Amazon looks to fill thousands of jobs during virtual career day

Amazon’s annual hiring event is going virtual this year. On Wednesday, the online retail giant said it’ll hold its 2020 Career Day on Sept. 16. The virtual event is open to anyone nationwide, according to Amazon, and people who participate can learn about 33,000 open corporate and tech positions, as well as thousands of additional hourly jobs within its operations network.

“We’ve created more jobs in the US over the past decade than any other company – and we are continuing to hire people from all backgrounds and at all skill levels,” said Beth Galetti, senior vice president human resources at Amazon, in a press release. “We are glad to be able to mobilize more than 1,000 experienced recruiters and HR professionals to help job seekers across the country learn about opportunities at Amazon and elsewhere.”

Amazon said it also plans to provide 20,000 career coaching sessions during the event, as well as hold panel discussions, code workshops and interviews with Amazon executives. 

The event offers a way for Amazon to show off its pay and benefits packages, which include a $15 minimum wage and up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave, at a time when millions are out of work amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, the company has also been harshly criticized for mistreating employees and pressuring delivery drivers to work faster. 

Amazon said 17,000 people attended its Career Day events last year, which were held at six cities across the US. Registration for the 2020 event opens Wednesday.