Inside the role: insights from an AWS software engineer

How did you land on the DynamoDB team as a software engineer?

A year into being a solutions architect, I wanted to apply to be an engineer on the DynamoDB team. I had never worked with relational databases before, and I just thought the DynamoDB user experience was awesome. I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I was fortunate that DynamoDB leaders saw my enthusiasm and potential, and gave me a chance despite not having a traditional engineering background. I think with any career trajectory, you need some luck and you need people who trust you.

How did you earn the trust of other DynamoDB team members?

In my first year at AWS, I had the opportunity to speak on stage at re:Invent about DynamoDB and customer patterns using event-driven architectures. I think I really showed my enthusiasm for the service, which went a long way. Everyone could tell I was genuinely excited about DynamoDB. Then I did some work to demonstrate that while I was a solutions architect, I also deeply understood how DynamoDB functioned and how customers utilized it. Once you prove you can perform one role well, I think people believe you can figure out another role, too. Having that diverse background showed I was able to constantly learn new things. So, the DynamoDB team trusted that while I didn't have traditional engineering experience, I could apply myself and succeed as an engineer if given the opportunity. Earning trust is about enthusiasm, proven abilities, and a willingness to keep growing.

What transferable skills did your background provide that prepared you for software development?

In my view, when you go to university, there are some jobs where you directly learn the specific skills needed for that role. But for many other roles, university teaches you how to learn, how to acquire new knowledge, and how to solve problems. That's what physics did for me.
I learned vital skills like breaking down complex problems and constantly building new expertise. While the subject matter was physics then, I can apply those same skills to the engineering challenges I face now at DynamoDB. Things like operating large distributed systems at scale and writing code that can handle that level of traffic and computing.
So while I didn't study computer science explicitly, my physics background taught me how to be a perpetual learner and problem-solver. Those mentalities translate incredibly well to software engineering once you dig into the new technical domain.

How would you describe DynamoDB to someone without any knowledge of the service?

Almost everyone is interacting with DynamoDB anywhere from 10 to 100 times a day without knowing it. Whenever you put something in your Amazon shopping cart, that is stored in DynamoDB. When you watch your favorite movies, when you book a trip, when you book a hotel—a lot of these things are in DynamoDB. I think at the end of the day, what DynamoDB does is it's really fast, extremely scalable storage for data.
 

How has AWS enabled your career growth?

It's much easier to move between different organizations, teams, and roles within Amazon and AWS than to job-hop between entirely different companies. So, if you have an appetite for variety in your experiences, AWS facilitates that career exploration. We also bring together people from all kinds of backgrounds—different expertise, knowledge bases, ways of thinking. To me, that diversity of perspectives is extremely valuable. Getting all those unique viewpoints in one room leads to innovation. If you crave endless learning and want to guide your own career path, you can truly own your journey here in a way that's hard to find elsewhere.

You moved from Germany to Colorado when you joined the DynamoDB team. How has that transition been and how did AWS support your journey?

One of the great aspects of AWS is that we operate globally, which opens many opportunities to work in different locations around the world if you want that experience. I needed to be in the U.S. for the DynamoDB role and the team really supported my interest in relocating to Colorado. AWS helped manage logistics like my visa and move, and Colorado has been a dream in terms of the surroundings and weather.

How does AWS's culture enable you to integrate your hobbies and passions alongside your career?

One of my favorite things about Amazon is the Leadership Principles like ownership that really resonate with me. I own my own journey and work-life balance. As long as I get my work done, no one cares if I go on a three-hour bike ride in the afternoon to soak up the sun, and then work later in the evening. There's no rigid schedule saying I must be at my desk from 9 to 6 every day. The culture empowers me to structure my time how I need, as long as I uphold our customer obsession and deliver results. So, if I want to go for a run when the sun is out, it's perfectly fine. My managers trust me to structure my time in a way that works for me.

What advice would you give someone joining AWS as a new software engineer?

Constantly ask questions, don't be afraid to say, 'I don't know,' and take advantage of AWS's learning resources. And set boundaries to protect your work-life balance and outside passions—the AWS culture really enables you to integrate your interests.

Interested in building cutting-edge solutions that power businesses worldwide? Visit our jobs page to discover exciting software engineering opportunities at AWS.