Craig B.’s Post

❓ Why I Left Amazon Leaving a prestigious company like Amazon may seem unconventional, but sometimes, it's the right choice for personal growth and fulfillment. Reflecting on my experience, I realized that my passion lies elsewhere, beyond the realm of business analysis. I believe there are 3 main elements of job dissatisfaction, and here’s mine: 🔵 1. Enjoying the Work: I enjoyed some parts, but it wasn’t my biggest joy (mine is understanding and helping people connect with themselves). 🔵 2. Being Good at the Work: I was good at it (according to my reviews) but bored due to redundant tasks. I don’t think technical skills are my biggest gifts either. 🔵 3. Creating an Impact: The impact I made at Amazon didn't resonate with my desire to contribute meaningfully to society, particularly in the realms of mental health and personal alignment. ➕ The decision was further solidified when the company announced a return to the office, conflicting with my need for flexibility in time and space. So, I stopped blaming external factors and took responsibility for creating a career that feels right—that I’m truly grateful now. I’m also thankful for my time at Amazon because it led me to find who I am and what I really want. Everyone has a different experience, so this is just my story. ✴ If it doesn’t feel right, it’s not aligned. And it's our responsibility to own and choose what is aligned with us. As Ariana Grande famously said, “Thank you, next!” 💅 😅 -------------------------------- I’d love to hear your career journey too. If you prefer a more private conversation, feel free to send me a DM. We can explore your story and the possibilities ahead 🌈

Excited to share that I have completed the Deemed Exports for Amazon Recruitment course! This program has provided me with valuable insights and skills, which I am eager to apply in my professional journey. #Amazon #DeemedExports #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerGrowth #LearningJourney

Today marks my 3rd Amaversary at Amazon! 🎂🍾 People often say “time flies” ✈️ but looking back, I see a journey packed with achievements 🏆 that prove every moment has been worth it. Here are some highlights from the past three years: ✅ I have collaborated with hundreds of stakeholders across all regions, building a network of incredibly talented and smart people. ✅ Created the first Global Procurement Organization Policy Handbook. ✅ Designed and rolled out a global tail spend sourcing process, leading a team to build and deploy it at scale. ✅ Helped launch Amazon’s first Source-to-Pay process taxonomy. ✅ Evaluated 20+ vendors and supported the selection of a key software solution for process governance. ✅ Supported the process mapping, implementation, and training for the Fairmarkit sourcing platform. ✅ Developed and launched a new Coupa purchase requisition intake form. ✅ Project Manager of the Global Spend Management Operating Model. ✅ Completed Amazon’s interviewer training (MGHD) and am working toward 100 interviews. ✅ Earned a promotion in my first year at Amazon. ✅ Volunteered at 8 social impact events, giving back to our communities. ✅ Mentored 8 fellow Amazonians on career development. ✅ Achieved PMP certification and completed McKinsey’s Sourcing training. I’m sure there’s more I could add, but I’m excited for continuing working hard and making history. At Amazon, it’s always Day 1. #Amaversary #Day1 #Amazon #Grateful

One month into my tenure at Amazon, one of my direct reports came to me and my manager with news and a request for guidance. She had been working on a project with an adjacent team and found it fulfilled her passion for supporting small businesses. This team now had a full-time position and wanted to offer it to her! My manager spoke first: Be cautious about job hopping and impact it could have on your reputation. It seems risky. Are you sure it's what you want to do? I spoke next: I can see how excited you are when working on this project. If that's the path you choose, I will support you in making the transition. This is what happened next: 👉 She accepted the job, stayed in it for years, and got promoted (no easy feat at Amazon). When the time was right, she left Amazon to start her own business doing something she loves. 👉 She referred a great candidate as a potential replacement. This person ended up with two Amazon offers, and the other one was a better fit. We've maintained a relationship as mentor/mentee throughout their tenure until today. 👉 I found a very talented replacement, and went on to hire four more new roles. Our team smashed our revenue goals that year, in spite of headwinds at the start of the year when we were under resourced, thanks to the dedication of the foundational team members and swift ramp up of new joiners. Talent is a virtuous circle. If you're a manager, support the dreams of your team even if their chosen path takes them away from you. Doing this will make you a magnet for good talent, as people take note and they talk. 😉 Also, if you're in a role with a manager you like and looking for a new role, and feel a sense of guilt because of it, remember that managing attrition is part of their job. You're giving them an opportunity to manage it gracefully and practice hiring and developing the best talent.

At #Amazon, we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential components of a successful and thriving workplace. We are committed to creating a culture that celebrates and values the unique perspectives and contributions of all individuals, today we celebrate and recognize our talented female employees in logistics. Let me introduce Carla Rohrgaß, one of our successful managers at #FC #PAD1 #Oelde and her amazing career. Here Carla in her own words: ❓ What brought you to Amazon and what is your favorite part about working here? 🎤 I started at Amazon with the wish to find a company where I could work closely with motivated people and enable them to give their personal best. I am happy to say I have found exactly what I was looking for and it’s my favorite part of the job. The teams I have been apart of in my time with Amazon have been extremely diverse, creative and motivated. It has given me joy every day to see each and every single team member grow and reach their goals as a team. ❓ What is your biggest success story to date at Amazon? 🎤 My biggest success story at Amazon is living the #Day1 spirit. With getting to know many talented people and working in different teams, I am proud to say that every day is Day1 for me. This spirit has ensured that no day is like the other, challenges were solved with creative approaches and the teams and I have stayed motivated throughout. It makes me happy to see how successfully we can deliver smiles every day. ❓ What advice would you give to someone choosing a career in Operations? 🎤 When choosing a career in #Operations and specifically at Amazon, I would advice to have fun and be true to yourself, work hard and say more “yes“ than you say “no“, and finally approach complex situations with simple and creative solutions. You will be part of a team which makes history! Through all of this, lead your team by example and put your team members first, this will motivate them to give their best as well. ❓ How does working at Amazon allow you to pursue your personal goals? 🎤 Amazon is a huge company with so many different opportunities. I am sure we have jobs you have never even thought about. These opportunities are open to everyone who wants to develop skills and learn something new. In general, Amazon has such an open minded spirit when it comes to self development and growth which I very much appreciate. I myself have profited from a leadership team which has always supported me in planning my career, reaching my goals and taking the next steps. I was able to drive change through projects within my site and put diversity and female leadership first to create an even more inclusive environment for anyone who wants to be a part of this. #Amazon #Amazonian #AmazonOps #deliveringsmiles #AmazonLogistics #AmazonFulfillment #AmazonOpslife #WorkingAtAmazonOps #InsideAmazon #germanyjobs #hiring #PAD1 #Oelde 🚀 Build the future with us, apply here: 🚀 https://lnkd.in/g39Jbt3E

This upcoming Monday marks 6 months since I left Amazon (after 7 years) and joined PPG, so I figured I’d share some thoughts here to honor the occasion (something I rarely do.) if you’re interested, keep reading. If not, don’t worry - it’s nothing profound so you’re not missing much… So, here goes… When I left Amazon, I was terrified. Why? It was practically the only business I’d say I ever REALLY knew. My previous 7 years had been eat, sleep, drink Amazon so how was I going to learn something different? Despite the variety of roles I’d been in, the level of leaders I worked under and supported, there were many moments of self-doubt about whether I could succeed in “real HR.” Surely, the leaders at PPG would realize they made a mistake and my imposter syndrome would turn out to be validated. But guess what? Here comes the cliche part… After 6 months, I can say with the utmost confidence that I made the right move. Sure, I’m still learning the workings of a new business and when I have to navigate something that may be considered more “traditional” HR, I have a tinge of nervousness. BUT it feels like GROWTH, while also having the work-life harmony a new parent needs. And while there are times I look back and think, “man, I wish I’d learned that at Amazon” there are more times that I say “man, I’m glad I learned that Amazon.” Because while I may not be an employment law expert or compliance guru, I do know how to work hard, have fun, and…build and foster relationships, be a partner to the business and my employees, and to dive deep. So all that to say, if you’re like I was and looking at that next phase of your career, just know that it’s okay to be afraid and that you’re going to be alright. Lean into your strengths and what you know, be open to learning new things, and have fun growing. Before I go, a big thank you to Amazon and the big time leaders I worked with who contributed to my development and growth and even bigger thank you to PPG for welcoming me into the organization and teaching me so much in just half a year. I look forward to many more.

whether business or in personal life, one of the rules i live by is: if you are helping someone, don't expect a reward - immediate or in future. You will be possibly rewarded more than you thought of, but don't expect it. 10+ years ago, while working at Amazon for the American market, I had many opportunities to go out of my way to help customers, even if it took me a while to do so - I took 100% of those opportunities. I never received an award for 'customer obsession' and I didn't expect it either. When I look back, the obsession I had to help customers led me to understand the American market and its customers in a huge way. The experience taught me how to communicate with them and later, I was able to use the experience while communicating with clients, while working at Randstad. The reward I got, is staying with me for life and I can use it as & when required! #learning #life #customerobsession #communication #reward #helpingpeople #happiness #amazon

There are senior executives at Amazon who started out as fulfillment associates. They 10x’d their careers by continuously driving results. Here are the 3 lessons I’ve learned from them about continuously delivering and growing your career: → Be unsatisfied with the status quo. → Accept the criteria → Own the results At Amazon, people who exemplify customer obsession, take ownership, and deliver results will move up. This is why people have been able to move from entry levels to VP roles, and everywhere in between. They aren’t satisfied with the way things are, even if those things are “working.” They see things that need to be improved, and they get it done. They understand how business success is measured, accept the criteria, and drive towards outcomes that exceed those standards. They own the outcomes, and they maintain a high bar. That is how they continue to get investment from leaders and move up in their careers. And it is how you can do the same. What would you add for how to advance your career? Follow me for more learnings from my career journey.

A few weeks ago, I left #Amazon to start a new job and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on a deeper level. I saw lots of posts from people who left the company either voluntarily or not. One observation I made was that almost every single one was 100% positive. I got the impression nobody wanted to voice any criticism for whatever reason. The usual pattern included the same sentiments across regions and levels. So, let's get them covered here as well 😉 * Did I learn a lot during my time at Amazon? > Yes * Did I master challenges during my time there? > Yes * Was this a great opportunity to grow? > Yes * Am I grateful for the above? > Yes During the first two years at Amazon, I was impressed how easy transitions between teams or even whole departments went. Year 3 however slowly revealed underlying structural issues. #Promotions. Everywhere at Amazon you read and hear that promotions should be reserved for people raising the bar. The more you see people being promoted after joining the company just a few months ago or after receiving a previous promotion less than a year ago, you start questioning their justification. Talking to various people made me realise that many (not all of course) promotions are politically or strictly personally motivated. #Feedback. Another thing which is verbalized everywhere within Amazon as super important and valuable. I did see it when experience, reason or simply a better idea prevailed. More times on the other hand, I witnessed the opposite: Feedback was heard but ignored. Sometimes to the extent of pointing out issues, that everyone is aware of, but nobody wants to or is allowed to tackle them (e.g. under-reporting). #RTO. Forcing such a policy on the whole company without considering (reasonable!) exceptions, was doomed to cause frustration. I can understand the argument, that the big corporate office locations cannot be empty forever. But is it necessary to force people (hired during the pandemic with the promise of working from everywhere) to re-locate across their country just to be in office 3 days a week? How is this praised office collaboration and creativity supposed to work when there is nobody connected to your work available at your location? The biggest downside is that RTO killed the opportunities to switch teams, departments, and jobs within Amazon. The only way to still benefit from opportunities? Move to another corp-office location. The latest announcement of 5 days in office is yet another step in the wrong direction. The company is standing in its own way, although they want to be the forefront of innovation, which is incredibly sad. I met absolutely wonderful people at Amazon. Not only because they are amazing professionals, but primarily because they are great people. Let's just hope that some of them stay. Otherwise, Amazon will have serious issues in the future.

Great leadership advice from Vinoth Kumar, a leader I had the privilege of working with and learning from while at Amazon! 1️⃣ Work-Life Balance Matters: Understand your “need to work” and define your “non-negotiables” for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Aligning work with personal values helped me make tough decisions and prioritize well-being without compromising performance. It’s about staying aligned with what truly matters to you 2️⃣ Gratitude Fuels Growth: Celebrate your progress and others’ successes, but stay hungry to achieve your goals. Focus on productive actions and steer clear of negativity—it’s a game-changer in navigating your career 3️⃣ Learning Never Stops: Growth happens outside your comfort zone. Be willing to embrace discomfort, ask questions, and seek help when needed. Growth often lies outside your comfort zone, and humility in learning fosters immense professional and personal development 4️⃣ Seize Opportunities: Own your career—seek opportunities, and, when the spotlight is on you, own it. Deliver your best, focus on what you can control, and embrace challenges as stepping stones. Delivering results under pressure and thriving during challenges earned me five promotions at Amazon, a testament to persistence and preparation 5️⃣ Lead with Professionalism: Foster productive relationships, respect boundaries, and set the tone for collaboration while staying approachable and supportive. I’ve found joy in being approachable yet maintaining clear boundaries, ensuring productive and respectful interactions with my team