What advice can you give to prospective military/veteran candidates?

When you are weighing Amazon against other prospective employers, make sure that you take all factors into account. On paper, several offers may look similar, however in most cases Amazon will win when compared according to growth potential, revenue growth (40% year over year!) and the amazing leadership opportunity that we have here.

What competencies did you acquire in the military that you use with Amazon?

Absolutely the top strength that was grown in the service is the ability to lead large teams in an extremely dynamic and fast paced environment. Everything else is based on your ability to quickly learn the business and harness this knowledge to deliver results – these skills were also built in the service.

What could a typical day look like for you?

In my current role, the day starts with reviewing the recap from the night shifts to determine what challenges were faced. The rest of the day is divided between process improvement projects in the department, engaging with associates and managers on the floor, and trying to determine root cause for various safety, quality, and productivity challenges in order to develop solutions.

What makes you 100% peculiar?

Definitely taking credit for (i.e., brag about) the impressive things we do in a way that is subtle and sophisticated. We all love being a part of high performing teams, and are not afraid to talk about it!

What challenges you the most about your role at Amazon?

The blistering pace of change is the most challenging. There is never an opportunity (nor would we do it if we had one) to rest on your laurels or previous accomplishments – there is a consistent and fierce drive for continuous improvement, and delivering results for our shareholders and our customers. This pace initially took some time to become accustomed to – now it’s addicting!

What has surprised you the most about working at Amazon?

How much I enjoy it! After leaving my tank unit, I was really concerned that any other profession would seem completely benign and boring. The complete opposite is true here at Amazon. The daily challenges and the great pace of the business contribute to make this a great environment to work.

What do you like best about working at Amazon?

I enjoy the feeling that I can positively influence, effect, and improve such a large scale of associates/customers/processes. The scale of what we do here is often mind-boggling, and when I try to explain my job to someone that doesn’t work here – this is often the component that they have the most trouble relating with. Two Christmases ago I directly lead a team of 200+ associates, last Christmas I managed a department that had 550+ associates on our top shipping day. Amazing!

Amazon is an Equal Opportunity Employer.