Over 300,000 people attend Amazon’s virtual career day fair in Sept

Over 300,000 people attended Amazon’s Career Day and a record-setting 384,000 people applied for a job at Amazon in the US and Canada over the last week since the event was announced. The tech giant hosted its first-of-its-kind virtual career day fair on September 16 and had plans to hire 33,000 new corporate and technology workers across the US, said the company in a press release.

The fair included interactive workshops, speaker sessions as well as one-on-one career coaching sessions for some 20,000 people. Amazon’s Career Day also includes three hours of mainstage programming that will feature fireside chats, panel discussions and interviews with leading career-advice experts and Amazon executives. 

Participants had the opportunity to hear from recruiting experts and career coaches giving advice on how they can adapt their skills and experiences, build their professional brands and reimagine their resumes to improve their chances of landing a job, in addition to learning more about the open roles at Amazon, to name a few.

They said all Amazon jobs come with industry-leading pay and competitive benefits – including a minimum wage of US$15/hour, health insurance, up to 20 weeks of parental leave and company-funded upskilling opportunities.

With the pandemic leaving many furloughed or retrenched in its wake, Career Day is designed to support job seekers, regardless of their level of experience, professional field or background. 

“COVID-19 continues to affect millions of people across the country, and people are eager for the opportunity to get back to work,” said Beth Galetti, SVP of Amazon Human Resources.

Last year, 17,000 job seekers attended Amazon Career Day events in six US cities, while over 200,000 people applied for jobs in the week leading up to the event. 

Amazon has been increasing its headcount in the past few years. According to GeekWire, the company finished the third quarter with a headcount of 750,000 people, a year-over-year bump of 22%; their headcount in the US rose to over 400,000.

CNBC reported that the company has been on a hiring spree since the pandemic began, hiring 36,400 people in the three months ended June 30, bringing its headcount to 876,800, an increase of 34% year over year. That number is expected to reach one million employees around the world, a major milestone, once Amazon permanently hires some of the temporary workers it brought on during the pandemic, said the report.

Building on that success, their new virtual event will be open to everyone, regardless of their location.

To participate in Career Day 2020, visit amazon.jobs/careerday to register and book an appointment with an Amazon recruiter.

How to make the best out of a virtual career fair

If you’re planning to attend a virtual career fair, do some homework in preparation for making the best out of the experience.

Do your research

Register ahead of time, and don’t forget to check out the list of attendees and speakers. Think of questions you’d like to ask them during their talks or live workshops and the like.

How we dress affects our confidence and how we feel in general, so don’t be hesitant to suit up, even if no one can see you from the waist down, for that confidence boost.

Speak up

Don’t be afraid to chime in in discussions, and have a pitch (ie. how you plan to introduce yourself, highlighting relevant experience and the like) ready to ensure you’re ready to answer them smoothly when the time comes. 

With a bit of homework and preparation, attending a virtual career day might just help you score that dream job and serve as a springboard for your career success.