Apple and Netflix, which appeared to prioritize candidates with highly specific backgrounds. The Google position aligned closely with his domain expertise and offered a significant compensation increase, prompting his decision to leave Amazon.
Sankar emphasized the importance of intentional role targeting over relying solely on referrals, and encouraged job seekers to consider strategic cold outreach. He is now working at Google, having begun his position earlier this month.