At Amazon, one of our foremost priorities is to promote a work culture that supports the growth of everyone who is a part of our team. Even if you start at the lowest point in the career ladder at Amazon, we make it a point to provide all support to ensure that you rise in your career, during your time at the company. It is not rare that someone who started as an intern would go on to become a team leader at Amazon over just a few years, and neither is it unheard of for Amazonians to grow across multiple platforms within the organisation.
Recently, a few of our team members shared their growth stories at Amazon – which motivate us to keep on our path.
A matter of pride
Rishi Kanakarajan from Chennai, is a supervisor in Amazon’s Selling Partner Support team and joined Amazon in 2014 as an Associate and became a mentor shortly after. He was soon promoted to an Associate Advisor role, where he had his first opportunity to manage a team.
“It prepared me for my current role, where I manage a team of 44. I am responsible for setting performance goals and deadlines, and ensuring that they are met, while also helping my team grow in their career,” says Rishi. Balancing personal and professional life is essential for any working individual to enjoy both aspects. Rishi says that he finds time for his hobbies too – like cooking, going on long drives, and spending time with his family.
“It is a matter of great pride for my family and me that I work at Amazon,” he says, adding, “The best thing about working at Amazon is how much it changes you as a person. It eliminates your apprehension about taking risks and experimenting, or even approaching seniors for guidance. It encourages you to be your authentic self, and makes you comfortable solving challenges.”
‘Ideal workplace’
Rajya Lakshmi joined Amazon in 2017 as an intern, and has since worked on several interesting products and platforms across Ecommerce, AWS, and Alexa. According to her, Amazon’s culture “encourages every individual to think out of the box,” and has encouraged her to pursue her passion for technology. In fact, one of her research papers was selected to the prestigious Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) Conference, Asia’s largest gathering of women technologists.
“Amazon is an engineer’s ideal workplace - the engineering standards and protocols we follow are amazing. I get to discuss research ideas with senior engineers and seek their guidance which I feel is a great opportunity to evolve as a better engineer,” she says.
Thanks to a healthy work-life balance, in the last three years, Rajya Lakshmi has visited more than 12 states and worked on personal health projects too. “I moved to the mountains thanks to ‘work from home’ option. I am learning Yoga, classical dance, sign language and exploring nearby attractions during weekends. This has had a huge positive impact on my work and personal life,” she adds.
Diversity in action
Pranesh Jain, is based out of Hyderabad and is a team manager in Amazon’s Selling Partner Support (SPS) team. He joined Amazon in 2012. Since then, he's grown from being an Associate to mentor, advisor, supervisor, and more recently, team manager. In his current role, he helps sellers on Amazon solve their problems and enhance the selling experience.
“I have learned so much at Amazon. Even today, the growth and learning continue, as I keep coming across new challenges. Every day feels like Day One,” Pranesh says. He adds that one of the best things about working at Amazon is the diversity you get to experience, in terms of interactions with leaders and peers from across the globe, which present unique perspectives. “It enriches you both professionally and personally. Besides, Amazon invests in your growth; there’s always some new, exciting learning opportunity waiting for you,” he signs off.
