The First Day at Amazon

“Finally…” I couldn’t help but repeat to myself. After talking about working for Amazon, for what seemed to be an eternity, here I was pulling into the massive warehouses parking lot. There were no storage of cars here, and I meandered far back into the depths of rows upon rows. I noticed a group of people all wearing matching black leather jackets and steel toes boots walking up to the front door.

“Go to the front door by the flagpole”, the email had said.

I couldn’t help but wonder if for some reason the dress code was black leather jackets and boots. Spoiler – it’s not.

Inside the heir lock, about 14 people stood cramped. I was handed a print out, checked off a list, and then lead through the full-bodied turn-style gate. The security guard shifted from each leg, as if swaying might keep him awake.

We were led through a massive break room to a set of lockers, which were locked and needed a key to be opened. One of the HR girls scurried off, while the group tried to figure out the strange contraptions. I found out and attempted to shove my backpack inside. “Everything in there!” HR lady #2 proclaimed, “anything we store in the warehouse can’t be brought in with you”.

I considered what this warehouse might store, and figured to myself, “this is Amazon, they must store everything”.

Turns out I was right. We continued into the warehouse past another security guard, standing by a series of metal detectors. We breezed right by him on the right side around the detectors. I watched, as employees walked through them on their way out. “That’s nice,” I thought, “they don’t care what comes in, only what comes out.”

The next 6 hours were filled with more of HR scurrying to unlock things, power-points that couldn’t seem to concurrently explain anything important at all, and a tour.

I got to meet the other campers, and quickly discovered not only am I the only one car camping (no big surprise there), but the only one at Kentucky River campground. Everyone else choose the campground closer to the warehouse (also, not a huge surprise).

They were all very nice, as campers are. Mostly retired couples, one had just lost their home in hurricane Florence, another were from Texas, looking for a new adventure. The rest comprised of a Gypsy family, single older woman trying to find herself – while her boyfriend sat at home enjoying his new sugar baby status, and a younger married guy, who – of course – sold everything and is living the road life.

The time went by relatively quickly. I appreciated being able to not be expected to know anything at this point, just to listen.

We finished early, on the note to meet tomorrow and start orientation.