Success Story: How Shane Gallagher landed a role at Amazon

Welcome to Formation’s Fellow Spotlight, a blog series introducing you to former Formation Fellows who landed their dream jobs. Today, we’ll meet Shane Gallagher, now a Software Engineer at Amazon. 

Can you introduce yourself and share a bit about your background?

Sure! My name is Shane Gallagher, and I'm currently based in Washington, D.C., working at Amazon's HQ2. I started my career in finance after completing a master's degree in 2011, right in the middle of a tough job market. I landed a finance job at Fannie Mae, but I discovered my passion for programming through a class on programming for financial professionals. That class sparked an interest that eventually led me to switch careers. I spent about seven years in finance, but I always worked on programming projects as a hobby, especially with Raspberry Pi. 

Eventually, I took some computer science classes at Oregon State and transitioned into software engineering, working at a startup before joining Formation.

What made you decide to join Formation?

I had been working as a software engineer at a startup in Atlanta for four years and learned a lot, but I wanted to work at a more established company with structured engineering practices. I had been studying system design and whiteboarding exercises on my own but felt like I wasn’t making the progress I wanted. Formation stood out because of its structured approach, and I really liked the recruiter and the overall program structure.

What were your goals when joining Formation?

My biggest goal was to improve my system design skills. I knew I needed to strengthen that area for interviews, and Formation provided a structured format that helped me understand it in a way I wouldn't have on my own. I also wanted to sharpen my whiteboarding skills, and while I expected to finish that section quickly, it ended up taking longer than I anticipated. The structured progression of the program was incredibly valuable in helping me reach my goals.

How did Formation impact your technical skills and interview abilities?

I like to think of technical skills in two categories: skills that help you get a job and skills that help you keep a job. Formation had a huge impact on the first category—whiteboarding, system design, and interview prep. I don't think I would have landed my Amazon role at the L5/SD2 level without it.

Beyond technical skills, Formation helped me break down problems, communicate effectively, and structure my responses. This was especially important in system design interviews, where I could tell interviewers were giving me positive signals because I was following a structured approach. That was a game-changer.

Did Formation help with behavioral interviews?

Absolutely. I initially thought I would do well in behavioral interviews, but working through them with different mentors taught me a lot. Amazon, in particular, places a heavy emphasis on behavioral questions, and Formation helped me prepare structured, concise responses using the STAR format. Without that preparation, I don’t think I would have passed.

If you had to sum up your biggest takeaway from Formation, what would it be?

The biggest takeaway is that all of this stuff is learnable. Career transitions are tough, and learning new skills can be uncomfortable, but just because you didn’t come from a top-tier CS program or didn’t land a FAANG job straight out of college doesn’t mean you can’t get there. Formation provided the structure and accountability I needed to succeed.

What was the most surprising thing about Formation?

I was surprised by the range of skill levels among the fellows. Some struggled, while others seemed light-years ahead of me. I was also surprised by how much material there was to learn, especially in algorithms. I spent four to five months working on it for 10–20 hours a week, and it was still a lot to cover. The bar for technical interviews is high, and Formation helped me stay disciplined and honest about when I was truly ready.

What advice do you have for someone considering Formation?

Just do it. If you want to level up your career and need more discipline or guidance, Formation is worth it. It has easily paid for itself many times over.

One tip: take advantage of office hours and small-group mentor sessions. The smaller the session, the more you can engage and get personalized feedback. Those were the most valuable for me.

Any final thoughts?

It was a great experience, and I have no regrets. If you’re serious about getting into a strong engineering role, Formation is a fantastic way to get there.

Get holistic interview prep with Formation

The Formation Fellowship gives mid-level and senior engineering job seekers everything they need to land their dream roles—including personalized skill brush-ups, resume help, unlimited mock interviews with experienced software engineers and hiring managers from top-tier tech companies, career and negotiation support, and more. 

If you’re having trouble navigating your job search on your own, apply here and get unconditional support from a team of engineering mentors, technical recruiters, career coaches, and more.