AWS EMEA Military Program

Category: Recruitment Publish date: 08/12/2020

Amazon has committed to hiring 25,000 military veterans and spouses, a number of whom will join us in AWS, by 2021. Additionally, we’re committed to providing AWS training to 10,000 active duty service members, military veterans and spouses through our AWS Educate programme, offering them a path to AWS certification.

AWS is committed to helping address high rates of veteran unemployment through our partnership with government and veterans organisations. We, along with other divisions of Amazon, have created a number of programmes focused on providing employment resources, educational access and wellness programmes, targeted at helping veterans transition into successful lives after their years of service and have a very close relationship with CTP.

At Amazon Web Services, we don't mind being called "peculiar." We have our own way of doing things. We're obsessed with customers, we see beauty in simplifying the complex, and we're comfortable with being misunderstood. That might sound unorthodox, but our unusual approach and culture - focused on removing obstacles so builders can build - are part of why our employees enjoy working in AWS.

Are you looking to develop your technical expertise in cloud computing? We are currently hiring Solutions Architects to join AWS in full-time permanent roles, with the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive ‘Tech U’ training curriculum in the first 12 months of employment. You can find out more about the Tech U Program here.

About the Programme

AWS Tech U offers an accelerated approach to career on-boarding for several technical roles within AWS.

AWS Tech U is a 48-week residency programme for a select group of new AWS employees. Residents have the opportunity to participate in project-based learning, creative real-world problem solving, and on-the-job training. Supported and supervised by AWS experts, this programme offers new AWS professionals time and space to develop technical expertise in AWS Cloud computing and Solutions Architecture.

Programme Benefits

• Paid on-the-job training as a full-time employee
• Project-based learning and professional development
• Mentorship and support from AWS experts
• Real-world problem solving

Current Tech U Solutions Architect Roles – Open for Applications!

All the AWS Tech U roles are regularly advertised through CTP’s online job board, RightJob, and AWS recruit on a rolling basis so we encourage you to submit an application ASAP if you’d like to be considered!

The AWS roles can be found by clicking here – *you will need to be logged in to RightJob for this link to work*

Case Study

Name: Sarah Lacey

Role: Senior Business Operations Manager

HereAtAWS: What did you do in the military?/What was your last role in the Military?

Sarah: I was in the British Army for 8 years and ended my tour of Duty as a Captain in the Royal Signals. I completed 2 tours of Afghanistan, one as part of Joint Force Support in Helmand Province and then latterly as part of the Joint Force Communications and Information Systems (JFCIS) based in the capital city of Kabul.

HereAtAWS: What has been the biggest difference between military experience and AWS/civilian career?

Sarah: With the exception of no-one actually shooting at me, it has been the ability to question and investigate a decision made by a more senior employee. No one has the monopoly on good ideas at AWS, it is collaborative thought that delivers the very best outcomes for both internal stakeholders and our end customers.

HereAtAWS: What transferrable skills from the military has helped you in your role with AWS?

Sarah: The ability to make a decision under pressure. Sometimes you need to make a decision without having all the facts to show Bias for Action. This is a skill all members of the military possess, even if they do not recognise it immediately. It has made me truly successful in AWS where our hyper growth means that speed matters.

HereAtAWS: How did you find the recruitment process? Any advice for candidates?

Sarah: The recruitment process is long, especially if you are from the military where you don’t conduct sit down interviews very often. Many military candidates have been in roles for 10 years or more, so the prospect of sitting down for a loop of 5-6hrs with competency questions being asked of you is very daunting! My advice to any candidates attempting to be hired with AWS is to be authentic and use data to describe what you have done. For example, how long was your tour? What was your role? How many tickets did you resolve on the helpdesk? How many convoys did you run? How far was the journey? How many vehicles were in the convoy? Did your actions save time, improve quality, positively impact more people? Tell the story, but tell it using data.

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