Amazon Summer Internship - Product Manager Intern
Before I came to the U.S. for my MBA, one of my dreams was to experience working in one of the “big tech” companies. At the beginning of my academics, I began looking for internship opportunities to apply for. I did not have any specific position in mind, but my first action was to create a list of the proposed positions that match my skills and the skills I am developing through my MBA program. The Amazon position matched both.
What were your responsibilities in your position?
As a Senior Product Manager intern, I was assigned a new feature (product) in development. My primary responsibility was to deliver a solution proposal to the customer’s challenge. Amazon is a customer-obsessed company; all the products developed are intended to address its customers’ pain points. Before proposing a solution, we conducted market research on the competition and gather customer feedback on their challenges, for which I led the research and interviews. I’d create the first high-level design of the solution, work with cross-functional teams to validate the solution, propose a pricing model for the product, present it, and various other things.
What are some of the more important things you learned at your companies?
My most significant learning came in writing documents for decision-making. For an international student like me, English is my 4th language, and improving my writing skills was very important. In addition, employees must quickly understand the Amazon Leadership principles, which can be applied in many other contexts outside Amazon. Another critical skill is to work with autonomy and know when to seek guidance. Being coachable is essential.
How will these skills help you in the career you want to pursue?
As a social entrepreneur, I plan to use the skills I learned during my internship to update my social business products. I am also considering being a Senior Product Manager for my professional career and growing in this field. Furthermore, while I am still thinking about how to share what I learn, I would like to share my knowledge with business leaders in my home country and see how they can leverage this knowledge to improve their business processes.
What did you enjoy most about your internship?
I enjoyed many aspects of it. I enjoyed being in Seattle, learning from my team members, and overall working at Amazon.
Watch an Amazon intern's “day in the life” on my YouTube page.
