“When I tell my family and friends that I start my workday leading stretching exercises for a full warehouse, they’re generally quite shocked! It's not what people would expect from a typical company, but I like that.
“In my role as an Area Manager, I’m responsible for driving engagement and motivating people, and this means I’m often speaking to a large team. I’m not a shy person, but this has really built my confidence a lot. During a busy period recently, I sang karaoke on the microphone, which is not something I thought I’d ever do at work!”
Emma is an intrepid traveller, and while her wanderlust has been curtailed during the pandemic, the flexibility of her role at Amazon and how it supports her travels is one of the things she loves most about her work.
“I really enjoy the flexibility of working at Amazon. My roster is four days on, so I get three days off each week. Prior to COVID-19, I would have been spending this time travelling anywhere I could. I love exploring new places. My favourite destination so far has been Cambodia. For now, with travel restrictions in place, I'm exploring my cooking skills instead and getting creative with some recipes.”
Engaging with others and being supportive is another of Emma’s favourite aspects of working in the fulfilment centre.
I love being able to help people identify their barriers, set them up for success and really establish what their superpowers are for them to develop their careers with Amazon. It can be challenging at times, but I find it incredibly rewarding. One of my biggest career goals was to work somewhere I could make an impact. I truly feel I get to do this at Amazon.
“The culture here is very supportive, particularly for women working in logistics which can be a very male dominated industry. There’s a lot of diversity and if I ever have a question or need some help with something, I've got a world of connections to reach out to for support. You don’t ever feel like you must face a challenge alone.”
Emma’s final thoughts...
What’s one of your favourite moments working at Amazon?
“My favourite moment so far is probably being dared to sing karaoke by my team. It was during a busy period around Christmas time, and we had lots of orders to ship out, so I jumped up on the microphone and belted out a tune in front of everyone at lunchtime.”
What do you think people would be most surprised to learn about working at Amazon?
"Just how many opportunities there are here to grow your career. There are so many different career pathways, and every role offers the opportunity to develop important skills. In my case, I feel I’ve really developed my leadership skills.”
What’s your advice for someone joining Amazon?
“Take every opportunity available to you. There are so many opportunities to grow here, but it's up to you to make the most of them. You will need to work hard, but you will also get to have fun if you open yourself up to it.”
What’s next for you at Amazon?
“I really want to take what I’ve learnt and share it with others. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll become an Operations Manager.”
