Careers at Amazon
For those interested in a career at Amazon opportunities are vast, both in terms of job function and location.
The company is made up of several business areas, further divided into teams. You may choose to work in artificial intelligence or data services as part of Amazon Alexa, machine learning or UX design for the Marketplace team, or fulfilment and robotics within the Amazon operations technology department, to name just a few.
There’s also plenty of opportunity across specialisms including legal, finance, HR, marketing, logistics, IT, software development and customer service. Amazon also operates a number of subsidiaries in which job openings exist, including Audible, Amazon Fresh and IMDb.
Every team under the Amazon umbrella shares a commitment to excellence and a customer-centric approach. These values underpin the company’s culture and are a primary focus of the Amazon recruitment process.
Amazon Application Process
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1
Online Application
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2
Aptitude Tests
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3
Work Style Assessment
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4
Work Sample Simulation
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5
Telephone Interview
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6
Face-to-Face Interview
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7
Assessment Centre
Amazon’s unique company culture is based on a set of 14 ‘Leadership Principles’. These principles form the basis of every decision and every project undertaken.
They also make up the characteristics of the ideal Amazon employee. As such, you’ll be assessed against them throughout the Amazon recruitment process.
Amazon’s Leadership Principles are:
1) Customer Obsession
2) Ownership
3) Invent and Simplify
4) Are Right, A Lot
5) Learn and Be Curious
6) Hire and Develop the Best
7) Insist on the Highest Standards
8) Think Big
9) Bias for Action
10) Frugality
11) Earn Trust
12) Dive Deep
13) Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
14) Deliver Results
While some of these principles are self explanatory, others are a little more complex in their nature. For example, bias for action, in Amazon terms, means it’s better to take calculated risks than be overly cautious with your decision making.
You’ll need to show these principles in action throughout your application, be it through past behaviour or as part of your Amazon assessment tests, so be sure you fully grasp the meaning of each before you start the recruitment process.
Online application form
To apply for an open position, you’ll need to set up an amazon.jobs account, create a profile with some basic information, upload your CV and, depending on the role, answer some relevant screening questions.
If you’re applying for a creative role and have existing work examples or an online portfolio, Amazon recommends you include links to these within your CV.
If your application is successful you may be required to take one or more Amazon online assessment.
Amazon Aptitude Tests
Amazon numerical reasoning tests
As part of the screening process, it’s likely you’ll be asked to complete a series of online assessments. These may be sent to you as part of your initial application, or at a later date.
The numerical reasoning test is designed to measure your confidence and ability concerning statistical information, and since Amazon is a data-driven company, these tests are a standard requirement for most roles.
You’ll be presented with a series of tables, charts and graphs, and will need to evaluate the data present to draw logical conclusions. All questions will have multiple-choice answers and will require only basic calculations, like working with percentages or conversions.
Though the processes aren’t overly complex, these tests are timed, so you’ll need to put in plenty of practice to develop both speed and accuracy. Try our free practice tests to get prepared for the numerical reasoning test.
Amazon verbal reasoning test
You may also be invited to sit a verbal reasoning test as part of your Amazon application. These measure your critical thinking skills, and your ability to interpret written information.
You’ll need to determine if a set of statements can be classified as true or false, based on a passage of supporting evidence. In some cases, there may be insufficient information within the text, in which case your answer would be ‘cannot say’.
Again, these tests are timed and require you to work quickly with precision, so practice is vital. Why not try a verbal reasoning test with our free practice tests?
Amazon Work Style Assessment
The Amazon Work Style Assessment is a type of personality test, which evaluates your professional preferences to determine how they fit with Amazon’s corporate culture. Typically it takes between 10 and 20 minutes to complete, and presents a sets of statements that represent different working styles.
For example, “I enjoy working as an individual in a solitary environment” or “I prefer to work collaboratively in a team setting”. For each set, you’ll need to state your preferred working style.
It’s important to refer back to the Leadership Principles throughout this assessment. Remember, these outline the type of employee Amazon looks for and will be the benchmark against which your working preferences are measured.
Amazon Work Sample Simulation
For the Amazon Work Sample Simulation, you’ll be given a virtual task to complete that is relevant to your future role. This could be anything from handling a customer query to evaluating financial information, or developing a solution to a hypothetical problem.
These tests measure skills required in the given job function, such as interpersonal skills, multi-tasking, prioritisation and effective problem solving. Whatever your personal task involves, keep the Leadership Principles in mind and use them to guide your actions.
Depending on the nature of the task, your Work Sample Simulation will take up to an hour to complete.
