Andy Jassy Shares Career Advice: Start at Bottom and Be a 'Learning Machine'

Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon, once shared an advice for young professionals entering the workforce, saying that expecting a top job right after college may not match how careers usually develop.

Speaking on Capital Group's Power of Advice podcast earlier this year, Jassy said that early career growth often starts with smaller roles and requires time, effort and learning. Jassy said that building a career requires starting from the ground level and gaining experience step by step.

“If you aren't willing to start at the bottom and pay your dues, it's unlikely that you're going to ever be successful,” he said. “You have to be willing to start at the bottom. You have to do whatever people ask you to do, within reason.”

He added that reliability and attention to detail play an important role in career growth. According to him, employees who are consistent in their work and open to learning tend to move forward over time.

Andy Jassy pointed to continuous learning as a key factor for long-term success. “You just have to be a learning machine,” he said. He noted that people who keep improving their skills and adapt to new ways of working are more likely to grow in their careers.

Jassy also spoke about his own career path, which included roles outside the technology sector before joining Amazon. He said his journey involved trying different fields before finding the right fit.

“It's great to have an idea,” he said. “But it's very useful to try a lot of different things to figure out what you don't like and what you do like.”

“You never know which things you're going to like. In my lifetime, I have not predicted the things that I have loved,” he added.

Jassy said that the current job market can make it harder for young people to plan their careers early. He noted that many feel pressure to decide their long-term path at a young age, but suggested that flexibility and willingness to learn can help.