How To Get A Job At Amazon

By Sky Ariella - May. 17, 2021
Articles In Guide

Find a Job You Really Want In

In This Article   
Skip to section

There is a huge amount of work that goes into sustaining Amazon, the largest e-commerce company in the world. This results in a vast assortment of job opportunities for candidates at different experience levels. Amazon draws in a lot of impressive applicants from a variety of professional backgrounds to fill these roles.

If you’re curious about how you can cash in on a great job using your professional skill set, read on through the following reference for how to get a job with Amazon.

Benefits of Working at Amazon

There’s a good reason for Amazon employing so many people across the globe. The organization has a lot to offer its employees in all of the positions they offer. Some of these enticing reasons to work with Amazon include:

  1. A variety of different positions. One of the biggest upsides of employment with Amazon is that they have a job that fits nearly every professional background.

    The company hires for 34 different job categories, each containing up to ten varying job titles. From customer service to public relations, there’s a position that suits just about every jobseeker’s needs at Amazon.

  2. Remote work availability. Working from home is an excellent opportunity for full-time parents, college students, or anyone who just doesn’t want to spend five days a week at an office.

    While many people dream of being able to make money from their living room couch, they think it’s far-fetched to find an employer that will allow them to work remotely. That’s not an issue with Amazon. In fact, many of the jobs that Amazon offers are solely remote positions.

    Examples of remote jobs that Amazon offers includes:

  3. Tempting benefits. When looking for a good job, there’s a lot of aspects to consider in addition to the responsibilities, such as the benefits package you’ll receive. Working at Amazon as an employee provides a wealth of tempting benefits depending on the position you land.

    Despite your job title, nearly all full-time Amazon employees are eligible for at least some benefits.

    Some benefits that Amazon might offer include:

    • Medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage

    • 401K saving plan

    • Holiday pay, overtime, and paid time off (PTO)

    • Amazon purchase discounts

    • Tuition reimbursement

Types of Job Available at Amazon

There are many different kinds of jobs that Amazon employs. While some of these positions have educational and professional skill requirements, many Amazon jobs are attainable without an extensive professional background.

Consider the list below of five job categories that Amazon is regularly hiring for.

  1. Warehouse team member — April 2021

    Number of jobs available: 425

    There are millions of Amazon packages shipped globally every day. Warehouse team members are the people who handle, pack, and ship these items at fulfillment centers to get them to their intended destination.

    They are the backbone of Amazon warehouses everywhere. It’s a role that requires some physical strength as warehouse workers are constantly moving to get orders prepared in a very fast-paced environment.

    Being a warehouse team member is a good opportunity for individuals looking for an entry-level position that doesn’t require a college degree. It has a higher than average starting salary, and the positions offer shifts from the early hours of the morning to late at night.

  2. Customer service — April 2021

    Number of jobs available: 573

    With all those packages being sent out to various locations, there are bound to be a few mistakes. When a problem occurs, customers know that they can contact Amazon’s customer service for help.

    Many of the customer service representative positions that Amazon offers are remote with a virtual hiring process. Their main responsibility is responding over the phone and messaging to any customer concerns or complaints.

    Being a customer service representative for Amazon is another job that offers opportunities for entry-level professionals without much work experience.

  3. Marketing — April 2021

    Number of jobs available: 1,016

    Amazon provides a multitude of marketing positions with differing specializations, such as social media management or strategic communication.

    These roles have their own niche responsibilities, but as a whole, they build Amazon’s advertising to communicate with the target customer audience. Positions with Amazon’s marketing departments require a little more education.

    They often require a bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related subject and experience in the field. If you have a background that meets these requirements, there is an abundance of marketing opportunities with Amazon.

  4. Business intelligence — April 2021

    Number of jobs available: 1,359

    Similar to the category of marketing, there are many different types of business intelligence jobs available at Amazon as well. Some examples of business intelligence job titles at Amazon include:

    These jobs handle varying daily tasks, but they revolve all-around establishing the most lucrative business strategy for Amazon. Since Amazon is a champion of its industry, the positions with this department can be very competitive and have a lengthy list of requirements, like a degree in computer science and experience with data technology.

    If you can manage to snag a position in Amazon’s business intelligence department, you’re in for an impressive paycheck and a lot of opportunities.

  5. Software development — April 2021

    Number of jobs available: 13,399

    At its core, Amazon functions as a technology company in addition to an e-commerce brand. The organization’s software development is where they attribute a great deal of their success. To keep up this impressive track record, Amazon hires the best people out there to run their software development department.

    Some Amazon software development jobs include:

    These jobs work cohesively to design and maintain the back and frontend experience Amazon users have come to rely on. Jobs with Amazon’s software development unit require a bachelor’s degree and a few years of relevant experience, but they come with a lofty salary and benefits.

Where to Find Jobs at Amazon

After hearing all the benefits of working with Amazon, it leaves you wondering where you can go to find open positions right now. Look no further. Below are three great options for finding current job openings at Amazon.

  1. Amazon’s career page. One of the most dependable locations on the internet for finding Amazon job opportunities is their own career page. Amazon’s career page is a regularly updated resource that advertises roles across their many job categories.

    Their open job postings are separated into subsets of:

    It’s a very organized and efficient way to find out what jobs are available at Amazon on any given day.

  2. Job boards. Another place to go searching for professional openings at Amazon is alternative job boards. Job boards provide advertisements posted by Amazon for their open positions. While most of these listings eventually land you back at Amazon’s career page, it could be good for browsing.

    A good place to start is Zippia’s job board for Amazon careers.

  3. LinkedIn groups. If you can’t find any positions that fit your experience level or skills on either of these resources, consider joining some LinkedIn groups to connect with recruiters. While it might not get you a job right away, it’ll help you form connections that lead to you getting a job with Amazon in the future.

Tips for Applying at Amazon

  1. Apply to a position that you’re qualified for. While there are many enticing positions available at Amazon, only apply to jobs that you’re fully qualified for. It wastes the hiring manager’s time and yours when submitting an application for a job that you don’t meet its requirements.

    It could even hinder your chances of landing a job with Amazon that you’re perfect for in the future.

  2. Use a cover letter to express your value. While there are plenty of Amazon jobs out there, these positions are all receiving tons of applicants because of their competitive terms.

    To stand out from all of these applicants, you should submit a cover letter to express your distinct value when applying to an Amazon position. It adds depth to your application and allows you to introduce yourself more personally.

  3. Keep your resume simple and straightforward. Since there are a lot of applicants to any given Amazon job, you should also hone in your resume to only include the most relevant information.

    Your resume submission should be easy to understand and informative to give the hiring manager all the details they need to decide if they want to move forward with the hiring process.

The Amazon Hiring Process

Knowing what you’re getting into with the Amazon hiring process is a great way to prepare for the steps ahead. Below are Amazon’s hiring process steps for the majority of the jobs that they offer.

  1. Create an online profile with Amazon. To start your application journey, you need to create an online profile with Amazon. This process only takes a few minutes and includes details like your name and general location.

  2. Apply for an open position. After you’ve been registered into the Amazon careers page system, you can begin applying for open positions. Before you start submitting applications, though, make sure that your completed resume, cover letter, and any other application materials you might need are on hand.

    Keep in mind the tips about applying to jobs at Amazon, and start putting yourself out there.

  3. Taking an Amazon skills assessment test. Since Amazon has a lot of open jobs and receives a massive amount of applications, they need to understand a candidate’s skills from the get-go. They do this by requiring candidates to take a skills assessment in their field of choice.

    Some of Amazon’s skills assessments test abilities in:

    The skills test that you take will differ depending on the job title and category that you’re applying for. Applicants who successfully complete the assessment move on to the next part of the hiring process.

  4. Interview with a hiring manager. Soon after applying for an amazon role online through their application portal and passing the skills test, you’ll be contacted by a hiring manager to discuss the next steps. Usually, this involves an interview of some form.

    Your interview process and style can differ greatly depending on the type of job that you’re applying for. Generally, Amazon begins by offering a phone or video chat interview to promising candidates. If they’re successful in this, they move onto an in-person interview where their skills are further challenged.

  5. Receive an offer or not. After working through these initial steps of the Amazon hiring process, you either receive a job offer, or you don’t. If you didn’t get the position, don’t get too discouraged. There are many more opportunities out there.

    If you did get the job, congratulations! Expect to take on the next steps of the Amazon onboarding process, which includes:

    • Filling out onboarding forms

    • Gaining access to Amazon’s training portal

    • Completing a background check

    • Employee orientation

5 Common Amazon Interview Questions

The most crucial phase of applying for an Amazon job is the interview. To prepare for the intensity of that experience, it helps to get comfortable with the interview questions that you’ll probably be asked. Though these questions differ on a job-to-job basis, there are some questions that Amazon interviewers tend to use across the board.

Below are five popular interview questions that Amazon uses to assess job applicants.

  1. Who is the CEO of Amazon? While many people know that Jeff Bezos is the CEO of Amazon (a fact that recently changed, thanks to Andy Jassy), a hiring manager still asks this question in an interview. It creates a baseline of understanding for the candidate’s familiarity with the organization. Luckily, this is a fairly simple question to answer.

    Example answer:

    “While Jeff Bezos has been the CEO of Amazon for the past 25 years, the position was recently handed over to Andy Jassy.

  2. If one of your co-workers wasn’t doing their share of work, how would you handle the situation? This is a behavioral interview question that evaluates how you’ll deal with less than pleasant situations that come up as an employee.

    Answer by establishing a series of actions that you would take in the face of this scenario. Try to keep your answer as professional as possible because the interviewer is looking for signs of strong conflict resolution skills.

    Example answer:

    “If I was working with a co-worker who wasn’t doing their part, I would try to approach the situation methodically. First, I’d talk to them about the behavior that had been bothering me. If it persists, I will consult with a supervisor above me for guidance.

    Hopefully, this would solve the situation, but if it didn’t, I would consult the Amazon human resources department.”

  3. What is the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make? What was the outcome? Every position within Amazon requires swift and educated decision-making.

    Despite the job title that you’re applying for, the Amazon interviewer wants to know how you handle decision-making. Respond to this question by using the STAR method, which stands for:

    • Situation

    • Task

    • Action

    • Result

    First, outline the situation of the difficult decision and your task in it. Then, mention the action you took and the ultimate result.

    Example answer:

    “The most difficult decision I ever had to make in my professional life was when I was working as a manager for a retail store. There was a sales associate that I supervised who I generally liked as a person but whose performance was beginning to decline.

    I tried to talk with him multiple times about the issue, but it never got better. I decided to make the final call to terminate him from his position. It was tough, but I think I made the right decision.”

  4. Tell me about a time you tried to accomplish something but failed. Most job applicants walk into an interview expecting to discuss all the incredible things they’ve done in their career thus far. However, you’ll probably be asked about some of your failures in an Amazon interview too.

    While this question only directly asks for a description of a time you failed, explain the after-effects of the situation. If it helped your performance in the long run, mention that. The interviewer wants to see how you learned from your mistakes.

    Example answer:

    “When I was in college, I wanted to start my own business as a part-time venture between classes. I thought of a brilliant idea, but I mistakenly thought that was all I’d need to be successful.

    Unfortunately, the business flopped within the year. It was a glorious failure, but it taught me an extremely valuable lesson, which is that I need to put my full effort into a project if I expect it to work out.”

  5. What motivates you? In addition to the behavioral interview questions that are asked during an Amazon interview, the hiring manager will want to get to know you deeper as a person. They’ll do this by asking personality interview questions, like “what motivates you?”.

    When responding to this question, dig deep into your inspiration for doing things. While your answer doesn’t have to be completely related to your professional life, it should touch on your motivations at work.

    Example answer:

    “I’m motivated to do my best at work because I love the accomplished feeling that I get when I finish a project well. I enjoy being reliable for my bosses and being part of a hardworking team. Additionally, I’m also motivated to succeed by my family who always supports me in my career.”

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating / 5. Vote count:

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Articles In Guide
Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

Related posts

Topics: Apply For Jobs, Get The Job, Guides