Amazon Discover: Spring Insight Participant Review

I was given informative talks about the culture and interview process at Amazon. I was also given the opportunity to take part in workshops that focused on coding exercises. Each day there a panel that featured real professionals at Amazon who gave their insights and advice towards any of the questions requested. These panels included: professional developers, interviewers and members of the Amazon Affinity groups. I most enjoyed hearing about the different experiences the panellists had and their dedication towards the company's principles.

I developed key insights into the recruitment process and learnt about what makes a successful applicant. I covered the STAR technique and learnt about the, 'say what you think' mindset you will need going into interviews. The, 'bible' that was introduced were Amazon's leadership principles. These were the particular behaviours and responsibilities of a successful Amazon employee. One that was particularly significant was customer obsession. This is starting with the customers and working backwards when making business decisions.

It made me feel more confident about applying. The fact that there is a lot of flexibility behind roles and that your specific role affects many others was something that I believe would be fulfilling in a fulltime role. It also made me appreciate what goes into many of the services delivered by Amazon such as the Prime, Alexa and IMDB. It is really satisfying to see a company lay out their principles so clearly and tangibly.

I found the culture to be extremely inclusive. Amazon hosts many events formed from the Amazon Affinity Groups. These groups seem to allow current employees to express themselves and be honest with their emotions and mental health. This inclusive culture particularly appeals to me, as a minority myself, I believe the culture adopted at Amazon is one that forward thinking and empathetic towards its workers. I also really liked how failure is something that is not criticized but in fact embraced.

I really enjoyed the insight. The company sells itself as a team-driven environment and that is something I would really appreciate. Most of the exercises and quizzes were enjoyable and not treated as an assessment but rather an exploration which is another aspect I liked. The fact that we were given mentors was another thing I found super helpful. We were given the opportunity to go on call with a real professional working at the company and take in all their advice.

Yes

I would just say to be yourself and familiarise yourself with the Amazon Leadership Principles. You perform best while you are being true and honest with yourself and I believe that plays a huge factor in your success. A piece of advice I received from one of the panel members was prioritisation. This is something I have to keep reminding myself as it contributes unbelievably to your productivity, efficiency, and capacity to handle large workloads.