Pros
Moves fast and places bets quickly. Opportunities to work in different groups. Leader in multiple markets. Energetic peers. Outside of finance there are some good opportunities.
Cons
Employees are not valued at Amazon and there is no emphasis on making it a desirable place to work, with finance at very bottom of corporate totem pole. If in finance you will spend most of your time chasing bad data and fixing manual processes, and and almost no time on analysis or strategy. Finance roles seen as data aggregation roles, not as analysts or business influencers. Poor finance tools, bad data scattered across groups, hard to get access, ad hoc manual processes. Long hours and high stress. Fast growth has led to hiring whoever is available so if you are unemployed you can get a job at Amazon, but be prepared to work in a dysfunctional group with bad managers where employees are seen as consumable resources, not assets. Weak managers, low job satisfaction, high turnover so constantly doing multiple jobs to cover open heads, long unsatisfying hours. Met many in finance in different Amazon businesses and across the board finance jobs had low satisfaction. High levels of frustration and stress - the faster growing the group the greater the stress. Many folks hired in who don't realize what they are getting into as Amazon desperate to hire then alters roles. Outside of finance, also demanding but met various people who liked their work, but not any within finance. Weekly reporting cycle is also a grind that detracts from value add work (in contrast to monthly reporting in most companies). If you are going to work at Amazon, live in Seattle within walking distance as traffic on city streets has become extremely congested. Stock is minimal until after two years. No comp increases after first year of employment. If stock rises, then no additional stock awards for future years. Talk to actual current employees and not just your interview loop.
