A trip to the world-famous Space Needle, lunch in Pike Place Market and a visit to the Museum of Pop Culture are just three of the experiences enjoyed by Karolina from Gateshead after she had a once in a lifetime trip to the US.

Karolina, who works at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Gateshead, took part in the week-long trip with 17 Amazon colleagues from across the UK and Ireland as part of a programme called I Found the Right Place.

I Found the Right Place is open to Amazon employees in the UK and Ireland and asks the simple question – ‘what makes Amazon the right place for you?’. Employees are invited to talk about why they love working at Amazon and the best stories are selected by a judging panel, with the finalists taking delivery of a boarding pass for the trip of a lifetime.

More than 2,000 Amazon employees submitted their story as part of the campaign and Karolina was selected by the judges as one of 18 people who boarded the plane to Seattle.

placeholder image — I Found The Right Place Winners

Karolina and her colleagues had an action-packed week in Seattle, where they toured Amazon’s global headquarters, saw the latest Amazon technology during a fulfilment centre tour and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city’s Pike Place Market, Space Needle, Museum of Pop Culture and more.

Karolina Świętuchowska works at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Gateshead as an associate. She has been living in Newcastle for the last five years and working at Amazon for almost four.

Karolina joined Amazon in Gateshead during the pandemic, when finding work was difficult. Almost four years after joining Amazon, Karolina found herself taking a seat on the plane to Seattle as part of the I Found the Right Place programme.

Karolina was selected for trip of a lifetime because of her remarkable journey of personal and professional development at Amazon. With determination, support from colleagues and opportunities provided by Amazon, she improved her language skills dramatically.

Karolina, who works at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Gateshead.

She completed an English course through Career Choice in her first year working at the company, and continues to use Amazon’s learning and development programmes today. As well as taking part in Amazon's Career Choice programme, Karolina has completed the first year of a Higher Business and Management course at the Open University and will also complete a Supply Chain Apprenticeship this September through the Amazon Apprenticeship programme.

“I was really excited and a little bit surprised when I found out I was going to Seattle,” Karolina said. “It was my first time in America, and I was very happy to meet my colleagues from across the UK who joined me on the trip, hear their stories, and find out what was waiting for us there. Getting a place on the plane truly felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity. I still can't believe that I was there!"

Karolina spent a week exploring the sights and sounds of Seattle. What was her highlight? “Visiting the Amazon Spheres and the prototype fulfilment centre in the city,” she said. “Seeing how people and technology work together to deliver for customers was truly inspiring. But another very personal highlight was attending a roundtable with some of Amazon’s most senior global leaders.”

“Before the meeting, I was nervous that someone might ask me a question I wouldn't understand, but I didn’t need to worry,” Karolina continued. “One of our most senior leaders said to me, 'Aren't you Karolina, the person who started working at Amazon without speaking English? I'd like to hear something from you.' I was nervous, but I answered, and I honestly can't remember exactly what I said! It was such a nice moment. It meant a lot to me that our leaders were so well prepared to talk with us.”

Karolina also enjoyed exploring Seattle, visiting the Museum of Pop Culture and the Space Needle, and meeting amazing people from around the world who she's sure she'll see again soon.

Karolina concludes by reflecting on how the experience has shaped her approach to work. “Visiting Amazon’s headquarters and the fulfilment centre inspired me to focus even more on innovation and continuous improvement in my role,” she said. “It showed me how small experiments and ideas can grow into large scale solutions that make a real difference for our customers. I truly enjoy teamwork and believe that collaboration is key to success, which makes working at Amazon even more rewarding for me.”

Dan Stewart, General Manager at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Gateshead, added: “Karolina s a much-loved member of the team here at Amazon in Gateshead and we were so pleased when we found out she was off to Seattle. We’re proud to have her represent our team on the trip and I hope she had a brilliant time. I Found the Right Place is one of the many programmes we run here at Amazon to show our appreciation for the colleagues that deliver smiles for our customers every day.”

Daniel Stewart, Site Leader at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Gateshead, added: “Karolina s a much-loved member of the team here at Amazon in Gateshead and we were so pleased when we found out she was off to Seattle. We’re proud to have her represent our team on the trip and I know she had a brilliant time. I Found the Right Place is one of the many programmes we run here at Amazon to show our appreciation for the colleagues that deliver smiles for our customers every day.”

Amazon employees receive competitive pay and comprehensive benefits. The minimum starting pay for frontline operations employees is between £13.50 and £14.50 p/h, depending on location. For those with 36 months service, this is £13.75 and £14.75p/h, depending on location. This equates to an annual starting salary of between £28,080 and £30,160, depending on location, for full-time frontline employees across the country.

Amazon has invested £550m in increased pay for operations employees across the UK since 2022, representing a 35% increase in the hourly rate in just two years. Additionally, from day one, all employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidized meals and an employee discount. Together, these benefits are worth more than £700 annually, and employees can take advantage of Amazon’s company pension plan.

Amazon employees can also take part in Amazon’s Career Choice programme, which covers up to 100% of tuition and fees for courses in high-demand fields, regardless of whether the participant proceeds to pursue a career at Amazon.

Amazon has been named as a ‘Top Employer UK 2025’ by the Top Employer Institute, for the second year in a row, one of the world’s most prestigious certifications in the field of human resources management. This award recognises Amazon’s commitment to the development and well-being of its employees. In addition to the UK accolade, Amazon has also been certified as one of the Top Employers in Europe for a third consecutive year.

In 2025, Amazon ranked in second place on LinkedIn’s Top Companies list — an annual list that identifies the most sought-after large companies to work for and grow your career in the UK. Using data from LinkedIn’s 900 million members, LinkedIn’s Top Companies list is designed to help professionals identify the best companies to grow their careers.