What's it like to work as a software engineer at Amazon.com?

February 6, 2006 7:25 AM

I'm thinking of applying for a software engineering position at Amazon.com. What's it like working there? Given the large number of openings they have, I'm wondering about the work environment. Is it a sweatshop? Is there a lot of turnover? How do they treat their employees? Any info from current or former Amazon.com employees will be much appreciated.
posted by ShooBoo to Work & Money (16 answers total)

Might be best to ask this guy. He's a MiFite and he's one of Amazon's webservices evangelists.
posted by SlyBevel at 7:48 AM on February 6, 2006

Try checking www.vault.com there are a few comments about amazon.
posted by Manouk at 7:49 AM on February 6, 2006

MeFite. Didn't think that looked right.
posted by SlyBevel at 7:49 AM on February 6, 2006

I worked there as a web developer for about 2 yrs. I'd have to say that it's a lot like any place, the environment depends heavily on what group you're in, who your managers and co-workers are, and how they interact with you. There were definitely more-favorable and less-favorable places to work within Amazon. It's a big place in many ways.

The company always treated me well. They have a well-earned rep for being frugal, but not painfully so, in my experience. I had a great time there, and would still be there if not for a move to the East Coast a couple years ago. In my time (2001-2003), there was not a lot of turnover.
posted by kokogiak at 7:52 AM on February 6, 2006

Their interview process is fairly tough, so don't make it your first and/or only interview stop. That said, the process is pretty nice .. they'll put you up in the W in Seattle if you make it to an on-site, and give you some time to see the city.
posted by kcm at 8:03 AM on February 6, 2006

Plus, you didn't really say anything at all.. what your area is, what your skills are, what you'd like to do, your intended career path, planning to go back to school, background, history, other companies you've considered, etc.

"Is Amazon a good company?" to which I say "Yes."
posted by kcm at 8:08 AM on February 6, 2006

Totally anecdotal, but in a recent job search in the Seattle area I talked with people and recruters at about 15 different companies. At least 3 or 4 of them mentioned Amazon in a bad light without me ever refering to them at all. Something like "we don't treat our employees like Amazon does" or "working here isn't like working at Amazon, we expect that our employees will have an outside life".

I'm sure, as others say that it depends on the group that you work in and the people in that group. I wouldn't rule them out if I were you, but I'd keep my options open.

If you live in the Seattle area, you might want to check out this answer in a recent AskMe post for some alternatives.
posted by freshgroundpepper at 8:09 AM on February 6, 2006

My friend is happy there. I think he averages a 50 hour week. He's a developer and he has pager duty one weekend out of six. His immediate group of coworkers strikes me as the young, hungry type. They are bullish on the stock and speculate constantly about it (they have plenty of stock options). He also takes a lot of trips for recruiting.
posted by crazycanuck at 8:10 AM on February 6, 2006

There's a whole book about it: 21 Dog Years : Doing Time @ Amazon.com
posted by smackfu at 8:22 AM on February 6, 2006

I've had various acquaintances who have worked there as dev-types. It sounds like they like the work, their colleagues and find time to have a life.

As for freshgroundpepper's anecdotal reports. I'd have reason to take what other people have to say with a grain of salt. My understanding is that amazon has been doing a fair amount of hiring over the last 12 to 18 months, which means that they are competing for many of the same people as any other company in the area trying to hire tech talent. Given that they are relatively established and high profile, I wouldn't be suprised at some trash talking against Amazon from people/companies competing for the same talent.
posted by Good Brain at 8:26 AM on February 6, 2006

I think it depends on what department you end up in. My advice, if you want to be happy don't work in Payments.
posted by chunking express at 8:54 AM on February 6, 2006

I'm a software engineer at Amazon. Based on my limited experience, it's pretty similar to most other software companies (especially big ones). Culture is fun and informal, and I like all the people I work with. Hours are flexible but slightly long: 45–50 hours/week seems to be the normal load for engineers. Everyone is always busy. Teams are very self-directed and independent, and a lot depends on the particular team you join; you should try to get to know the specific people you're interviewing with. I second the comment that Amazon's hiring process is very tough.

Turnover is about the same as other companies I've known. People also transfer internally (to other positions within the company) somewhat frequently.

You can e-mail me if you want more details or have any specific questions. See my homepage link for the address.
posted by mbrubeck at 9:27 AM on February 6, 2006

I think it depends on what department you end up in. My advice, if you want to be happy don't work in Payments.

But that's true of just about every company on earth. Accounts Payable and especially Accounts Recievable are always filled with the vilest people at the firm.
posted by ChasFile at 10:43 AM on February 6, 2006

My only inside Amazon story is from a coworker that used to work there. He mentioned that their Outlook directory included pictures of the employees with their address book entries. It's a small detail, but I've never forgotten it, as it's very common to find technology companies that don't actually leverage their internal technology to improve work life.
posted by VulcanMike at 12:08 PM on February 6, 2006

Check out former Amazon recruiter Steve Yegge's archives, it'll give you a great idea of what to expect.
posted by evariste at 1:03 PM on February 6, 2006

Yes, Steve Yegge writes great stuff. Just to clarify, Steve was a software engineer at Amazon, not a recruiter. Like many Amazon employees, Steve spent a fair amount of time interviewing candidates. He thought and wrote a lot about our recruiting, but it wasn't his main job description.
posted by mbrubeck at 7:32 PM on February 6, 2006