So I figure after a couple weeks of working at Amazon.com I should give my general impressions of the corporate atmosphere. I’ve worked at small computer companies since I was fifteen, so the switch to the high-tech megacorp was a radical one. My years of experience in the small business arena definitely prepared me in many ways for what I now work with, but other things are completely new.
For one, being in a corporate atmosphere means that you have a lot of coworkers, many of whom are young and fresh out of college. The lifestyle is therefore similar to college: cliques, group outings, etc. It’s nice because it’s familiar, but I’m also still wondering where that “real world” is. Just like in college there are quiet people, strange people, asinine people, and normal people.
You can either work in a very limited role, completing tasks that are delegated to you, or you can poke around and join discussion groups and email key people about design decisions and proposals. It seems that there’s enough room for one to grow to whatever level one wishes–it just takes ambition and forward thinking.
So far it’s been a pleasant experience and I don’t doubt that the rest of the summer will be better yet.
Cool stuff bro. Hope you’re liking it up there. I know I for myself, the tech industry I love, however dealing with the common person is idiotic.
Yeah, honestly, if I didn’t know other techinterns, it’d be hard to find people with whom to socialize.