Amazon Discover: Spring Insight Participant Review

It was a highly engaging experience in which I got to connect with many like-minded individuals under the tutelage of friendly experts. Our day-to-day activities included various talks from Amazonians across the UK coupled with small-group technical workshops headed by our mentors. It was both technically and creatively challenging; in the end I feel incredibly enriched as a result of the experience. I very much look forward to furthering my career development through many of the resources offered after the insight programme.

I consolidated very key knowledge regarding forms of testing, such as unit testing, end to end tests, etc. I also got to brush up on my data structures and algorithms knowledge as I had to discuss many of these concepts in a group setting. Moreover, I got to touch upon some more niche/advanced areas of programming such as null safety and exception-handling; really just essential tools that lie outside the scope of just writing mere blocks of code.

It offered invaluable insight as to how companies create opportunities for growth and career development, all within one large ecosystem. Amazon also allows for job rotation which in turn can hugely benefit those struggling with burnout at their current location, or those simply looking for a change in environment. I also learn how work is cycled within a particular role, I previously thought once a project was done there wouldn't be much to do, but now I realise that there are many cycles within projects and projects get cycled around.

It surprised how employees that did not know each other or had no connection whatsoever had still been instilled the same set of core values which they all believed in. It really brought into scope the sheer importance of having a well-defined company culture, and beyond that one that is as meaningful as it is inspiring. That was my main takeaway from Amazon's company culture. To the uninitiated, their leadership principles may just seem like some fancy text strung across their website, but it was about so much more than that; Amazon's employees were genuinely inspired by it.

It was highly, highly fun and intriguing. My peers had great, diverse backgrounds, and also had a great sense of humour. Their amiable nature definitely livened the mood and made the experience far more enjoyable. I was reminded of what it's like to have my own set of ideas and allow it to be broken down and expanded by the contributions of my peers. I hope to be able to participate in more events like this.

Yes

To just go for it. Personally, I did not expect to receive an offer to join this insight Programme, especially since the application can initially seem like such a daunting experience. The truth is that you have absolutely nothing to lose. In basketball, we say that 'You miss 100% of the shots you don't take'. Don't be scared to take this once. What if the rewards could be greater than you ever imagined?