There may be many people in their 30s and 40s who think, “Amazon is filled with extremely talented people” and “it's difficult to get hired if you come from a Japanese company.” In fact, when you think of Amazon, there is a strong image that it reigns as a top-class global IT company and attracts talent from all over the world. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of mid-level employees in their 30s starting to work at Amazon, leveraging the experience and achievements they have cultivated at Japanese companies.
In this article, for those who feel that changing jobs to Amazon seems difficult, we will explain five strategies to expand your possibilities even with no experience. In particular, the key is how to embody the "thoughts, results, and actions" that Amazon emphasizes, and how to express them in your resume and interview. Using GCI's "GCAP AMAZON", which has a successful track record of success, as an example, we will introduce the process of how it leads to successful career moves. I hope you will think, "Maybe I can do it too."
1. Why changing jobs to Amazon is attracting attention?
1-1. Overwhelming business scale and growth potential
Amazon is expanding its global presence by developing a wide range of businesses, including e-commerce, cloud, AI, devices, and entertainment. Therefore, there are a wide variety of career options. The great thing about this is that even if you have no experience, you can easily find a position where you can utilize your strengths.
1-2. Many new businesses and projects
Amazon constantly pursues innovation and continues to expand new businesses and services. As a result, new positions are being created one after another, creating an environment where even mid-level employees in their 30s can easily find opportunities to play an active role. In particular, there are an increasing number of cases in which candidates are evaluated for their project management experience and marketing skills at Japanese companies.
1-3. Opening doors to global talent
Among international companies that require English proficiency, Amazon is unique in that the ratio of English usage differs depending on department and position. Not all positions require a high level of English proficiency, and there are many positions where even mid-career Japanese-born applicants can take on the challenge with “required skills and a desire to learn English.”
2. Is it a misunderstanding that “only extremely talented people can join”? Opportunities for people of Japanese descent in their 30s
2-1. Amazon values diversity
Amazon has a policy of increasing organizational strength by hiring human resources with diverse backgrounds as well as “smartness”. In other words, even if you are in your 30s and have a proven track record at a Japanese company, or if you are taking on a challenge in an area in which you have no experience, you can be considered for employment as long as you are motivated and have the right way to appeal.
2-2. Background to the increase in the appointment of mid-level employees
Due to rapid business expansion, Amazon tends to lack mid-level human resources with leadership and project driving ability. Examples of work in which experience at a Japanese company is highly valued include management, sales planning, and work involving IT infrastructure. In fact, although people tend to think that Amazon only employs young people, the current situation is that they are actively hiring people in their 30s.
2-3. Even if you have no experience, you can catch up through training and OJT.
Amazon offers a variety of training and on-the-job training programs for new employees. Even if you are taking on a challenge in a field in which you have no experience, there are opportunities to learn within the company, so you are not expected to be perfect and ready to work immediately. Rather, they are expected to join the company with adaptability and a desire to learn, and absorb knowledge during the onboarding period.
3. What is the specificity of “thoughts, results, and actions” that Amazon evaluates?
3-1. “Achievement-based” appeal in your resume
Amazon's selection process focuses on “the extent to which you can demonstrate your past achievements and outputs in numbers and concrete examples.” It is recommended that you include clear numerical results in your resume, such as “Developed 10 new customers and increased sales by 120% compared to the previous year,” rather than simply “I improved sales results.”
3-2. Delving into the “reasons for behavior” in the interview
Amazon interviews often use the behavioral interview technique, which delves deeply into a single episode. Your ability to logically explain why you thought that way, what process you followed, and what the results were will be tested. It is essential to be prepared to discuss this “behavioral basis” in a structured manner.
3-3. Degree of conformity to OLP (Our Leadership Principles)
Our Leadership Principles, which underpin Amazon's corporate culture, are evaluation criteria that are checked at every stage of the selection process. Even if you have no experience, being able to highlight how you have acted and achieved results in accordance with each OLP item will be a major point that will lead to a high evaluation.
4. From Japanese to Amazon: 5 strategies to break through the inexperienced barrier
Strategy 1: Combine your strengths with the skills Amazon wants
The management experience, sales ability, and project driving ability that I gained at a Japanese company can be fully applied to my work at Amazon. First, match your strengths with Amazon's available positions and think about how you can specifically utilize them. For example, if a department has a strong customer-oriented culture, customer experience will be a key selling point.
Strategy 2: Quantify and visualize past results
In Amazon's selection process, emphasis is placed on the performance of your work history and your accomplishments in the interview. Instead of just listing your accomplishments, use numbers and anecdotes to specifically show how much you achieved your KPIs and what actions you took in the process. Even if you are from a Japanese company, if you can explain your results quantitatively, your evaluation may rise dramatically.
Strategy 3: Deepen your understanding of OLP (Leadership Principles)
At Amazon, "Leadership Principles" are the core of our company culture, and are reviewed repeatedly during selection. It is important to prepare an anecdote to show where the actions you have taken can be applied to OLP. It will be especially impactful if you can talk specifically about how you have embodied the concepts of "Customer Obsession" and "Ownership."
Strategy 4: Strengthen your English skills and communicate
At Amazon, which is a global company, there are bound to be situations where English is used. Although advanced English proficiency is not necessarily required, some communications via email and chat may be in English. Before job search, you can reduce your anxiety during interviews by proving your basic English proficiency with tests such as TOEIC and preparing for English interviews.
Strategy 5: Self-analysis and clarifying reasons for changing jobs
Make sure to prepare well for questions such as "Why did you choose Amazon?" and "Why do you want to take on the challenge even if you have no experience?" If you can convincingly explain how what you want to accomplish and Amazon's vision are connected, you will leave a good impression on the hiring manager, even if you are transferring from a Japanese company.
5. Examples of successful career moves with GCAP AMAZON
Case 1: Career change using sales experience
Mr. A, who had been in charge of sales for a major Japanese manufacturer for over 10 years, wanted to change jobs to Amazon's retail department. It was a big transition from the manufacturing industry to the EC industry, but I was able to clear the application screening and interview by receiving guidance on “organizing work experience” and “PR methods based on OLP” through GCI's program “GCAP AMAZON”. After joining the company, he quickly became active due to his innate sales skills and desire to learn, and was promoted to the position of team leader.
Case 2: From the management department to the customer success area
Mr. B, who was working in the administration department of a Japanese trading company, applied for a job in Amazon's new service department, hoping for a dynamic job where he could use English. He has been praised for being able to produce results in managing foreign-affiliated projects even though he has no experience, and in preparing for the GCI interview, he focused on practicing concrete "reasons for action." As a result, I was hired, and during OJT after joining, I have steadily acquired skills and achieved results.
Case 3: From Japanese IT vendor to AWS related department
Mr. C, who was working at a Japanese IT vendor that handles cloud solutions, decided to take a position at AWS (Amazon Web Services) because he wanted to build a career with a more global perspective. Although he had technical experience, he lacked an understanding of Amazon's unique culture and leadership, so he strengthened his OLP-based interview preparation at GCAP AMAZON. After joining the company, I have been developing my skills in a global environment, collaborating with teams not only in Japan but also overseas.
6. Why GCI support is directly linked to success
6-1. Creating documents linking work experience and OLP
In Amazon's selection process, it is important to be able to verbalize “concrete results” and “principles of action based on OLP.” At GCI, while listening to candidates' backgrounds, specialized consultants will re-design the link with OLP from a professional perspective, such as “this is an appeal related to ownership” and “this result can be used in customer obsession cases”.
6-2. Mock interview assuming a behavioral interview
We conducted a mock interview with hypothetical questions in line with Amazon's unique interview format. We provide thorough training so that you can respond not only to the content of your answers, but also to in-depth questions about why you thought that way, and to answer logically and concretely. This will greatly reduce the risk of being upset by probing questions during the actual interview.
6-3. Support with an eye on onboarding after joining
At GCI, our goal is not just to successfully change jobs, but also to consider future career development. We also provide support for adjusting to the environment after joining, such as advice on bridging the cultural gap between Japanese and international companies and follow-up on improving English skills. This makes it easier to prevent mismatches after changing jobs.
7. Summary: “Amazon career move” is possible for you too
People tend to think that “Amazon = only super talented people can join,” but in reality, there are plenty of opportunities even for people in their 30s who came from Japanese companies. Even if you are taking on a challenge in a field you have no experience in, if you skillfully combine the work experience you have cultivated with OLP's appeal methods, your chances of passing the interview will greatly increase.
In particular, Amazon is looking for specificity in "thoughts, results, and actions." The key is to show your accomplishments with numbers and concrete examples in your resume, and to logically talk about “why you thought that way, how you acted, and what you achieved” in line with the OLP during the interview. In addition to this, if you have the communication and learning attitude unique to international companies, it becomes a realistic option for you to change your career even if you have no experience.
If you have any concerns such as “Can I take on the challenge with my own experience?” or “I don't know where to start preparing,” it is effective to get a professional's perspective. As the first step in your job search, why not collect information while consulting with experts?
Free counseling information
GCI provides free counseling for those aiming to change jobs to international companies such as Amazon. Please feel free to contact us if you have any of the following:
- I'm from a Japanese company, but I want to try Amazon.
- I want to leave my OLP-based resume and interview preparation to professionals.
- I feel anxious about changing my career to a field I have no experience in.
A career consultant will carefully listen to your background and aspirations, and will suggest how you can embody your thoughts, results, and actions to pass Amazon's selection process. If you are worried about whether you can do it, it is worth taking the first step. Please sign up for a free consultation and let's explore your potential together.
Author
Global Career Incubator Co., Ltd. CEO Shinichi Ikawa
Biography: Entered the business world after working for the Ministry of Defense (National Class I) and the Australian Ministry of Defence. After working at a major real estate company, he started a real estate venture and experienced management and recruitment at a domestic fund, domestic business company, and overseas tech company before founding our company.
Developed a career accelerator program based on my experience as a corporate manager and hiring manager. We specialize in foreign-affiliated, bilingual, and senior talent, and support individual career advancement and corporate organizational strength and efficiency.