Amazon

Customers are doing amazing things with technology.

It's exciting to see the many ways that customers leverage cloud technologies and to be part of the future of technology innovation.

People across the organization are generally helpful, welcoming, and available.

There is a serious respect for knowledge, constant learning/curiosity, and training. With an abundance of internal training available, there is ample opportunity to learn about technologies, the many cloud services, and applying this knowledge to help customers drive their business.

As the business is growing, things are dynamic and always changing (a pro to me), and there are many opportunities for growth.

With growth, come some challenges. Ramping up in this fast-paced environment isn't always clear-cut or easy. There are so many internal locations for information, it can sometimes feel like a treasure hunt. This makes it important to network, get to know people, and be proactive in reaching out in many different directions.

While overall the benefits are reasonable, the PTO for experienced hires may seem limited. My experience in my first year was a little rough, as I had previously had 6 weeks of PTO. Although it increases in year two, it's still lower than what I would expect, or what may be available from other employers.

While there are many opportunities for growth, the path from A to B is not as clear as people may suggest, or as easy as implied. You'll have to work hard, be a bit crafty, play the game, and figure out the path on your own (take with a grain of salt; there is support).

AWS is a different business from other Amazon companies. Applying the same patterns and mechanisms to AWS as applied to .com may not always be appropriate. AWS is more like other innovative technology companies than other parts of the business, and those types of norms and expectations should be kept in consideration.