How to Get a Job at Amazon

Even during the beginning of the pandemic, when companies were laying off workers, e-commerce giant Amazon was on a hiring spree. The mega-company said recently it has added more than 450,000 employees throughout the U.S. since the pandemic began. So basically, it’s never a bad time to apply to Amazon.

Amazon is America’s second-largest private employer (behind Walmart), and it employs more than 950,000 people in the U.S. To put that number in perspective, it means that one out of every 153 American workers is employed by Amazon! More people work for Amazon than there are total employees in the entire residential construction industry in the U.S., according to Business Insider.

Many of its employees work in warehouses and as delivery drivers, but Amazon has open positions for white-collar jobs, too, like administrative support and data science.

So, how do you get a job at Amazon?

First off, figure out precisely what type of job you’d like to apply for. As such a massive employee, Amazon has a wide range of positions available.

And it seems that Amazon is always going on big hiring sprees. In September, the company announced plans to hire 125,000 employees in the U.S. and expand its already-huge warehouse operations. So as long as Americans keep signing up for Prime memberships, it seems Amazon will always be hiring.

Empire Resume will delve into how to get a job at Amazon, including the types of available jobs, what the process is like, and more.

Types of Amazon Jobs Available

The first step in applying for an Amazon job is figuring out precisely what you want to do. Because Amazon is such a huge company, it has tens of thousands of positions available in various fields.

Most of the available Amazon jobs are in warehouses and in its delivery and logistical network. But for this article, we’ll focus on applying to professional and white-collar positions like in marketing, sales, and software development.

Amazon has positions available in categories like:

• Administrative support
• Audio/video/photography production
• Business and merchant development
• Writing and editorial
• Business intelligence
• Customer service
• Data science
• Facilities, maintenance, and real estate
• Finance and global business services, and
• Supply chain/transportation management

Amazon recruiters say that just because you’ve always worked in one role in the past doesn’t mean you necessarily have to apply for a similar position at Amazon. Figure out what your transferrable skills are, your five basic qualifications, and make sure your resume reflects those skills.

Use Data on Your Resume

It’s always wise to quantify achievements on your resume by using data and hard numbers. But for a data-driven company like Amazon, recruiters there say that it’s even more essential that you do so.

On Amazon’s website, recruiters at the company say your resume should use data to paint a picture of how well you’ve done at previous jobs. It’s hard sometimes to show off achievements qualitatively, so Amazon recruiters say, “math and numbers are a universal language.”

When writing your resume, think about things like cost savings, time savings, efficiency, process improvements, and other data points. Amazon is an e-commerce company and it is deeply committed to technology and data science, so the more data you use, the better.

Keep Resume Format Simple

Empire Resume recommends all candidates use a simple resume format instead of one with a fancy design and images. This is vital because fancy resumes can sometimes not make it past Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

Amazon recruiters feel the same way. They say to keep your resume very simplified, which makes sense because they likely receive thousands upon thousands of resumes per day. So, make your resume concise and clearly show previous titles, years of experience, skills, and level of expertise.

Two other resume tips from Amazon recruiters include:

• Focus on accomplishments rather than just listing job responsibilities.
• Incorporate the relevant skills (that you actually have) from the job description. Being such a massive employer, there’s no doubt Amazon uses an ATS.

Apply on Amazon’s Career Website

Amazon jobs are listed on websites like Glassdoor, Indeed, and LinkedIn. But for almost all of the job postings, there will be a link that takes you to the original posting on Amazon.jobs, which is Amazon’s career site.

So, basically, when applying to an Amazon job, you need to create an account on their careers site and go through their application process. Interestingly, Amazon doesn’t accept cover letters. And while they recommend you upload and submit a resume, they will even accept applications without resumes!

Even without a resume, Amazon’s application process will enable you to fill in a brief description of your background, experience, educational achievements, and skills. Without this information, applications will be rejected. Nevertheless, it’s recommended to submit and upload a copy of your resume, as this may go above and beyond what they require and show you’re truly interested.

One benefit of Amazon’s career website is you can track the status of your application. For example, if your application is no longer being considered, it will be marked as archived. Also, keep in mind: Since Amazon receives so many resumes, they only contact applicants they want to learn more about, and they definitely don’t reach out to every person who submits an application.

The Amazon Interview Process

If your application gets chosen, your first interview with Amazon will likely be a phone interview with an Amazon recruiter. The company uses behavioral-based interviewing, which means they try to discover how you’ll think in various employment-related situations. The best way to prepare for this phone screen interview is to read about Amazon, especially its famous “leadership principles.”

If you pass the phone interview, the likely next step is that Amazon will fly you out to the job location, where you’ll meet with one of their hiring managers. Typically, applicants have to pass a series of five interviews that take about 45 minutes each. Some common interview questions you’ll be asked, according to Glassdoor, are:

• “Tell me about a time you handled a crisis.”
• “Tell me about a time you failed at a project.”
• “Describe a time when you were innovative.”
• “Describe a time when you disagreed with a supervisor.”

According to several sources, much of the in-person Amazon interviews focus on questions based on the company’s 14 leadership principles. Learn these principles as much as you can, and you’ll have a good shot.

Send a Hard Copy of Your Resume

Amazon is a big company, and they’re a quirky one. For example, like we mentioned, they don’t even accept cover letters. But, as Empire Resume always recommends, one old-school job-applying tactic will still improve your chances: Find out who the hiring manager is and mail that person a hard copy of your resume. This tactic will help you in any job you apply to, and it can help you land a job at Amazon, too.

The best way to apply for an Amazon job is on their career’s website, but you should also reach out to their recruiters on LinkedIn. Most all Amazon recruiters have premium LinkedIn subscriptions, so you can send them direct messages for free. So, reach out to the ones in the division you’re applying to.

Amazon recruiters also say they regularly scour social media profiles and sites like LinkedIn for potential employees. So, make sure your profiles, especially LinkedIn, are updated and optimized.

Empire Resume Can Help

As America’s second-largest private employer, it seems like Amazon is always going on a hiring spree. They have thousands of jobs available in different categories ranging from data science to public relations.

But even though Amazon always seems to have many open positions, the hiring process for white-collar and professional jobs is very competitive. Most Amazon jobs are at warehouses and for delivery drivers, and the hiring process isn’t as strict. But one former Amazon recruiter said he’d usually bring in seven candidates for an in-person interview for every one available professional position. The competition is stiff!

When applying for a job at Amazon, make sure you use data to paint a picture on your resume, use a simplified resume format, apply directly on Amazon’s careers website, and learn the company’s 14 leadership principles if you’re lucky enough to land an interview. Lastly, reach out to Amazon recruiters on LinkedIn, and always follow up by sending a hard copy of your resume to the hiring manager.

Finally, stay tuned to Empire Resume’s blog for more great insights on careers and employment, including articles like What It’s Really Like to Work for Amazon, 5 Reasons You’re Not Getting an Interview, and Tips for Setting up Your Home Office.

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Maria Gold is a Content Manager/Writer for Empire Resume. She is dedicated to helping educate and motivate people with the latest career articles and job search advice. Her interests range from writing to programming and design. She is also passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology.

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