New Delhi: Amazon is one of the world’s largest technology companies, employing over 16 lakh people worldwide. Every year, the company hires a large number of new employees and is undoubtedly on the list of dream companies for many aspiring technologists. Have you ever considered how Amazon hired its first employees?
Amazon was founded in 1994, and nearly 30 years later, one of the very first help wanted ads created by Jeff Bezos has gone viral online. Read More: No more Work From Home for TCS workers! All employees MUST return to office from THIS DATE
On August 22, 1994, Bezos, the e-commerce titan’s founder, posted for the job opening, writing, “Well-capitalized start-up seeks extremely talented C/C++/Unix developers to help pioneer commerce on the Internet.” Read More: ED now raids CoinSwitch Kuber, firm says engaging with all stakeholders
“You must have experience designing and building large and complex (yet maintainable) systems, and you should be able to do so in about one-third the time that most competent people think possible,” he reiterated.
Jon Erlichman, a journalist shared a screenshot of this job posting from 28 years ago online.
One of the richest men’s job posting went on to say, “You should have a BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science or the equivalent.” Excellent communication skills are required. Knowledge of web servers and HTML would be beneficial but not required.”
In addition to the prospective employee’s expectations, he stated that he or she should “expect talented, motivated, intense, and interesting co-workers.”
The company also stated that they would help cover the employee’s moving expenses if they had to relocate to Seattle for work. “Your compensation will include meaningful equity ownership,” according to the job posting.
The job description also included mailing and email addresses for submitting an application.
Bezos also specifically stated that Amazon provides equal opportunity to all employees, saying, “We are an equal opportunity employer.”
He concluded the job posting with a quote from pioneering computer scientist Alan Kay: “It’s easier to invent the future than to predict it.”
Without a doubt, the person hired for the job had the opportunity to grow and become wealthy. Even he had no idea what the future held for the company.
For the uninitiated, Jeff Bezos laid the groundwork for Amazon in November 1994. The company began by selling books online and later expanded into the sale of computer games and music.
With consistent growth and after entering the year 2000, the company expanded into the sale of consumer electronics, video games, software, home improvement items, toys, and other items. Bezos also founded Amazon Web Services in the mid-2000s, catapulting the company into the tech world.
In roughly four decades, Amazon grew to a market capitalization of $1.37 trillion, making it the world’s fifth most valuable company after Apple, Saudi Aramco, Microsoft, and Alphabet Inc. According to Forbes, the founder, Jeff Bezos, is the third richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $158.2 billion.
After exactly 27 years as CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos stepped down in 2021, delegating responsibilities to his longtime assistant Andy Jassy. He will, however, continue to serve as the company’s executive chairman.