Amazon

Product Design Engineer Intern

June - August 2021 • Seattle, WA

What I liked

I had full jurisdiction over my own project that the company fully planned to use. My manager and coworkers were great resources for me as I worked on my project and developed work skills.

What I wish was different

I wish I had asked more questions right from the start.

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask questions. You're not expected to know everything; that's the point of an internship. Also take full advantage of as many resources as possible and network to learn more about the company, career paths, advice, etc.

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Financial Analyst

June - August 2021 • Rossford, OH

What I liked

I enjoyed being able to work with different teams and master the role, since due to a management shift I was the only finance point of contact for a new site with thousands of employees.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have gone directly to the full-time role rather than having one year left to graduate.

Advice

Being willing to proactively learn and ask questions is how you will succeed. You can't prepare for every possible issue or situation, only how you adapt and act afterwards. So focus less on how it should go and more on being ready to adapt and learn based on the situation.

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Software Development Engineering Intern

June - August 2021 • Seattle, WA

What I liked

Amazon Internships usually are two types: relatively easy or crazy difficult. Mine was the latter. However, the best part of this internship is that I learn a whole lot. I got to design and develop a full stack system and became an AWS expert. It was a valuable experience just for the amount of knowledge I was able to acquire.

What I wish was different

The work could have been less stressful so that I actually get to enjoy the other aspects of the internship. I felt like I was grinding a whole lot because the project was so big that I had to spend extra time to work on it otherwise I may not finish by the end of the internship. I did not get to explore Seattle and etc as much because of this.

Advice

To do well on your internship, make sure you have good communication with your mentor and manager. Does not matter if things are going well or not going well, make sure you update them on the progress and never hesitate to ask questions.

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Area Manager Intern

May - July 2021 • Newnan, GA

What I liked

I enjoyed the atmosphere and attitude of the Amazon warehouse. From my first shift to my last, everyone treated me with respect and encouraged me to learn and ask questions. The other managers and upper level managers were always kind and helpful during my internship as long as I simply reached out to them with my questions.

What I wish was different

Advice

One piece of advise I would offer is to ask questions if you don't know. Coming to work in an Amazon warehouse is overwhelming but that is expected because most undergraduates have never been in any type of warehouse. What I found best was to ask questions and ask for help; don't try to figure it out on your own. Amazon stresses a team environment so most people are more than willing to help you succeed.

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Area Manager

May - August 2021 • St. Peters, MO

What I liked

I liked the flexibility of the program and ability to work within different departments within the Amazon warehouse.

What I wish was different

I wish the program were more organized in terms of connecting with other interns at the warehouse.

Advice

Own your development! Amazon is a big place and it can seem overwhelming, but remember that your managers and mentors are there to support and help you develop.

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Software Engineer Intern

May - August 2021 • Seattle, WA

What I liked

Great pay, interesting work, smart co-workers

What I wish was different

More intern events, intern housing options

Advice

Learn Amazon’s leadership principles and implement them in your work life to get a return offer.

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Safety Specialist Intern

May - July 2021 • Aurora, IL

What I liked

There is much to learn within Amazon regarding their leadership principles and growing global logistics network. There are plenty of opportunities for interns to sit in on network wide meetings and get to know the many facets of Amazon - for example, watching history being made on a livestream with Jeff Bezos' launch to space in a Blue Origin rocket. Interns were also subject to APPT training where they learned every position in the warehouse. It was a great opportunity to learn the positions we would be managing and overseeing. The pay was nice and I was able to obtain some certifications for my resume during the experience. I did learn about workplace, health, and safety through shadowing of different managers and positions. My initial manager gave me two projects to focus on and I obtained several others along the way. Interns are expected to write a white paper to be turned in at the end of the experience as a deliverable product. Because I was not having the best experience in the internship, I did meet with the regional safety manager, which made me feel like I was important and valuable to the company. I was able to choose my hours which was one of the best parts about having the AAAA schedule. Safety specialists work four - 10 hour days which is nice considering one gets a three day weekend every weekend. It was a nice insight into what working 40 hours a week would look like, and what benefits Amazon has to offer along with that. Most interns are offered positions after graduation, of which I was offered but declined.

What I wish was different

With all that being said, there is a lack of structure in the intern program for the workplace health and safety roles. There are weekly modules to be completed, but some managers do not know what to do with their interns outside of some of the standard work. For the safety internship, much of the work involved sitting at a computer, and responding to safety calls as needed. I wish I would have applied for the Area Manager internship where I was a manager for a department and got to know the associated better, rather than work in a support department. I am a person who likes to be busy all the time, and this internship gave me time to slow down and take time on my projects, which I did not necessarily like. I am used to the hustle and bustle of school and like to have task-after-task to complete. My first manager left after one week, so I was left with another one. They did not have an intern previously so they did not really know what to do with me, nor did I know what to do with myself.

Advice

In general, never take the first place that offers you a job. After having an uneventful summer in 2020 because of COVID, I decided to apply for internships early in August 2020 so that I would have structure during my summer of 2021. This was the first internship I applied for, as I was recruited on LinkedIn, and it was the first internship I was offered in September 2020. But the kicker was that I had only 10 days to accept the offer. After accepting, I still explored other internships to see what was out there, and I really wish I would have waited and not said yes to the first company that offered me an internship. I applied for other internships knowing I would have to say no, but I still wanted to obtain the interviewing experience and just see what other companies would reach out to me, one of which ended up being AstraZeneca. I wish I would have done something more geared toward my major this summer, relating to Healthcare Management, but it was a great experience to learn what I do not want to do for the rest of my life. At least at this point, I know I can have a backup career in Industrial Hygiene if all else fails.

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Technical Recruiter

June - August 2021 • New York City, NY

What I liked

The broadness and experience that came with the opportunity.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more information prior

Advice

Be ready to learn and get the most.

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Area Manager Intern

May - August 2021 • Florence, NJ

What I liked

The independence. I did not feel as if there was someone hovering over me

What I wish was different

Longer training. I felt that because the facility was so big, there was not enough time to fully understand processes.

Advice

Always ask questions

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Area Manager

May - July 2021 • Fort Worth, TX

What I liked

I liked the fact that everyone is willing to help.

What I wish was different

Ask more questions about the company

Advice

Learn as much as possible.

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Area Manager Intern

May - July 2021 • Naperville, IL

What I liked

I honestly was not sure what to expect initially, but I had a great experience at Amazon! I was placed with an awesome team that was very supportive and encouraging. I learned a lot about leadership and production processes, and a good deal about production quality, as that was my project. It was a very unique experience, and definitely challenged me to get out of my comfort zone.

What I wish was different

I was impressed by how organized the onboarding experience was, but I think the overall experience is different for each area manager intern. Having a more specific goal structure during the internship would be beneficial at each site.

Advice

I would say to be prepared that every day is different, and requires problem solving skills, so you need to be able to be flexible and adapt to changes and make quick decisions. It’s very rewarding if you put a lot into it, so I would suggest being committed to learning each day and putting those new skills to use.

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Software Development Engineer Intern

May - July 2021 • Seattle, WA

What I liked

Good intro to working in big tech - all technology was completely state-of-the-art. Cool dog-friendly offices. Vibrant intern community that made it a fun and social experience despite the work from home policy and Seattle being locked down. Plus working for a well established company like Amazon has given me a boost in following recruitment cycles

What I wish was different

Team was overworked so mentors were always busy and gave very little help, so there were a lot of times where I got stuck on some internal Amazon red tape problem and was unable to get help. People also clearly don't really like working there and it has an impact on the office vibe.

Advice

If your team seems busy, get ready to do everything yourself

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Warehouse associate

August 2020 - April 2021 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

Pay rate

What I wish was different

Work flow was very intense

Advice

Stay motivated and enjoy your time.

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Finance Analyst Intern

May - August 2021 • Seattle, WA

What I liked

Loved the whole experience.

What I wish was different

Wish it would have been in person. Internship was virtual.

Advice

Always give it your all.

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Software Developer Intern

May - August 2021 • Herndon, VA

What I liked

I liked working on a project that actually had value to the company and learn about AWS services.

What I wish was different

I wish it had been in-person.

Advice

I think self-learning was the most important thing I had to learn to do.

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Area Manager Intern

May - July 2021 • Coppell, TX

What I liked

I was given a lot of responsibility as an intern and given the opportunity to immerse myself into an environment of learning.

What I wish was different

The training process was unorganized, and the exceptions for the interns was also unclear within the facility and varied between managers. It seemed that a lot of communication from OpsInterns was not being translated in the expectations from managers.

Advice

Build connections with as many different people as you can. They will be able to help you a lot on your project.

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Environmental Health and Safety Engineering Intern

May - August 2021 • Joliet, IL

What I liked

I enjoyed being in an established office and being given a project that truly impacted the environmental health and safety of the overall site and having the freedom to choose my schedule and project.

What I wish was different

I wish I had been more involved in other departments besides just my own.

Advice

I think going out of your comfort zone is really important. What you get out of this position is going to be the time and effort you put in.

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Fulfilment Associate

May - August 2021 • San Jose, CA

What I liked

I liked the people! Everyone were super friendly, from coworkers to the highest managers.

What I wish was different

I wish I could work alongside school, but the hours would not have worked.

Advice

Definitely be prepared to work hard, it’s a physical job, but if you’re motivated to earn and have a growth mindset you’ll thrive.

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amazo

May - June 2021 • Hebron, KY

What I liked

Amazon was very interesting in terms of management and organization. I had a fun experience.

What I wish was different

The shift hours. It's very early I think.

Advice

Get ready to stand up for hourse. BUT it's fun when you make friends!

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Area Manager Intern

May - July 2021 • Lewisville, TX

What I liked

I liked how I got to learn about operations and further my knowledge in supply chain. I was also given a lot of responsibility and autonomy, which was great because I got to make actual change within the delivery station.