Amazon

Amazon / AWS has a very clear culture that revolves around customer obsession. Everything we do stems from something a customer wants, and then working backwards to provide a solution.

I really appreciate this, as my previous employer had no culture, no clear vision, and lacked direction.

In addition, Amazon has amazing self-service tools and lots of documentation, so anytime I need to do something, I have all the tools available to get it done without reaching out and waiting for someone else.

Again, compared to my previous employer who had little self-serve and a lot of high-touch processes, this is a welcome change of pace.

And finally, the company seems to care about people. I read a lot of negative comments and articles about Amazon and how they treat their people. That may have been true at one point, but I have not encountered anything negative towards employees since I started; it has been the opposite with many tools and services available to make my life better/easier.

I work for AWS, and for both Amazon and AWS, the biggest downside is the size. I am still relatively new (just over 3 months), and I receive emails daily for invites to discussions and events from people and groups whom I do not recognize. It is difficult to discern which communications are relevant. I work virtually and so far don't really feel like part of the team. I am hoping that changes with time, but that is probably the biggest con.

In addition, because Amazon/AWS operates in so many different areas and is beholden to so many security and compliance obligations, there is a lot of upfront and ongoing training on all the usual topics (security, insider trading, inclusiveness, and so on). It gets to be a lot at times.