Would you work at Amazon?

[Berkut]

See, I read an article like this and I don't think "ZOMG WHAT A BUNCH OF ASSHOLES!".

I think "Hey, I am super glad there are companies out there full of people who don't care about much beyond their job, who are really fucking good at what they do, and that makes my life better".

Now, I don't want to be one of those people by any means - I am in the vast maority of humans for whom work is a means to an end, rather than the end. But I also recognize that it is the driven few who really make change, especially in technology.

Go Amazon. Keep that insane culture working for as long as possible so I can get stuff I want super cheap and fast.

Just don't ask ME to work there. Fuck that.

[Valmy]

Probably not to that extreme level, but is it so weird to have pride in your work, even if it's an assembly line?

No. But having a passion to the extent you would sacrifice everything? I can see that happening for an incredibly important cause but for retail delivery?

[Maximus]

Probably not to that extreme level, but is it so weird to have pride in your work, even if it's an assembly line?

No. But having a passion to the extent you would sacrifice everything? I can see that happening for an incredibly important cause but for retail delivery?

There's more to Amazon than retail delivery. For example I have interviewed with them several times for data science jobs. There's some interesting stuff going on there, but the pay is mediocre and the culture toxic.

[Iormlund]

For example, when you work in highly demanding service industry with clients located in all time zones, closing the shop at a given hour is simply not an option no matter how efficient you are.

Sure, but what puts me off is industries where the expectation is to be frantic all the time, without relenting. The work I do can get pretty manic - 18 hour days, reams and reams of material to go through, and everything having to be done yesterday because CRISIS!!11 - but we're never expected to just look busy, being present for the sake of being present, so on and so forth.

One has to wonder what this frantic pace actually achieves. More than once, my girlfriend who is an associate at a magic circle firm has been given an zOMG URGENT TASK on Saturday night that a client absolutely desperately needs for Monday morning, only for her to deliver on time and then have the final result sat on for a week - with the e-mail unread.

I'm not saying there are not fast-paced industries, and I am not saying often the work isn't genuine, but I do wonder whether certain industries or hyper-competitive workplaces breed a culture of haste and mania. One of the most valuable skills I have learnt over the years is divining whether an urgent task is an urgent task or a whim, which so far has saved me a lot of weekends. 

I work in one of these fast-paced industries.

We go into an automotive plant during planned stops (usually holidays). Pick apart some huge set of machinery, then rebuild it according to new specs (better performance, easier maintenance, stricter safety regulations). Timings are tight, and every day start-up is delayed means a ton of money lost. It is REALLY easy for a company to go bankrupt if it chews more than it can swallow.

My employer is not unlike Amazon: Pretty toxic culture, 8+ months away from home per year, 55+ hours worked per week. Most people stay for a year or two, then move on with the experience acquired (which is something you can't train for anywhere).

Personally, I can't see how it is in any way beneficial for the company. Worker rotation is a pain in the arse when you need a year or two to make a decent employee out of someone. More if he or she doesn't have previous experience. The only ones who stay are mediocre or those who devote their whole life to work (who can't cope on their own).