When Laura Malniece joined Amazon 11 years ago on a temporary contract at the fulfilment centre in Peterborough, she never imagined she could one day be in a management position.
Laura says she had “no real vision” for her career and few plans—until she discovered Amazon Career Choice certification programmes.
Through these programmes, her eyes were opened to the world of data and training, giving her the skills needed to take her career to the next level.
What is Career Choice?
Career Choice is an education benefit that empowers eligible employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. It pre-pays 95% of tuition fees and associated costs for nationally recognised courses; up to £8,000 over four years.
Courses available include accountancy, HGV driving, and software development, and are designed to help employees build careers at Amazon or elsewhere. It means eligible employees are given the opportunity to gain the skills and qualifications needed to follow their career aspirations.
The vast majority of Amazon’s frontline employees are eligible for Career Choice, though eligibility criteria varies by country. In the UK, for example, eligibility kicks-in after one year of employment.
Discovering new passions and forging a different career path
“I didn’t think I would be able to make anything of myself when I was younger,” says Laura, who is now an area manager in Transport Operation Management (TOM). “I moved to the UK from a very small village in Latvia with no career plans and very little vision of what I wanted to do.”
After joining Amazon on a temporary contract, Laura became a permanent team lead just one year and has used Amazon’s training programmes to carve out the career she wants for herself. She has completed Career Choice programmes in bookkeeping, management accountancy, and office management – all of which she says brought her closer to understanding the direction she wanted her career to take.
“It was clear to me when I joined Amazon that I could do whatever I wanted to do, if I looked for the opportunities,” Laura continued. “I always thought I’d end up doing something repetitive and boring as a job, but Amazon opened my eyes to the world of data and training, and sparked something in me that I’ve been using to progress ever since.”
“I’ve evolved a lot as a person during my time at the company, and the Career Choice courses I completed were fundamental to that, in both a personal and professional sense.”
Of all the courses Laura undertook, it was the office management course that completely changed her perspective on what she could achieve at Amazon. The course taught her about empathy and emotional intelligence when managing people, and it lit a spark in her “to become the best manager I could be some day – and hopefully the best manager people will ever have.”.
Alongside her role as a TOM manager, Laura is also Peterborough’s sustainability ambassador and a member of the team which trains emerging leaders in Amazon’s buildings across Europe.
“I always tell people to look around for the opportunities they want to take hold of. Seek out the people who are already doing those roles or the training needed to get there, and speak to them. I tried three Career Choice courses before the pieces slotted into place for me to see where my career was going, so I always tell people to try things out and see how they go.”
From picking and packing to HR partner
Francesca Zou lives in Coventry and works at the Amazon receive centre in the city as an interim HR partner. She joined Amazon in 2017 in the picking and packing department – her first job in the UK after moving from Italy.
Francesca secured a role as an HR associate partner four years later in 2021, and enrolled in a CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate course through Amazon Career Choice.
In 2023, she decided to try the CIPD Level 5 Diploma in People Management. She shared: “I loved the second course! It was a big commitment while working, but I’m so glad I had the opportunity through Amazon Career Choice. I feel very blessed that ever since joining Amazon, I’ve had so many opportunities.
“Often, the price of furthering your studies can be the thing that deters you from applying,” Francesca continued. “But with Amazon offering to pay up to 95% of the fees, it feels like a no-brainer.”
How has Career Choice impacted Francesca’s career?
“Completing these courses has really helped me grow in my career and has given me great experience to learn in depth about the world of human resources. My qualification taught me so much that I now use in my job and helped me get a promotion to interim HR partner!”
Francesca is hoping to next secure a permanent HR partner role at Amazon and has some advice for anyone looking to develop their career further at Amazon: “Go for it! Don’t limit yourself – what is the worst that can happen? Life is a continuous learning journey, and it’s also unpredictable, so take the risk if you want to achieve something.”
Enabling employees to find their strengths
Diana Frunza is an HR associate partner at Amazon in Sutton-in-Ashfield. Originally from Romania, Diana came to the UK with her husband and son in 2017. Amazon provided her with her first job after the move.
Initially on a temporary contract, Diana tried to progress as a team lead within the operations team at Amazon, but found it didn’t suit her, so she decided to try her hand at something else.
“When I started my first role at Amazon in operations, I felt it wasn’t really what I was looking for career progression-wise. Although I’d graduated twice from university already, Career Choice gave me another chance to try something new and see if I’d like it,” says Diana.
“It was completely different to the things I’d studied before. I did an accountancy degree back home in Romania and then a software engineering degree in the UK. Studying HR through Career Choice was an opportunity for me to try something else, working with people, and using a different skillset.”
Diana enrolled in two courses through Career Choice, graduating from an HR Assistant course in 2023, and undertaking a CIPD Level 5 Diploma afterward. She credits Career Choice with advancing her career and helping her secure a permanent role.
“These qualifications really changed my career – I wouldn’t have been able to afford the courses without Amazon. Everyone asks ‘what’s the catch?’ when they hear about what Career Choice offers, but there isn’t one! I decided to go for it, and here I am today.”
Does Career Choice require employees to commit to learning full time?
Employees participating in Career Choice can choose from a variety of flexible options, including learning online or in-person, allowing them to fit their studies alongside their work and family commitments.
Learn everything you need to know about Career Choice at Amazon.
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