Amazon Discover: Spring Insight Participant Review
at Amazon
Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)
Computer Systems Engineering
Canterbury
Review Submitted: April 2022
Overall Rating
4.9 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
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Overview of Experience
5/5
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Skills Development
4.8/5
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Company Culture
5/5
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Overall Experience
5/5
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Recommendations and Advice
Overview of Experience
Please give an overview of the insight and what was involved on a day-to-day basis.
We had panel events that helped us understand how Amazon as a company works in terms of staff culture and better understand what it would be like in the role of a software development engineer. We also had technical workshops that helped improve our coding skills, including introducing practices like pair programming and code review by other members of a team to those of has that haven't had any or much experience with it.
What was it like understanding all about the business and potential roles available?
I found it very interesting to discover various niches in what I had previously assumed to be a very specialised role. I got to learn a lot about the different ways I could apply my coding knowledge and skills. I was also intrigued and excited about how there is space for growing and learning in Amazon as a staff and how you don't have to stay confined to one role, especially if you discover an ability/affinity or develop an interest/skill in a role /area/aspect different from the one you are currently working in.
Please rate how insightful you found the insight
5/5
How would you rate the structure of the insight
5/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
Yes, I now have a better understanding of how to write code that gives importance to efficiency. I've also learned how to maximize the features of data structures to write more efficient code and improved on writing unit tests to discover bugs in our code and fix them and test for edge cases. I actually also got to see using Java for HTTP communication between a program and a website for the first time.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
5/5
How would you rate the knowledge learned around industry-specific skills during the experience?
5/5
How would you rate the knowledge learned around personal or professional skills during the experience?
5/5
Please rate how the knowledge learned has helped you with regards to your career development
5/5
Company Culture
How would you rate business leader involvement during the insight
5/5
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
One I am looking forward to and hoping to get the chance to be in and experience in-person some time in the future. The atmosphere, especially in the main session was lively, charged with curiosity and eagerness to learn from us, attendees. There were many questions asked by the other members of the audience which gave me further insight into how Amazon is as a company and what it felt and was like to work there.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
5/5
How would you rate the networking opportunities?
4/5
Please rate how valued you felt during your insight?
5/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
I enjoyed it a lot. It was interesting, engaging, helpful, and informative. I learned to view my code from more than one perspective and was able to grow to appreciate the effectiveness and advantages of pair programming and code review by other team members. I also gained more knowledge and insight into the internship application process: how it works and how to prepare for its various stages. In addition, I developed a deeper understanding of what the role of a Software Development Engineer entails.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on the insight
5/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
5/5
Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
I was not paid and had no expenses
Recommendations and Advice
Please rate the future employment prospects at Amazon
5/5
Would you recommend Amazon to a friend?
Yes
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Amazon
Write a good CV. Also start inculcating Amazon's 16 leadership Principles from now. They will be very useful passing the assessment center, at least they were for me. In addition, try to show your intellectual curiosity and passion for learning during the interview and also make sure to sharpen your technical skills; your coding (especially in the programming languages mentioned on your CV), understanding and knowledge of data structures, algorithms and efficiency in code writing.
