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# I’m an Amazon director who’s held 12 different roles in my 23 years at the company. Here are 4 tips to making a successful career change.

*I’ve worked on the corporate help desk, in deskside support, and in technical account management. Now I lead a team. Here are my keys to making career pivots.*

A little more than 23 years ago, I was working at a bank when I got a call from a friend that would change my career. He told me to come work at a company called Amazon. I didn’t know much about it, and he wanted to know if I was interested in working on the help desk—an area I had no background in.

That would begin what would turn out to be a common theme over my now 23-year Amazon career: just saying yes.

I am currently a director, leading the Small Business Insights team. I have lived in Seattle and Luxembourg. I have held roles on the corporate help desk, deskside support, technical account management, and across the Customer Experience & Business Trends team—all without ever leaving Amazon.

![A photo of a person sitting at a desk working at a computer. Behind them are graphics that reflect predicted top 5 AI jobs of the future: a nurse, farmer, restoration specialist, cosmic reality engineer, and virtual tourism producer.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/898e9cf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1125+156+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fd1%2F8b%2F22503785460c8567b1088caa64da%2F2000x1125-hero1.jpg)

- [5 AI careers of the future—and the Amazon skills-training programs to help you prepare](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/community/amazon-ai-jobs-skills-training)

I worked myself into each new role—almost never being familiar with or having a background in it. Sometimes, I enrolled in night classes, other times I peppered teammates with questions. Each time I took the learnings and skills I developed on the job and brought them with me to the next, even if I was unsure how they would apply.

Below are my top tips for making the most out of new opportunities, no matter how unfamiliar they may seem at first.

I have collected skills like someone else might collect shoes. Each time I was offered a new opportunity, it came at a time I didn’t expect it. I think that was because I have always focused on my current role, and gaining as many new skills as possible. You never know how they might be used down the line.

When I was in tech support, I focused on troubleshooting. That made me more curious and a better problem solver. When I got an opportunity to join the Customer Experience Business Insights team, I didn’t think my tech support skills would translate, but they were invaluable for identifying customer experience opportunities in digital products and services.

One mentor won’t have all of your answers. Instead, [I have cultivated a network of many people for honest feedback and advice](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-beth-galetti-employee-mentorship). I have never worked with smarter people in my life and everyone has their areas of strength. So, learning a little from as many people as possible can make you a much more well-rounded individual.

![An image of a woman sitting on a chair, smiling for a photo against a white background while wearing a bright blue blazer.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/f90d41d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1333+0+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F2b%2Fa1%2Fc44cefa94d5183f4bc62ad323590%2Frasheeda.jpg)

- [11 Amazon interview tips from recruiters and hiring managers](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/recruiters-offer-their-best-tips-for-interviewing-at-amazon)

When I was offered my first role on the Customer Experience Business Insights team, I didn’t even know what it was. A former colleague on the team told me a tech support background would help, and I decided to take the plunge.

I didn’t worry about all the reasons—and there were plenty—that I wouldn’t be good at the role, or that I wasn’t ready. I just did it and focused on what a great chance I had in front of me to learn something new. I have never regretted that.

Then there was the first doc I ever wrote. Amazon is known for its heavy writing culture where we narratively structure six-page memos instead of PowerPoint presentations to structure meetings. I had never written a six-pager before, and as a new member of the Customer Experience Business Insights team, this was going to be a focus of my new job.

When I got it back after an initial round of feedback, it was more red with markups than black. But I kept practicing, writing more and more, and learning from others’ feedback and support. I learned to write simply and concisely, getting to the point quickly without flowery language.

I questioned myself going into the role, asking if I could really do this. But I knew with practice and support, I would improve, and today I am a much better writer than I was before, which is the whole point and what has made my entire career so amazing—the chance to grow and be challenged all the time.

## Learn more from leaders at Amazon:

- [I'm an Amazon VP who's grown with the company for 12 years. Here are my top 5 leadership tips for managers.](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/stefano-perego-leadership-style-tips)
- [I’m an HR executive at Amazon. These are 5 lessons I’ve learned about leading successful, inclusive teams.](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-hr-executive-j-ofori-agboka-shares-tips-for-success)
- [I'm a leader on Amazon's Last Mile Delivery team. These are 6 lessons I've learned in my career.](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-executive-beryl-tomay-shares-best-career-advice)