Amazon is hosting more than 10,000 interns worldwide who are working on projects across the company, as software development engineers, financial analysts, product managers, and more. Their work impacts both the company and our customers—and we’re celebrating that work this month.
Amazon recently hosted Intern Days as part of its global paid internship program to highlight intern projects, promote mentorship opportunities, and host guest speakers and leadership panels. The events also helped interns from different countries engage with each other.
“Amazon doesn't exist in the future without today's interns,” said Jenna Powers, director of student programs at Amazon. “We have very much enjoyed seeing interns post photos and videos from Amazon campuses and at-home workstations around the world, learning about the work they are doing on behalf of our customers, and connecting with them virtually, especially during Amazon’s Intern Days.”
Amazon successfully held its first-ever entirely virtual Intern Day last year amid the pandemic. This year, we worked hard to expand our offerings by hosting multiple events for interns in different countries—with plenty of perks.
Keynote speakers, music, and breakout sessions helped interns connect with each other. Intern Days also included activities and virtual parties for interns working remotely or in offices as part of our hybrid internship offering.
In addition, as a result of intern feedback, we hosted a workshop entirely dedicated to financial planning, designed to help guide interns throughout their paid Amazon internship.
“I love solving problems, and Amazon is the best place to do so,” said Mae LaPresta, a software development engineer intern from Chicago, Illinois working on Business Data Technologies. “The company is so large and diverse, which means a lot of very interesting problems in various fields, on a scale that you really don’t get anywhere else.”
The Americas
Across North and South America, Amazon celebrated Intern Day with over 5,000 interns engaging with each other and listening to guest speakers.
Highlights included a fireside chat between Latasha Gillespie, who leads diversity, equity, and inclusion for Amazon Studios, and The Boys actor Laz Alonso, as well as a keynote on The Climate Pledge, Amazon’s commitment to be net-zero carbon across its business by 2040, a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement.
Sharanya Cavin, a financial analyst MBA intern from Lafayette, Indiana, opted for a hybrid internship in Seattle this summer. She has taken advantage of being able to meet with her manager and other interns in person at Amazon’s headquarters while she works on advertising campaigns as part of her internship project.
“My internship is as enriching as it is challenging, and I can visibly see the ways in which I am gaining new skills each day,” said Cavin. “I am especially proud of the project I am working on and am constantly encouraged by my peers who tell me that the outcome of my project would be very valuable for them.”
After interning in 2020, Areeba Aziz, a software development engineer intern from Ontario, Canada working on e-commerce services, came back to intern at Amazon again this year.
“I returned for my second internship at Amazon for the opportunity to make a real difference within the company through my intern project,” said Aziz. “When I’m not working on my project I’m participating in one of the many events offered for interns, such as fireside chats with Amazon directors, former intern panels, coffee shuffles, and more. This internship has raised the bar for me to achieve even more and continue to grow professionally.”
Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)
Interns throughout the EMEA region also celebrated Amazon’s Intern Day. After a pre-show with a live musician and a kick-off from Amazon’s Jenna Powers, interns participated in several breakout sessions, including a keynote about high-performance culture from best-selling author and international speaker Damian Hughes. The day concluded with a virtual party that included celebrity guest appearances and raffle prizes.
“The highlight of Intern Day for me was the overall positive energy of the day and feeling valued as an intern,” said Mathias Parisot, a software development engineer intern from Berlin, Germany. “Every speaker was supportive, sending us good vibes and motivating messages, and the sessions were very useful as well.”
While the event was virtual, interns who opted into a hybrid internship organized watch parties in Amazon offices around the world. These interns submitted questions to Amazon leaders, snapped photos in the virtual photo booth, answered Amazon trivia questions, listened to live music, and ate pizza.
“So far, the best part of my internship has been learning about Amazon’s Leadership Principles,” said Felipe Mourad Pereira, a software development engineer intern from São José dos Campos, Brazil working on the Amazon website. “I have found that they are much more than words and that we consistently make decisions based on them. I hope to leave Amazon with the ability to apply them to other things that I do.”
Asia-Pacific (APAC)
In the Asia-Pacific region, Amazon’s Intern Day was hosted virtually. Interns participated in leadership discussion panels, an intern talent show, sessions on health, wellness, and professional development, as well as yoga, Zumba, and a Tabata workout.
Kashish Mehndiratta from Jalandhar, Punjab was an Amazon intern in 2020. He recently accepted a full-time position as a software development engineer for grocery and food technology in Bangalore, India.
“I love to code and chose to intern at Amazon in hopes of going into this field,” said Mehndiratta. “After my internship ended, I really wished to be part of Amazon again as a full-time employee—so I am excited to be able to call myself an Amazonian now. It feels great to be back.”
