Amazon

What I Loved About Working at Amazon:

1. Steep Learning Curve (in the best way possible): Right from the start, you’re trusted with real, impactful work—as long as you earn that trust early on. That responsibility might feel overwhelming at first, but it pushes you to grow faster than you’d imagine.

2. So Much to Learn: There's always a lot on your plate, but that just means there’s more to absorb. For someone early in their career, this kind of environment is gold—it shapes you quickly and effectively.

3. Cross-Team Collaboration: Even during my internship, I got the chance to work with teams outside my own. It helped me understand how everything connects and gave me a broader view of the entire system.

4. Work Hard, Play Hard: Amazon takes its work seriously—but it also knows how to have fun. “Fun Fridays” were something I genuinely looked forward to. Whether it was games, team activities, or just some relaxed time, it was the perfect way to recharge.

5. Agile and Dynamic Mindset: One thing that stayed with me was something my manager said: “We don’t build perfect projects; we deliver first, then make them perfect.” That mindset pushes you to iterate fast, learn from real-time feedback, and keep improving.

6. Incredible People: What made the experience even better was the people I worked with. Supportive, kind, and always ready to help—whether it was a fellow intern or a senior manager.

7. Great Pay: Amazon pays really well; the compensation is significantly above market standards, which makes a big difference.

1. 5-Day Work From Office: This was probably the biggest downside for me personally. There's no hybrid flexibility—Amazon expects you to be in the office all five days, which can be draining and hard to manage depending on your situation.

2. Minimal Handholding: There’s rarely a formal knowledge transfer (KT) or a guided onboarding to the systems you’re working on. You’re expected to deep dive on your own and figure things out—but thankfully, people are helpful if you reach out. (It’s tough at first, but you do end up building strong problem-solving muscles.)

3. Tight Deadlines (Even for Interns): Expectations are high across the board. Even as an intern, you’re expected to meet strict deadlines, which can get intense at times.