Tomás is currently doing a six-month internship at Amazon, one of the world's leading companies, while living in Wrocław, Poland, and enjoying an enriching experience both professionally and personally.
Many people ask him how he did it, how he landed that opportunity, to which he replies, “I just applied online through Amazon’s career site.” But that simplicity is only skin-deep; Tomás actively sought out his opportunity and then had to go through a selection process.
“First, I sent my resume to various positions at Amazon that were open. Then I was contacted by the Amazon Europe team; they emailed me some logic and math tests, and I had phone interviews—both psychological and technical—with engineers and project managers.”
He works as a developer on the Inventory Control & Quality Assurance (ICQA) team, which is responsible for inventory and quality control at all of the company's warehouses.
“It’s a very challenging job because this sector is so important within Amazon—it involves big data. We handle millions of data points related to the products the company sells, and we, on the development team, have to create applications that are secure, scalable, and competitive,” he says.
Tomás believes that his work experience helped him land the job, but he maintains that his education was undoubtedly a competitive advantage. “My academic background was very important. In college, I was involved in the Software Architecture course, and I think that gave me a certain edge.”
He enjoys his life in Wrocław, even though he’s alone in a city so different from Montevideo. “Life is different from Uruguay; the cost of living is much lower, and being in Europe means you’re much closer to other countries and different cultures. Adjusting wasn’t easy at first, since the language is a major barrier, especially outside of work.”
Tomás starts work at 8 a.m. and finishes at 4:30 p.m.; he spends the rest of the day going to the gym or hanging out with friends. “This city is very popular among Erasmus students (the European Community’s Action Plan for University Student Mobility), so there are people from all over Europe. I’ve made a lot of friends from different places, and we go out for drinks downtown or play soccer together.”
On the weekends, he takes the opportunity to travel: “Since I’ve been here, I’ve traveled almost every weekend. In Poland, I went to Warsaw and Kraków; then I traveled to Padua, Venice, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Madrid, Ireland, and London.”
The challenges of the new job, the opportunity to travel, and the city’s charm have him wondering whether to return to Uruguay. “It would be a nice option to stay, though I’d have to review the offer they make me and see if the position, the location, and the challenges appeal to me. The advantage of Amazon is that you can work from virtually any office.”
In addition, he will now be joined by one of his friends and fellow students, Joaquín Varela, who—having been recommended by Tomás and following a selection process—will travel to Poland to join the Amazon team.
“Of course I miss Uruguay, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with gaining a few years of experience abroad,” he says.