Transitioning from the military into a civilian career can be a challenging, even daunting, professional endeavor. ClearanceJobs recently chatted with Beau Guidry, an engineering operations facility manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS), about his transition to a civilian career and the benefits AWS offers to former military personnel.
In fact, one of the tools AWS offers is the ability to seamlessly translate skills learned in the military into relevant positions across the company. Their Military Skills Translator takes your years of experience, ranking, branch, and MOS into consideration to match you with Amazon or AWS careers that may be a good fit.
Similarities and differences between AWS and the military
Working at AWS has some similarities to working for the military, such as the tight-knit teams and high standards of excellence, but Guidry was quick to point out the positive differences he’s found in his civilian career.
“When I transitioned, I immediately noted the innovation, frugality, and speed Amazon operates with and I just found it to be really impressive,” Guidry said. “Sometimes in the military you can’t innovate change quickly. We have the ability just to create simple solutions and I really appreciate that. If you have that mentality and customer obsession, then Amazon is definitely the right place for you to not only apply your skillset from the military, but to enjoy the benefits of some of those changes that I think are really excellent as you leave the military.”
Supporting work/life balance
Achieving balance sometimes seems impossible in the digital world, but AWS works hard to help its employees find and maintain that elusive balance.
“We really understand as a company that balance outside of work enables great productivity inside of work,” Guidry said. “Management really makes a strong effort to make this a great place to work and definitely respects your off time as well, so you can recharge, rejuvenate, and come back to work with a high level of satisfaction.”
Progressing in your career doesn’t always mean moving up the ranks
Another way AWS supports work/life balance is by actively supporting employees’ interests, helping them pursue the next steps in their careers, and getting the training that will continue to support their development as people and as employees.
“We really seek to round out employees and provide them actionable feedback on where they can improve, and matching that with resources to enable them to improve,” Guidry said. “That could look like training on document writing, training on how to improve during interviewing, technical skillsets, or even sending people to external training to enable them to have new skills.”
Progressing in your career doesn’t necessarily mean moving up the ranks, either. It can also mean making a lateral move into an area that better suits your skills or areas you’d like to grow in, or it could mean digging deep into the position you’re in to expand your knowledge and areas of influence.
“Unlike the military, it is very easy to do an internal transfer and navigate to a team that better suits your passions,” Guidry said. “We look very favorably on all forms of growth. Any way we can bolster a stronger individual, that contributes to the larger culture and our success as a company.”
Not only does AWS support employee growth, but they give their employees a chance to have a global influence. This type of influence often isn’t possible in the military, but it’s the norm at AWS. Guidry explained that his work at a data center and the changes he suggested are being implemented worldwide, impacting future builds.
Joining AWS
AWS uses a three-step hiring process: a hiring manager reviews each resume, then there is an initial phone screen to make sure the person and the job are a good fit, and finally “on-site” interviews, which are usually conducted virtually.
Guidry has some advice to job seekers who are looking to jump in with AWS’s mission: “Take the time to polish your resume, send it out to different people and solicit feedback, and make sure you’re customizing it for the role for which you‘re applying.”
He also recommends familiarizing yourself with Amazon’s leadership principles and being ready to share examples of your past work.
“Nobody is perfect. Some of the best examples I’ve heard in interviews were massive failures at the time, but the individuals learned from them,” Guidry said. “That mindset of continuous learning is really valuable.”
Interested in learning more about careers for former military at AWS?
Try the Amazon Military Skills Translator tool or visit AWS Military Careers to search open roles.
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