Amazon HR partner from Durham shares key to career journey

Each year, the Learning at Work Week programme is run by charity Campaign for Learning.

The charity works with organisations across the UK to arrange events, stimulate curiosity in the workplace, and support organisational goals by engaging employees in continued learning.

This year’s theme, ‘Get Connected’, highlights the social aspect of lifelong learning at work, with a focus on how collaboration between colleagues can support their learning and professional development through understanding and empathy.Anna Muller who works at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Durham (Image: John Millard/UNP)

Anna Muller, who works at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Durham, has used Amazon’s training and development pathways to further her professional goals.

One of the pathways Ms Muller has taken advantage of to progress her career is Amazon Career Choice.

The programme, in place at Amazon since 2012, covers up to 95 per cent of tuition and fees for courses in high-demand fields, offering up to £8,000 over four years.

This support is available whether or not the participant chooses to continue their career at Amazon.

Amazon Career Choice offers a range of progression routes, including associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees and certificates.

Software development, English language classes, accountancy, and HGV driving are just some of the courses on offer and are designed to help employees build careers at Amazon or elsewhere.

This means that eligible employees are given the opportunity to gain the skills and qualifications needed to follow their career aspirations, whatever they might be.

Ms Muller, who lives in Sherburn Village, used Career Choice to help land her role as an HR partner.

She has shared her experience to inspire others to elevate their own career using the Amazon Career Choice programme.

When Ms Muller first arrived in the UK from Poland, she worked on a soft fruit farm near Peterborough.

During the winter months, her colleagues worked at Amazon in Peterborough and encouraged her to apply.

She began working at the Peterborough fulfilment centre on a temporary contract in 2016, and after leaving the farm, took on a permanent role at Amazon in 2017.

Shortly after, she successfully moved into a step-up position as an HR associate partner.

Ms Muller said: “Although I had previous administrative experience, I was new to the world of HR and was determined to develop myself and gain recognised qualifications.

“I vividly remember attending the Amazon Career Choice Fair during my time at Amazon’s Peterborough fulfilment centre.

“I was both surprised and excited to learn that Amazon would fund employee qualifications.

“This motivated me to work towards becoming a permanent employee.

“Once I achieved this and completed my first year in the HR step-up role, I decided to pursue my CIPD qualification through Amazon Career Choice.

“When I started, I didn’t expect to go as far as I have, and I am proud that I have been promoted to HR partner.”

Ms Muller said completing a course through Amazon Career Choice ‘did wonders’ for her confidence.

She said: “I found my confidence really improved, not only professionally, but personally.

“I would consider myself a high-functioning introvert, and networking used to be really hard for me.

“Now, I can go to networking events alone without worry, and find it much easier to talk to people about what I do.”

She added: “Having experienced first-hand the transformative impact of Career Choice on my professional journey, I am passionate about the programme and consistently advocate for it among our employees.”

“The opportunities are there for the taking; you just have to be proactive and take ownership of your own development.

“Amazon Career Choice is a testament to how educational support can truly change career paths – it completely transformed mine.”