This company is worth the difficult interviews!
Pros
Amazon is truly everything it's cracked up to be. People are incredibly smart, motivated, and expect you to come in and be autonomous in identifying problems, proposing solutions, and driving to completion. There's no hand-holding, and more often than not it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission, as things move incredibly fast. Action and progress is preferred over perfection. The interview process can be quite daunting, but it's absolutely worth it to weed through people who are good talkers, but not good doers. I've worked in places where confidence is interpretted to mean competence, and I'm so glad to see Amazon's "bar raiser" system weeding out that kind of nonsense! This company truly cares about its customers whether they're internal or external. I also LOVE that "build trust" is an Amazon Leadership Principle. The company puts an emphasis on collaborate development rather than rewarding bullies who talk and coerce their way into making decisions. In my short time at the company, I can already tell that this is the kind of place I can see myself remaining a part of for the long term! This is particularly true given the company's support of employees moving roles and teams, even if their professional experience doesn't fully align to a role. I LOVE that Amazon trusts that its employees are smart enough to take on new challenges, rather than holding you to performing only in roles that reflect your current background.
Cons
If you are not comfortable with ambiguity or are accustomed to people telling you exactly what to do in your day-to-day activities, this is likely not the place for you. I like to say that each day is a "choose-your-own-adventure" series. If you are curious, like solving problems, and get bored easily, you'll love Amazon. If you want to come in for the sake of putting Amazon on your resume without expecting to work hard or remain for > 2 years, then you're probably better off going elsewhere. I like that Amazon has changed its vesting schedule in order to drive away people who want to show up for a year, cash a paycheck, and then leave. They're investing in people who want to grow with the company, and it shows in their comp (heavy RSUs vs. base salary). It's also true that many teams work incredibly hard, though your direct team will strongly influence your work/life balance. The "always on" mentality is definitely pervasive, but in exchange for generally being pretty flexible.
