Rating

7/10
  • 1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
  • I worked at Amazon for just under 10 months as part of a programme that I was able to get onto from my father. I worked in the customer service department, typically either on live chat or phone calls, my duty was to ensure customer satisfaction and to deal with problems they had, it was fairly simple as Amazon's systems allowed for easy support. I worked in a room with other staff but we didn't communicate a crazy amount.

    8/10

  • 2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
  • I learnt how to deal with customer requests and how to help disgruntled people. In terms of qualifications thankfully I did not need any, even English was only required as a basic form, as again the systems allow you to type in the language of your choice and it will translate for you (However this is a last resort and your English writing skills are tested beforehand)

    8/10

  • 3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
  • I enjoyed it a lot, I got to see what it was like from the companies perspective as opposed to the customer. While I did not work in a team, I could feel the culture was very serious and we all knew what we had to do to get the job done, it met my expectations as I was cautious about what to expect.

    7/10

  • 4. How valued do you feel by Amazon?
  • Not very, even as I was only there for a year I knew that they know we are all replaceable, which is fair enough. As a result, we did not get preferential treatment but of course speaking to managers would allow us to receive any help. Do not expect special treatment no matter where you work in this department at least.

    6/10

  • 5. How well organised/structured is your programme?
  • Very organised, we have set timetables and can clock off once we're done. It is simple enough to know what we have to do and where we have to be, so there are no complaints there for me. However, if you need help then you have to email your supervisor or speak to them in person if they are free as the programme doesn't cover everything.

    7/10

  • 6a. How much support do you receive from your training provider?
  • Not a great deal, at the start I was told if I needed help then I could email or call, however I never really felt like they could offer any help. It was more preferable to get help from Amazon themselves which was fine, so depending on your training provider you may not get much help like I did.

    5/10

  • 6b. How much support do you receive from your employer?
  • Amazon were great in terms of support, I was told that if I needed anything then I could email my supervisor or call them (however in most circumstances I didn't need to call, only if I was going to be late or miss work), so there are no complaints there for me. If you are feeling mentally drained then they have people to counsel with.

    8/10

  • 7. How well does your salary/package meet your costs?
  • As I worked temporarily, I was happy with my salary as I lived at home, I got lifts to work everyday so I saved costs but it might not be the right choice for everyone. I was satisfied with what I got and would definitely do this again if I had a year off (Like a gap year)

    9/10

  • 8. Are there many opportunities outside of work?
  • Not really, I saved a lot of my money, the opportunities here do not offer promotions or anything so I would not say that if you were looking to progress up the ranks then you should start here, as it will get very monotonous if this is all you are doing.

    5/10

  • 9. Would you recommend Amazon to a friend?
  • No


  • 9b. Why?
  • If you can consistently get to the warehouses in order to work, then yes you should consider it, but consider the fact that there are long hours and it can be hard to stay happy if customers are not content, it can be very difficult to please them if you are not in the mood.


  • 10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Amazon?
  • Do not expect a long process, just show them that you can help others in bad situations and that you're tech savvy (to an extent), so that you can work computers easily and simply. This will make you stand out, tell them your intentions, how long you want to work here etc it may sound strange but they appreciate honesty and the fact that you can be replaced.


Details

Gap Year Programme

Customer Service

North West

May 2017


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