On today’s first ever National Hire a Veteran Day, I’d like to share why I’ve loved being a reservist at Amazon.
I joined Amazon Lab126 six years ago and have risen to be a Principal Product Manager, leading a team of engineers investigating and incubating some of Amazon’s newest breakthrough products. I’m also an officer in the Navy Reserve. My path to military service is a little different from most of my fellow veterans at Amazon. I accepted a commission after joining the company, a decision that was based in part on the support and benefits Amazon provides employees who are serving. A fact of life for any reservist is the call to active duty– something that happened several weeks ago.
In 2016, we pledged to hire 25K veterans by 2021. 18 months in, we're on track to far exceed that pledge https://t.co/QhCdJSt1lv pic.twitter.com/GDLzo7zm6k
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) November 9, 2017
As a leader of a team, I wanted to ensure I left everyone setup for success. So my manager and I met to create a solid coverage plan for my absence. Amazon’s military leave ambassador talked me through all the details to make sure I wouldn’t have to worry about anything. I would continue to receive my benefits and salary while on leave for a month.
I also leaned on the vast Warriors@Amazon network, our community of thousands of veterans, reservists and military family members. They shared their experiences and offered recommendations for making my time serving as seamless as possible.
I came to Amazon because the work was exciting and there’s a strong culture of ownership. The company’s Leadership Principles which underpin the culture are similar to the expectations and values I have found in the Navy. When you serve in the military, you are the member of a team and focused on a shared mission. Having Amazon support me in my ongoing work on behalf of the country – as a reservist – only reaffirmed why I’ve stayed at Amazon for six years.
As transitioning military members and veterans weigh their options on National Hire a Veteran Day, I encourage you to look for places that support your sense of duty, enable you to build meaningful careers and empower you to do what you love.