Pros
Working for Amazon is great for the CV and if you can manage to stick it out for a year you will feel that you have performed a miracle. Most people don't last that long. Amazon truly did have the smartest people I have ever worked with, sadly with very little 'social intelligence' or any life outside of work, no time to exercise, socialise, holiday... makes you wonder how smart they really are? Amazon's long strategy to be the worlds most customer centric company is great, but only if you are a shareholder or customer. Employees are chewed up, exhausted and spat out before being replaced with a fresh MBA grad with fat loan repayments to keep up & no exposure to working for a decent company who think that the way people in this company behave is normal - it is not.
Cons
Every single employee in Amazon is overworked and people are generally too busy to spend time with family, friends, exercise and have interests outside of work, let alone look up from their screens to acknowledge co-workers coming or going. Most workers eat lunch at their desk as they are too busy for a break. The majority of employees would not dream of leaving the office before 7pm, if you do this then your lack of commitment to Jeff's cause will be noticed. If offered one, don't take a blackberry or you will never get away from the madness. People who get on at Amazon are aggressive, know it all, blame culture workaholics, who will shift the blame on anyone but themselves and tear you to pieces as soon as anything goes wrong. Everything is a 'fire-drill' with people panicking and looking to apportion blame. You either have to adopt some of this negative behaviour yourself or you will become mincemeat. This kind of attitude would you get you nowhere in the real world but for some reason it is tolerated and encouraged at Amazon, just make you sure you unlearn this terrible workplace behaviour as quickly as possible once you have escaped. I saw at least 4 people 'disappear' during my time at Amazon, including someone who had relocated from abroad to work in Luxemburg who was fired in the most undignified manner. Employees who relocate and decide to leave of their own accord will be chased to repay relocation expenses. During an all hands meeting management sang the praises of people who had exceptional commitment to Amazon, one such person was specifically mentioned in front of the audience as a hero for still working from their laptop on an important project while next to the hospital bedside of their very sick child. This said it all, 'Amazon is more important than you, your health, your family and everything in your life'. Truly unbelievable and sickened me to the core. Don't be blinded by the RSUs (stock options), most people don't last here longer than a year. I heard internally that only 7% of people get the 4th year RSU pay out so you better be REALLY happy with your base salary and uncompetitive benefits package, 0% training budget and 0% chance of a pay rise during your time with Amazon. Also don't forget that you will be working double the hours of a regular job and that combined with the fact that the cost of living is extremely high in Luxembourg means your hourly rate will be peanuts. I read the negative reviews before joining Amazon and thought that 'it could not be THAT bad'!?. IT IS and more, so don't make the same mistake!!