Jill Putman, an Area Manager II at Amazon Air, shared on LinkedIn that Amazon supported her transition back to the workforce after 17 years as a stay-at-home mother. She credited her leaders with encouraging her professional growth and expressed enjoyment in her daily work at the site.
"After 17 years of being a stay-at-home mom, I applied to Amazon," said Putman, according to LinkedIn. "My leaders supported me and empowered me to do so many things I never would have thought I was capable of. I honestly love each and every day that I spend at my site."
According to Brown Brothers Harriman, parents who leave the workforce to raise children often encounter challenges when reentering, such as outdated skills and reduced confidence. These challenges can affect long-term earnings and career advancement. Structured support and re-skilling programs can help mitigate these effects and improve reentry outcomes.
Amazon states that through its Career Choice program and additional initiatives, it offers employees access to training in fields such as IT, healthcare, and transportation. The company reports that thousands of employees have utilized these opportunities to transition into new roles both within and outside of Amazon. This initiative is part of a $1.2 billion commitment to upskill more than 300,000 employees by 2025.
According to BusinessBecause, Amazon outlines its workplace environment as guided by leadership principles that include ownership, customer obsession, and bias for action. The company provides structured career tracks for roles such as operations, product management, and finance, including for MBA graduates. It also identifies regular feedback and mentorship processes as part of its internal development practices.
Putman began her career at Amazon in 2017 and progressed through multiple roles, including Associate and Load Planner, before becoming an Area Manager II. She is also completing a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management and Services at Western Governors University. Her professional background includes both operational leadership and workforce development experience.