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Not a company to work for long term

Software Development Engineer
Current Employee
Has worked at Amazon for 4 years
March 22, 2013
Seattle, Washington
2.0
Doesn't RecommendNeutral OutlookDoesn't Approve of CEO
Pros

Salary is probably on the high side compared to other hi-tech companies for equivalent positions, though nowhere near compared to Google or Facebook.

Company outlook looks good.

Cons

Work/life balance is probably the worst for SDEs in the hi-tech industry.

On-call experience can be really bad, and you have to work at nights. Yet, the manager still expects you to work the next day during daytime.

Work is fast-paced, and the majority of projects are short-term focused. They just want to lure customers in and worry about the rest later.

Health insurance benefits are on the bad side compared to other hi-tech companies.

The signing stock grant may be attractive, but don't expect the same after 4 years. Basically, you should look for jobs elsewhere after 4 years unless you perform in the top 10% compared against peers.

I have unfortunately worked for some mean managers who clearly indicated that you have to work overtime on a regular basis to get work done, no matter how unreasonable the schedule is.

The commute has become bad since they moved to the SLU campus.

Advice to Management

Please treat your employees well and treat old and new employees equally well. The pay structure clearly favors new hires.

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