Today is a day Jessica and I will never forget because this is the day that I was offered a job at Amazon.com. I was contacted yesterday by the recruiter I’ve been dealing with and offered a phone interview today for a position as a front end web developer at Amazon. I didn’t know if I was ready, or qualified, but I studied all night last night and came into it today feeling cautiously optimistic. The interview was only about 30 minutes and consisted mainly of technical questions about web development. By the time it was over I felt like it went pretty well. I only stumbled on a couple questions and felt like I had a good rapport with the interviewer. Less than an hour after the interview I was contacted by my recruiter asking me to call him because he had news about my interview. To make a long story short, he told me that the manager liked me and felt that I would be a good fit for the job!
I’m initially being hired as a contractor, but the Amazon manager specifically said he intends to make me into a full–time employee before my 3 month contract expires. This is a common scenario for tech companies, and it’s exactly how I got my start at ScrollMotion. Rather than go through an extended interview process, it’s easier for the company to give the candidate a chance as a contractor. This allows them to work with the person for an extended amount of time without any long–term committments. If I don’t do a good job they can simply let my contract expire, but if I show dedication and the ability to learn, I will be brought on. At ScrollMotion I was not only offered a full–time position when my contract expired, I was also offered a raise and a senior title. My only concern was getting the chance to come in as a contractor because I know I will get the full–time position once they get to know me and see what kind of dedication I have to my work.
Obviously all of our family members have been extremely excited for us about this opportunity. The look on Jessica’s face when I saw her tonight was priceless. This is a life–changing experience for us and I can’t believe it’s all happening. It’s also going to be a crazy next few weeks. We are now tasked with hosting Thanksgiving next week, then moving to Seattle the following week. This means lots of planning and hard work, but it’s all well worth it. I think we will look back on this day for years to come as the day our lives changed forever. In my industry, it doesn’t get any bigger than working for Amazon.com and I can only equate it to getting called up from the minors to the big leagues. We have a ton of work to do over the next couple weeks but can’t wait to get back home to Seattle and visit with our loved ones. Many updates coming soon!