Day 1

My new position starts with three 10-hour days of training. I walk over to the Day 1 desk for orientation; it's the same lobby area I first entered for my pre-hire appointment. There's one person, another new hire, waiting.

A few more folks file in. We exchange polite glances and wait. An employee, sporting an Amazon shirt and badge comes in from the side door. She doesn't day anything; just opens the classroom door to one side and closes it behind her. She's setting up a laptop. A few minutes later another employee (we would come to find out they are part of the Learning Department) comes in and greets us. We're instructed to form a line outside the door. 

I take my place in line. It's now almost 7am, out start time. People quickly line up behind me, there would be over 100 by the time the line starts moving. I see other associates make their way into the main entrance, darting around the new seasonal associates blocking their path.

The line starts moving; both employees are set up at the Day 1 desk in front of laptops. We're called up one by one. As I approach, I give my name and confirm I have my safety shoes on (the Airwalks!). They pull my info up and I'm handed my white seasonal badge. I'm directed to the side door leading to the warehouse entrance to wait. There's a group of us huddled in the corner as associates make their way through the badge-operated turnstiles. One member of the Learning team gathers us up to escort through the secured area and into a classroom located on the main floor.

I take a seat. There's a clear bag in front of me, about the size of a lunchbox; only clear bags are allowed in the facility. There's a water bottle, also clear. A lanyard, a notebook and pen, all with the Behind the Smile (the name of Amazon onboarding program) prominently displayed.

The new hire groups are separated in two. One for full-time associates, they're sitting in the classroom up front next to the Day 1 desk. I'm seated with the other part-time associates; there's about 40 of us. We wait about 20 minutes before class starts; our instructor comes in and out attending to set up and talking with colleagues.

We begin with a slide presentation that would guide most of the day. Our instructor is kind, sharing her history with the company and welcoming us to our new career. We watch videos where other associates share their career journey; starting as seasonal associates that moved into senior operations roles. 

We break to perform a group activity. We're asked to fill out a form containing various "fun facts". We travel around the room to find people who can sign off on each topic. It's as awkward as it sounds, but I've weathered much worse icebreaker sessions. We're encouraged to ask questions but most of us end up just trading forms to fill out silently. After about 10 minutes we return to our seats. Our instructor asks to identify who collected the most names. A couple of folks gathered 16; the prize is the satisfactions of winning.

We continue to watch videos and slides on safety, the Leadership Principles, and other company policies. The sections are interspersed with questions; the class offers murmured replies in return, much to delight of our enthusiastic teacher.

At one point several employees in blue vests appear; the Learning Ambassadors. We are separated into small groups for a facility tour. Our guide takes us on a whirlwind journey along the Green Mile; the taped off area that marks the main walkway (green tape of course). We see the rows that makes up the Pick ares, where we will be assigned. We visit the mezzanine, we see Pack stations and various conveyor belts carrying totes and packages. We stop at each break room to note the location. 

Once we're back, We take a test regarding Dangerous Goods (it sounds scary, but it's really about safe handling of things like batteries and aerosol cans.) We break for lunch. When training continues, we meet representatives from Operations and HR. Slides and videos continue. The group is growing restless but we're reaching the home stretch.

We are once again broken up into smaller groups and led to Safety School. In this section of the warehouse, there are pieces of equipment set up specifically for new hires to practice their skills. I volunteer first to navigate a pallet jack through an obstacles course marked by cones. Success! The rest of the group follows suit. we then to move on climbing up and down a ladder, and unlocking the brake on a cart. It feels good to moves after sitting for so long, although I know tomorrow will be a long day on our feet.

We come back to the classroom to wrap up our final videos. Our instructor bids us good luck and farewell; we will be working with other associates in the coming days. Tomorrow training on the floor begins; let's go!