Reporter
There was standing room only in Room 105 of the Nursing Building on Wed, Sept. 5. Approximately 70 junior and senior students interested in working at the new Amazon fulfillment center in Bakersfield showed up to learn about available positions and the application process.
There was no mention of when construction of the new Amazon distribution center will start. Courtney Tillett, Amazon Area Manager and presenter at the meeting said the positions available are nationwide but that you can apply for Bakersfield positions now.
“I do not have a set start date for that [location] but they are already available online under University-ops.” Tillett said. Positions are listed by region online at Amazon.com/university-ops. Tillett added, “For these positions what we do is put out a range. Right now we are looking for people who have graduated from 2017 to 2019.”
Johanna Moreno, a senior sociology major, is looking to get a job in Human Resources. Her background working as a shipping clerk for Bolthouse Farms, as well as her upcoming degree, attracted her to the Amazon information meeting. “It’s a good thing that they have this [distribution center] coming up and hopefully they will say when it’s going to be open.”
Jennifer Pivaral, a senior criminology major, came to the meeting in order to explore career options. “I came just to branch out, like, even though criminal justice is my major I think being a manager for Amazon, you can make just as much money as a police officer.” Time is also a factor for Pivaral, in order to become an officer she’d have to go through the police academy and as graduation approaches she said she is wanting to see what other opportunities are available.
Internships are of particular interest to the soon to be graduates and they are competitive. According to Tillett, 70 percent of the available full-time positions at Amazon are taken by interns. “It can lead to a full-time position in the summer for after you graduate,” Tillett said. “I’d apply as soon as you can if it is something you are interested in before it fills up.” She added, “We do try to get it to where you are starting two weeks after graduation.”
Tillett did not give any specific number in regards to pay except that there are salary positions and hourly positions. According to the handout given at the meeting, job opportunities include Environmental Health and Safety, Area Manager, Human Resources, Maintenance, Engineering, Loss Prevention and Customer Service.
According to Glassdoor.com, Amazon Area Managers earn approximately $63,000 per year with additional cash and stock bonuses. Area Manager Interns earn approximately $36,000 per year with no additional bonuses. Human Resources earn approximately $69,000 per year with additional stock bonuses while an intern for Human Resources earns approximately $35,000 per year.
All degrees are welcome but Tillett emphasizes leadership skills like community service, clubs, and other extracurricular activities. “We do not look for any certain degree types, we will look for like, volunteer information; anything that shows leadership,” Tillett said.
A relocation package is offered if relocation is over 50 miles away. They also offer health benefits and stock options. Tillett said Amazon fulfillment center employees work 10 hours per day, four days per week. Shifts are Sun. through Wed. and Wed. through Sat.
