So at the time of writing this, it now been 3 years 2 months since joining AWS. A good time to provide some updates following on from my initial onboarding post.
Team
I’m still working in the same team that I joined, with the role of System Development engineer. I went through the promotion process in June 2023, now moving me to a senior role that is less hands on tasks and more working on across teams work and direction/goal planning/engagement for the team. My team builds multiple testing products that allow network engineers (NDEs) to shift left their testing model. The product I mainly work on is a virtualisation solution allowing our NDEs to emulate parts of the Amazon networking in a virtual space, and test changes prior to going anywhere near production. Think Viral (Cisco)/UNL/VirtualBox – but supporting 1000’s of devices.
Still Loving It ?
So am I still enjoying it ? Yes. I can say that its been over 3 years, and I still get up each day and look for to the challenge that will be coming. I work with a super-smart team, have a great leadership chain (1-up, 2-up and 3-up managers) and get be be involved in testing and safety design work that supports the whole of Amazon. We have flexible working arrangements that allow us to support our family lives, a very strong diversity and inclusion program (im the only person in the team who was born in Australia!), and great support for health and well-being of all team members (from subsidised healthcare to mental health workshops to stress and burnout management).
Getting Hired by Amazon
In the past year+ AWS has taken on a cost reduction and hiring freeze program, which has yielded benefits for the business. But its been hard at the team level since when people move on, we have not been able to replace them. Things have turned the corner in hiring, and we are starting to see small signs of new roles being made available. So hopefully that continues as being able to hire again simply means being able to deliver more for our customers (ie internal teams that use our services) than we are able to at the moment.
As part of my role Ive been able to travel to meet with teams in Dublin (IE), Seattle, Cupertino, Virginia, and Minneapolis (US). To be able to travel the world and sync with these amazing engineers in person has been a definite highlight for me, as there is nothing that beats face to face when it comes to building working relationships and being able to deliver results with collaboration.
Come join us !
So if you get the chance – and there is a role that syncs with you (read my first post regarding this – its critical for getting the right job at Amazon) – all I can say is go for it. AWS is a great place to work, and I look forward to many years ahead of being part of this amazing business. Feel free to contact me if there is anything you want to ask on the world of Amazon !
Here’s a great post on understanding the Amazon interview process – https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-interview-best-tips