“I think purpose and impact are absolutely essential to job satisfaction and I think it's a real attraction to cleared individuals looking for work with AWS,” Guidry said. “There's an ability to provide that purpose and impact, and I think it's most seen through tangible results that we deliver. We have a very strong culture within Amazon of stopping problems before they impact our customers, and we're constantly working together as a team to address those safety, security, and operational concerns.”

Guidry points to two Amazon Leadership Principles (LPs) that encapsulate how AWS careers lead to personal and professional fulfillment: Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility and Think Big.

“With every project, innovation, and opportunity, there’s the potential to scale that to a global audience. People can identify a problem, fix the problem, and then scale that globally in order to improve change around the world.“

Guidry discovered Amazon’s Leadership Principles during his Amazon interview process. Someone passed him a laminated hard copy of the LPs during one of his in-person interviews, and upon first impression, he recalls likening them to the Navy’s core values.

“The LPs are about being a great person, a great employee, and a great teammate,” he said. “They also just align near perfectly with the core values and principles of the different military service branches, which I’m sure a lot of veterans and other cleared professionals also realize when they see them for the first time. As a submarine officer, I often had to make critical decisions with incomplete information. That ability to stay calm under pressure and be biased toward action is hugely valuable at AWS."

Guidry said every Amazon LP resonates, but he thinks the two must-haves are Bias for Action and Ownership.

"Those LPs mean you're ready to go above and beyond to ensure that the equipment under your control is performing at peak condition to deliver maximum benefit for the customer," he said. "I think these LPs are so natural for military and public sector professionals. They're used to going above and beyond to seek optimal performance in very challenging and dynamic environments."

It’s still the early days of national security migration to the cloud, which Guidry sees as an exciting time to be a part of a growing business. National security customers such as the U.S. Department of Defense trust AWS for its global infrastructure and secure, scalable, and mission-focused solutions.

“Our customers are really pleased with our services and I think we're exceeding their expectations. We're growing our physical footprint globally with new locations and contracts, and throughout all of this we're seeking to 'raise the bar,' which is an Amazon term for continuous improvement.”

“The rapid pace of innovation is what shocked me most coming to AWS," Beau admits. He describes the incredibly short 4-month timeframe that an AWS team took to build, test, and launch a new database analytics tool for customers.

"In the military, rolling out new technology could take years. At AWS, you move incredibly quickly to invent solutions for customers' biggest problems."

Guidry loves describing how the similarities from public sector life translate to a faster pace of innovation at AWS. There are tight-knit teams with excellent talent, and high standards of excellence.

“But I think the bigger motivator for why to transition to AWS is the innovation, frugality, and speed at which Amazon operates — I just found it to be really impressive.”

Because AWS offers endless upskilling and development opportunities, Guidry said employees always have actionable feedback on where they can improve and the resources to enable that improvement.

"The growth opportunities at AWS extend far beyond just vertical promotions," Guidry said. "I’ve supported two different data center clusters, first in northern Virginia, and most recently in Maryland. Earlier this year, I moved onto a new team and relocated to Seattle. This team supports multiple different customers, with unique and dynamic opportunities to learn and grow."  

Beau Guidry, Frontier Operations Manager, AWS

Contrary to tech industry stereotypes, Beau insists work-life balance is more than achievable through establishing priorities and open communication with managers.

"My leaders know my youngest son has regular medical appointments, so they plan around those commitments."

Guidry shared positive experiences about his parental leave benefits, medical insurance, and general work-life balance.

“People's life circumstances change over time. If a particular role or team isn't a good fit, AWS empowers employees to find new internal opportunities. For me, I recently welcomed a new baby with my wife. My new team is a better fit for my growing family, helping me achieve a better balance between work and raising a new child.”

Beau describes AWS's culture as an incredibly supportive environment for taking intelligent risks, learning from failures, and constantly improving.

“I'll never forget the first week that I arrived to Amazon, presenting what I thought was an insurmountable challenge and seeing the resources and support and team collaboration to not only overcome the challenge, but really exceed the customer's expectations. I think our culture of learning and customer obsession is the common fabric that people really come back to. "We're never done getting better. If you have that bar-raising mentality, Amazon is definitely the right place for you.”

“You have to be humble, apply the lessons from each attempt, and persist until you deliver a successful result for customers."

You might not immediately see a career path or role in the tech industry that aligns with your public sector experience, but Guidry believes almost all cleared talent can find a relevant role. He points to Amazon’s Military Skills Translator recruiting tool, which maps your military experience to relevant Amazon roles. Beau's background as a submarine officer matched him to an AWS role supporting complex database migration projects for enterprise customers.

"The tool showed how my skills in areas like risk mitigation, system operations, and leading teams applied to the civilian role. It was eye-opening to see how transferable my experience was," he said. "Growth and challenge takes many different forms, but through all my opportunities, I've been able to leverage my past military background to thrive in my current environment."

Guidry stresses that AWS’s innovative and transparent hiring approach is well-suited for those with security clearance and diverse public sector backgrounds.

Here are a few of his insights into the AWS hiring process:

"At its core, it's a three-step process: a resume review, a phone screen, and then what we call 'onsite' interviews. However, what makes it truly unique is the emphasis on assessing candidates against Amazon's Leadership Principles and their potential to thrive in our culture."

Guidry highly recommends connecting with current AWS employees who made similar career transitions to understand what to expect and how to best prepare. He also suggests practicing mock interviews focused on the Leadership Principles and demonstrating how your experiences align with the AWS way of working.

"I did around 10 mock interviews, which helped me get comfortable articulating how I would handle different scenarios involving cloud computing and leading teams," he said. "Flex your network! Find a mentor to help you navigate the process and understand how your skills can translate to an AWS role."

The hiring process is designed to be a two-way evaluation, ensuring both the candidate and AWS are well-matched. This transparency allows candidates to showcase their unique experiences and capabilities, while also gaining a deep understanding of the AWS culture and expectations.

"The interview process really allowed me to understand how my cleared background and skills could be leveraged at AWS," Guidry said. "It wasn't just about technical knowledge; they were truly interested in understanding how I approach challenges and drive impact."