Amazon is one of the world’s largest and most powerful corporations, and it takes a lot of people to keep the e-commerce behemoth expanding, evolving, and prospering.
Amazon now employs 1.3 million people globally, with 950,000 of them based in the United States. Surprisingly, this means that the corporation employs one out of every 153 people in the country.
The firm, which was created in 1994, has continued its apparently unstoppable rise with the COVID-19 epidemic. It has raked in more than $221 billion in revenues so far in 2021.
So, in a sea of millions, how can one stand out? Check out our suggestions for getting noticed by Amazon and surviving the company’s arduous employment procedure.
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What are the requirements for applying for a job at Amazon?
Every day, thousands of candidates from all around the world click the ‘apply now’ button on Amazon’s website. As a result, the team will not be able to respond to every candidate, and you should only expect to hear from the firm if it wishes to proceed with your application.
Michelle Jackson, Senior Client Lead Recruiter, Global Specialty Fulfillment, says Amazon obsesses over its candidates just as much as it obsesses over its customers, despite the amount of applications it receives.
Although the Amazon recruiting process may appear daunting, there are measures you can take to position yourself as the ideal candidate, as well as two crucial items you must have: a short CV and references.
Amazon doesn’t require resumes for all positions, and it doesn’t even require cover letters – however the higher you aim, the more you’ll want your CV to shine. Great references, according to the firm, are most vital.
Look for a job that is a good fit for you:
This may seem self-evident, but with over 30,000 job openings at the organisation, it pays to go deeper than the job titles to uncover opportunities that are a good fit for your skill set and beliefs.
According to Beau Higgins, Senior Program Manager, Military Affairs, candidates should “take time finding out what you want to do, not simply what you believe you should do,” rather of being influenced purely by prior jobs.
All of Amazon’s job descriptions contain basic and recommended talents, so choose one that appeals to you and corresponds with your qualifications, then customise your resume to that description, highlighting all of the basic skills in detail and adding as many of the preferred skills as possible.
You shouldn’t shut yourself out based on a job title, says Rasheeda Liberty, Senior Recruitment Manager, Finance and Global Business Services. “Pay attention to your transferrable skills. Amazon, as a larger corporation, does not always mirror the industry. “We may scale differently than where you’ve previously worked,” she explains.
According to Liberty, if you were previously a vice president at a company with 50,000 workers, you could be a good fit for a senior management position at Amazon because your responsibilities would be much broader.
How to get a foot in the door:
Once you’ve found the perfect job for you, check to see whether your storey aligns with Amazon’s narrative and ambitions.
According to Cody Nelson, Senior Manager of Recruiting, Worldwide Operations, it’s critical to utilise statistics to communicate your narrative and present a measurable picture of what you’ve done.
“It’s difficult to convey the qualitative influence you had in your prior work on a résumé,” Nelson adds, “but math and statistics are a universal language.” “On your CV, things like cost savings, process improvement, time savings, and other data points are displayed simply and concisely.”
Because Amazon receives a large number of applications, it’s vital to demonstrate your unique value in your CV and make it apparent who you are and what you have to offer.
Dia Harris, Senior Diversity Recruiting Program Manager, Student Programs, says, “When I see that on a CV, I really want to talk to that individual because I want to hear their storey.” According to Harris, having numerous resumes that speak to different skill sets you want to showcase depending on the job you’re going for is a good idea.
However, regardless of the number of resumes, one continuous rule is to keep them short and brief, and to keep them to one page. Include all of your past experience, talents, and knowledge, as well as the skills listed in the job description — but not much else.
For students and candidates who are just starting out, According to Danielle Deshields, a Student Programs Undergraduate Recruiter, it’s critical to portray a complete image of your professional activity as well as relevant involvement with university clubs or voluntary groups.
What is the hiring process like at Amazon?
In numerous aspects, Amazon’s hiring procedure is exceptional. After you’ve applied, here’s how to acquire a job with Amazon in general:
1. The Waiting Period
All you can do now is wait after submitting an application. You won’t hear back from Amazon if they aren’t interested. If they wish to interview you, they’ll contact you. Logging into your application profile for updates will allow you to monitor the progress of your application.
2. Conduct an interview
If Amazon is interested in speaking with you, they will contact you and arrange a phone interview with an Amazon recruiter. Amazon conducts these interviews using “behavioral-based interviewing,” a technique that elicits how an applicant thinks and acts in settings that are relevant to the job they’re seeking for. The interviewer will inquire about previous obstacles and scenarios you’ve experienced, as well as how you handled them. These questions are unpredictably variable and differ from one candidate to the next.
In practise, this implies that if someone asks you, “Tell me about a time when you took a leadership position,” you should describe the scenario, the job at hand, how you performed it (in this case, by adopting a leadership role), and the outcomes. Amazon suggests that you use that format for all of your responses.
However, the Amazon recruiter does not have to be the only one that asks inquiries. Curiosity is one of Amazon’s 14 Leadership Principles, so come up with questions ahead of time to impress your interviewer. Inquire about projects, initiatives, team culture, and the job’s scope.
3. Work assessments and simulations
If your interview goes well and Amazon decides to hire you, they’ll start assessing your talents and abilities. The types of tests they’ll conduct may vary depending on the position you apply for. Amazon, on the other hand, primarily employs two sorts of evaluations: work style assessments and work sample simulations.
The 14 Leadership Principles and the company’s culture are the subject of work style assessments. Your interviewer will probe you with questions in order to have a deeper understanding of your working style. This will take between 10 and 20 minutes to finish.
You’ll have to execute duties connected to the job you seek for its work sample simulations. This normally takes between 20 to an hour. For example, if you’re applying for a technical position, Amazon may set up a video conference with you and ask you to create or review code or execute another job to demonstrate your ability.
4. Becoming a Team Member
What happens when you’ve completed your assessments? In rare situations, Amazon may fly you in to meet their recruiting staff in person for an in-person interview and the chance to meet your possible coworkers.
Check out Amazon’s organisational chart to discover who you’ll be working with and how reporting structures are aligned if you want to learn more about those teammates.
What skills is Amazon look for in a job candidate?
Depending on the role you’re applying for, the prerequisites for an Amazon employee might differ significantly. Some technological vocations, such as software engineers, will necessitate specialised degrees, but others will have less explicit educational requirements. The job description will provide this information.
However, Amazon places a greater emphasis on character than anything else. Their 14 Leadership Principles are what will genuinely set you out from the crowd. Invent and simplify, study and be interested, insist on the highest standards, dream large, and gain trust are some of these ideas.
Amazon examines every candidate based on those criteria, regardless of the position they’re seeking for. Study them, memorise them, and be prepared to show how you embody them. When you get to the interview stage, think of examples of how you’ve followed those beliefs in the past and present them. If at all feasible, have a previous employer or colleague provide such references.