5 Amazon Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Amazon is ever expanding and taking on new industries head on year after year.

As such, the opportunities the company has to offer don’t apply only to the items it develops or sells…

Which is practically almost everything imaginable under the sun.

The variety and amount of available jobs is also astounding! All you need to do is look at their careers page.

And admit it, being able to say you’ve worked at a FAANG company is cool. Merely having Amazon on your resume opens, so many doors should you decide to change jobs again.

Whether you want to work at one of the Fulfillment Centers or design a new product: the possibilities are endless.

But how does one compete with the sea of candidates who apply each day?

Are there any rules you must follow? What do Amazon recruiters seek in a perfect candidate?

Are there any pitfalls to be on the watch-out for?

How does one stand out?

It’s easy!

And Enhancv is here to help! We have all the tips, templates and examples you’ll need to land your dream job at Amazon.

Our complete guide will teach you all about

• Which professionals are most sought after by Amazon recruiters
• Which resume format and file types are preferred by hiring managers
• Formatting rules you should keep in mind, including how to name your resume
• Which sections you should focus on and which you can discard to save space
• What Amazon recruiters are on the lookout for and how you can impress them
• What to do after you’ve sent out your Amazon resume and what to expect next

Looking for related resumes?

• Product manager resume
• Solutions architect resume
• Software engineer resume
• AWS resume

How to compile an Amazon resume that gets you the job

As we stated above, building the perfect resume isn’t so hard. Even if you’re aiming for a position at a Big Tech company such as Amazon.

All it takes is:

• Some research for the job and the interview
• Presenting your achievements according to the preferences of Amazon recruiters
• Weeding out the unnecessary information

Sounds simple enough, right?

Let’s explore what each of these points mean.

It goes without saying that one of the ways to beat the competition is research and preparation.

Yes, everyone is familiar with Amazon. Or uses one of the company’s many products. And here is where turning company knowledge to your advantage is key.

Many of the lucrative positions demand between 4-6 years of experience. Some of them go even higher, with requirements of up to 10+ years of military experience.

For example, if you want to be a Solutions Architect, it’s not enough to know how to work with Azure or Google Cloud.

You’ll have to be able to work with AWS products and services, too.

Check if Amazon hiring managers prefer specific certificates before applying. Sometimes equivalent experience is also acceptable.

Also, keep up with company news. Very often, available positions are linked to a new product or a service.

This will help you tailor your resume. And display how your career growth aligns with company plans.

Remember, Amazon is searching for people who are in for the long haul. You have to show you’re really invested in where the company is heading.

And one way to show you were paying attention is to format your resume properly. And provide only what’s necessary.

With this in mind, what does your Amazon resume have to look like?

Try to fit everything in no more than two pages. It takes recruiters only 6 seconds to decide whether to continue reading or not. Be succinct and straight to the point.

Or as Amazon recruiters say:

There is some leeway for candidates with decade-long professional careers. Especially if you’ve worked on a high profile project. But don’t go too overboard.

Amazon hiring managers love the traditional reverse-chronological format. It’s intuitive and simple. And easy for the ATS systems to process.

What is this?

Most corporations, including FAANG companies, use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). This is a piece of software which weeds out unsuitable candidates.

How?

By searching for specific keywords on your resume. (More on these later).

That’s why Amazon recruiters recommend not to use any flashy color schemes or photos. Stick to a font size of 11 or 12 and use either Calibri or Times New Roman.

Once you’re done, don’t forget to proofread your work. It’s no use adding keywords to your resume, if they are spelled wrong.

Then, save your work either as a PDF or an MS word resume. Amazon isn’t picky and accepts both formats.

Keep track of how you name your resume. Nobody likes unintelligible file names. And any attempts at being funny can backfire.

Hence, Amazon recruiters suggest the following format:

YourNameResumeYear

This will make it easier for you to know which resume you’ve used when applying. Especially if you’re trying to secure positions with other Big Tech companies.

Now that you know the general formatting rules, here is how to divide your document:

What about the resume summary and skills sections?

These are optional. If you’re a:

• College grad - a good resume objective can serve as a good sales pitch. And highlight your enthusiasm for the role.
• Tenured professional - these sections.

Why skip?

Amazon hiring managers consider these redundant. The bulk of your resume should be the experience section. As such, recruiters’ focus is on examples and results.

Speaking of focus, consider the following interview questions when building your resume:

Finally, after you’ve submitted your resume, network. Contact the hiring managers through LinkedIn, and thank them for their consideration.

This approach shows motivation and willingness to learn more about your future team.

The resume header: how to grab recruiters’ attention right from the get-go

Starting from the top, the resume header contains all your basic details:

• Name
• Job title
• Address
• Contact information
• Links to portfolios and relevant social media accounts

This is the first thing hiring managers see when they open your resume. Then they scan down to see if you’re the candidate they’ve been looking for.

But before they continue reading, you need to give them a reason to do so. This is the job of the resume header. And the resume summary, if you decide to include one.

Don’t forget, formatting and proofreading are key. You don’t want to miss your chance at a dream job because of typos.

2 Amazon Resume Header Examples

Have a look at the following sample header. How does it make you feel?

Not very confident, we bet.

So, what’s wrong with this example?

Well, a few things, actually:

• The job title is too vague
• The address is sloppily included
• No phone number has been listed
• Links to relevant social media accounts and portfolios are missing

If your job title doesn’t match the job description, you can add a similar title. Or expand your current title.

For example, imagine you’re a Software Engineer, and you’re applying for an ML role. You need to show the skills and experience necessary for the position.

But before you can say anything about those, the recruiter will look at the job title in the header.

If you give a sign you’re the specialist they want, hiring managers will continue reading. And this is where you can elaborate on your current role:

Software Engineer and Machine Learning Specialist.

Also, Amazon recruiters love links. They want to review samples of your work. Be it a link to a personal website or your LinkedIn page - just keep it relevant to the position.

And make sure they work before you submit your resume.

Here is a better version of the same resume header:

Neat, right?

There’s even a link to Kaleb’s GitHub!

This will surely display the candidate’s range of experience to the right people.

What’s next?

Demystifying the resume objective and summary: does your amazon resume need one?

Before you decide whether you should include this section, we need to discuss its purpose. And the differences between a resume summary and a resume objective.

In layman’s terms:

• Experienced specialists and professionals use the resume summary as an elevator pitch
• College grads and those who switch careers add an objective to their resume. Either to show motivation or to tell their story.

As we mentioned above, including this section on your Amazon resume is optional. It all boils down to experience.

If you’re a tenured specialist with lots of projects under their belt, you don’t need one. Amazon recruiters prefer it if you leave more room for your experience to speak for itself.

Hence, why they say the experience section should be the bulk of your resume. But if you still feel the need to add a summary, make sure it’s stellar. Keep it short and sweet.

If you decide to omit it, it’s still a good practice to write one.

Why?

Remember the questions you need to focus on when writing your resume. Very often Amazon recruiters ask behavioral questions during the first phone interview.

One of these questions is the dreaded: “Tell me a bit about yourself…”

Here is where the elevator pitch comes in. You can use your summary to brief recruiters on your experience, but still keep it concise.

If you’re a college grad or applying for an internship, include a resume objective. Not only will you make the resume look fuller, but you can tell your story.

This is the best place to explain how and why you want to join Amazon. Even before the hiring managers have a chance to ask you this question.

It can also serve as the starting talking point when you secure your interview.

3 Amazon Resume Summary Examples

With all this in mind, take a look at the resume objective below:

It sounds fake, doesn’t it?

There are a few reasons for this:

• The candidate can’t be an “experienced graduate”
• Use of “I” statements
• Focus on the candidate

The first one is an oxymoron. It looks like a confidence boost for the candidate. Don’t rely on adjectives. Instead, use action verbs to emphasize successes.

Secondly, “I” statements are never a good idea.

Why?

It’s both unprofessional and shifts the focus. Concentrate on how your skill set and your ideas can help the company achieve its goals.

Show how your thinking aligns with the company values and Leadership Principles. Amazon recruiters need to vet whether you’ll be a cultural fit, too.

How can we make the sample more convincing?

Have a look:

What an improvement!

This resume objective has everything it needs to have:

• A short intro with a relevant internship
• Career focus and clear development path
• Valuable skills and know-how

So, the candidate will definitely receive a callback.

What about resume summaries? We have your back, check out the example below:

The star of your Amazon resume: the experience section

Many hiring managers emphasize the importance of experience. Yet, Amazon takes it to the next level.

There are few reasons why the company prefers if you leave more space for this section:

• Company descriptions
• Relevant experience

To understand your past projects, recruiters want to know about your previous employers. Introduce each company you have worked for in 2-3 sentences.

Explain the company’s main business and, if they have one, add a link to their website.

Bonus points if you mention what market share each company holds. This hints at the scale of the projects you’ve handled, as well as your responsibilities.

And when it comes to relevant experience, don’t worry if you can’t match the job description fully.

In reality, it’s hard to find two experts with the same work history. Unless they’ve worked together.

Besides, Amazon hiring managers know this. That’s why they look for comparable experiences, too. If you:

• Have tackled similar tasks in the past
• Are a fast learner, and you are not afraid of research
• Have demonstrated good performance in past projects

That’s all you need!

Remember to lead each entry with data. Use action words and give examples of your work. Ultimately, hiring managers are searching for an applicant who can provide results.

Now, some Amazon recruiters also look at the length of your tenure. Especially for more senior positions.

Why?

Because they want to confirm whether you’re in for the long haul.

There are candidates who only want the prestige of having Amazon on their resume. And won’t actually commit to a long-term contract.

What does this look like in action?

3 Amazon Resume Experience Examples

Consider the experience entry below:

The bullet points are a good first draft… for when you’re listing ideas on what to add. But there are few glaring mistakes which reduce the quality of this entry:

• Engineering can take many forms. We can deduce that the applicant is a software engineer only by looking at the bullet points.
• The company description is missing, as well as a website link. Even if the employer has no website (difficult to imagine), a description makes up for that.
• No results or achievements have been listed. Even if the candidate has used action words. These mean nothing without a relevant outcome.

Want to see the edited version?

This is a wealth of information!

Notice how each bullet point is supplemented with precise numbers. This shows a results-oriented individual who keeps tabs on their work.

The applicant knows exactly where he stands. And as a result, Kaleb knows what kind of impact his work has on the projects he was involved with.

What makes this entry even more impressive is the company description.

Why?

Because it provides context to the achievements.

For instance, imagine you’re a recruiter, and you’re reading someone’s resume.

You stumble upon an entry: “doubled the amount of clients you’ve had the past year”. A 50% increase is significant!

But then you learn that instead of two clients, the candidate now has two. Because he invited family to join in.

Then again, two clients can mean the world. If we’re talking about multi-million dollar contracts.

That’s why context is important.

Need another example? Here is one for the Technical Product Managers amongst you:

Do you need a separate skills section on your Amazon resume?

As we mentioned before, Amazon hiring managers suggest skipping this section.

One way to go about this rule is to include your talents in the experience section. As more bullet points. Anything between 3 and 5 bullet points would be ideal.

So, before you continue writing, check the experience section one more time. If you feel like you’ve missed a relevant skill, add it there. And link it to your projects.

Let your talents shine through your work experience.

Keep in mind that you need to keep a balance between your soft skills and your hard skills. Especially if you’re applying for a technical position.

It’s important to show a well-rounded and believable story. After all, you’re not a robot. And Amazon recruiters need to assess whether you’re a cultural fit.

Not sure how to do it?

How to flaunt your technical abilities on your resume

Explaining how you’ve used a skill or a tool is easy. Tech tasks always produce visible and measurable outcomes.

If you’re applying for a tech role, read the job description carefully. Try to match your skills and experience to what is listed there. Show how your abilities can be applied at Amazon.

There are between 4 and 6 technical interviews following resume submission. So, make sure you are comfortable interviewing in the languages and tools you’ve added.

In light of this, here are the trendiest abilities for the top technical positions:

How to link your social abilities to quantifiable outcomes

This part is a bit difficult. But it’s not impossible!

You have to apply the same logic as with your hard skills. Think of how you operate on a day-to-day basis.

How does your work approach affect your colleagues? Is there anything your team or boss praise you for?

Have you helped establish specific practices?

Your work doesn’t end with the program you’ve developed. Or a guide you’ve written.

All you have to do is go about it the right way.

Take a look at the table below:

Notice how each ability is tied to a measurable result? This is the key.

Think about your social talents and examples of how you’ve applied them at work. What was the outcome? Is there a way to tie them to a particular project?

How about a way to quantify their effect?

Write that down.

Then, using the C-A-R method (Challenge - Action - Result), compose an entry for each skill.

If you’re struggling to come up with ideas for social talents:

• Look at the job description
• Review past projects

Or check out the ones in the table below:

Which degrees do Amazon recruiters value the most

If you review the Amazon job descriptions, not every role requires traditional education.

Many positions ask only for an equivalent practical experience. Still, traditional education goes a long way.

Some of the most popular degrees include:

• BS/MS Computer Science
• BS/MS Computer Engineering
• BS Math
• BA/BS Finance
• BA/BS Economics
• BS/MS Product Management

If you’re a tenured professional, the experience section should go near the top of your resume. But if you’re a recent grad, start with your education and internships first.

Make sure you detail your major and graduation semester. It’s not necessary to list your GPA, unless your degree is relevant to the position.

And remember the bit about keywords that we mentioned in the beginning of this guide.

No?

Well, here is where they come in handy. If you’re a college grad, you don’t have much experience to talk about.

Since the ATS software relies on trigger keywords, you’ll have a hard time matching them. But if you list relevant majors, minors and projects, you’ll have one foot in the door.

Are there any certificates that can boost your chances?

Definitely!

Needless to say, you must be familiar with Amazon’s products. And the best way to do this is to get certified by them.

If you hold any of their badges, the company will be sure you adhere to its standards.

Don't forget, there are many other product design and management licenses you can reference.

The world is your oyster!

What else can you append to your Amazon resume?"?

Amazon hiring managers admit that they aren’t fans of the cover letter. There are many applicants and not enough time to review letters.

Yet, there are other things you can include, such as:

• College and side projects
• Awards and prizes
• Publications, patents and journal articles
• Contributions to open source projects
• Interests and hobbies
• Volunteer work

Check which of these will be most applicable for the role and tailor your resume.

Key takeaways: how to start your career at Amazon

• Review the job description carefully before you begin writing
• Stick to the reverse-chronological format for your resume layout
• Research the Amazon Leadership Principles and reference them in your resume
• Avoid fancy color schemes and crazy fonts
• Save your resume as an MS doc or a PDF file
• Follow the document name conventions Amazon prefers
• Write a resume summary or objective only if it will benefit you
• Leave the bulk of your resume for the experience section
• Describe each company you’ve worked for with 2-3 sentences
• Always include links to your portfolio and the websites of past employers