Here at Prime Video, tech and innovation are instrumental to our success. We take pride in enabling our customers to enjoy great live-streaming, TV shows and movies. It takes a lot of technological innovation to ensure this is possible! But, that wasn’t the theme of our recent Leadership Academy. Instead, we wanted to show the importance of the soft skills. Soft skills are equally valuable and worthwhile for a career in STEM.
The Importance of Time Management
We started the journey with a presentation on the importance of time management and productivity, delivered by Ifeoma. Ifeoma explained the importance of holding yourself accountable for each minute of your day. They also looked at the true benefit of understanding your circadian rhythm. Are you a Night Owl or a Morning Bird? Understanding how to apply time management mechanisms to your life is a crucial tool to have.
All About Personal Branding
Next, we moved from time management to Personal Branding. Nadine explained how personal branding is an extension of you. Personal branding lets us promote and cultivate our values, skills and mission. We learned that in a digital world, personal branding serves as a first impression. Nadine also shared that it is important to ensure you’re in control of your brand.
Interviewing with Confidence
We then explored Interviewing with Confidence. Here, Nicola explained that confidence in interviews involves verbal and non-verbal communication skills. We set a definition of self-confidence as ‘A feeling of trust or self-assurance arising from an appreciation of your abilities or qualities’. This is important, because our levels of confidence impact what opportunities we deem possible. This changes what we apply for, and what interviews we are willing to attend. So, be wary of any ‘glass ceilings’ you are putting upon yourself. Trust that if you are invited to interview then that’s because an employer believes you have every chance of success.
Not only did we discuss the interview itself, but also the importance of what happens before that. Take time to focus on ‘you’ ahead of an interview as well as the usual preparations. This can be in the form of kindness, relaxation, positivity, recognising your achievements, and importantly, spending adequate time to prepare and rehearse
The Importance of Soft Skills
In our final session we heard from Natasha, the Head of Partner Engineering at Prime Video. Natasha explained that although tech skills are required to do the work, the “soft skills” are just as important. Although, they can take time and practice to craft, soft skills can be core reasons for career progression and promotions. Natasha also shared experiences outside of work that helped her within the working world and talked about personal development as a result. She listed activities such as volunteering at events, talking at conferences and coaching people that all helped her to personally develop. Doing such activities can take you out of your comfort zone and give you a boost of confidence when you succeed.
If you are looking for opportunities to dive into the world of Amazon, please visit our Opportunities for Students page, or to find out more about the innovation that takes place within Prime Video, please visit our website.
