Two AWS interns share six insights into Amazon's dynamic culture

Jazlyn: There’s a “Learn and Be Curious” sign on my office’s third floor, and we’ve seen other Leadership Principles — or “LPs” in Amazon parlance — scattered throughout Seattle’s Amazon buildings.

My understanding of the LPs symbolized my journey here. At first, I saw them as 16 tenets to memorize in order to belong at Amazon. Spending 12 weeks at Amazon’s headquarters, I realized that LP language is a part of every meeting and drives ideas here. The LPs are instrumental to Amazon’s culture, grounding Amazonians and connecting business priorities with our day-to-day experiences. Our experience as interns seemed to quickly mirror the experiences of full-time employees in that we believed in these principles, establishing our sense of belonging at Amazon.

Skye: People aren’t that intimidating when they’re sipping on an oat milk latte. So, schedule coffee chats and lots of them.

Jazlyn: Coffee chats are one-on-one meetings with Amazonians who work in your department but aren’t on your team—these introductions are aptly over coffee if you work in the same city. These chats are a helpful resource to learn about the company and streamline the onboarding process for interns and new hires.

Skye: When I started my internship, I remember feeling out of place, but my mentor encouraged me to flood my calendar with coffee chats. These conversations were valuable in a couple of ways. First, I got loads of advice from more experienced professionals. Second, I learned more about the departments adjacent to mine. At AWS, it isn’t enough to know your team — you need a good understanding of the groups you work closest with.

"Amazon is 100% data-driven, so when one approach isn’t producing the desired results, we brainstorm another way. ... We reflect on whether every action we’re taking is creating the most impact for our customers and we invent along the way. 

Jazlyn White

Jazlyn: Amazon is 100% data-driven, so when one approach isn’t producing the desired results, we brainstorm another way. Because Customer Obsession is arguably our most esteemed Leadership Principle, our goal is never to simply complete a checklist. We reflect on whether every action we’re taking is creating the most impact for our customers and we invent along the way.  

Skye: In my first three weeks at AWS, I received this piece of advice about four times: log everything. So, I did — I logged every meeting I attended, every project I worked on, every task I completed, and every employee I worked with. I just didn’t realize how valuable this advice would become until working on my final presentation. Now, 11 weeks later, I have a catalogue of everything I’ve accomplished during my internship. (And something to show off to my parents.)

Jazlyn: I agree but found this especially hard since Amazon is incredibly dynamic. A piece of advice I received several times was to write work-back schedules for every project and deliverable, big or small. “Working backwards” is Amazon’s approach to innovation: begin by identifying your customers’ needs and work backwards from there to develop a plan.  

This approach guided me through writing my first “doc” at Amazon (docs, or narratives, are how we outline the context, goals, and strategies for a particular product, service, or initiative). And it even helped me pace myself throughout the week. I’d write lists with three columns: what I must start, what’s in progress, and what’s complete. I also made these lists fun; I came up with a color coordination system and added reminders to set internal deadlines. It made tracking my progress satisfying!   

"In my first three weeks at AWS, I received this piece of advice about four times: log everything. So, I did — I logged every meeting I attended, every project I worked on, every task I completed, and every employee I worked with."

Skye Garcia

Jazlyn: “Insist on the Highest Standards” and “Dive Deep” are two LPs that drive your projects and deliverables at Amazon. I frequently used my team’s weekly syncs—round robin style meetings to go over that week’s wins and priority items—to get extra eyes on my projects at their draft stages. We all come together to “produce the best end result,” which is how I described it in my intern self-review.  

Jazlyn: At Amazon, we celebrate our wins, but not for too long. We’re always thinking about how we can scale further or our next project.

Skye: And that’s kind of how I’m thinking about life after AWS: I’ll celebrate my wins, but there’s always so much more to expect. After August of next year, I’ll be a full-fledged college graduate with bachelor’s and master’s degrees under my belt, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Jazlyn: I’ve grown so much during a summer internship and that’s made me really excited to embrace all the experiences that will come my way! I’m excited to resume my career journey in May of 2025, after I graduate college, but I’m also happy that I’ve gained writing and communication skills at this job that are transferrable to my academic life!

Working at AWS was an amazing experience. We’ve learned so much from our time, and we’re excited to see where it leads us. See you next year — maybe as full-time Amazonians!