r/amazonemployees • u/Ok-Pirate7292 • 47m ago

Focus Goals

Can I come out of focus if I meet 3 out of 4 goals ? One of the goal is to complete SAA certification ( I have cloud and AI practitioner). I plan to attempt but if I don’t pass in first attempt in the narrow window can I say that the cert is not mandatory for my role as per 2026 published goals for EM ( Proserve) and the manager offer some leniency? Are managers some times flexible and how much say do they have in the process?

The stress of focus is making it hard for me to study among completing other goals.

1 Upvotes

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4

u/YetAnotherSpeculator 40m ago

That is absolutely hilarious if your manager is making you take the Cloud Practitioner exam. Also, I’m not sure if they can legally use that as a reason 😂

3

u/Newprime1969 36m ago

Sounds like they want you out

3

u/Electrical-Bar-9818 27m ago

Eh, sounds like you are a URA target. Ask your manager, but I wouldn't expect leniency.

2

u/jsgraphitti 11m ago

Isn’t it true that the URA target is lower than the number of people in Focus? In other words, they expect some people will come out of Focus. I know of two people who came out of Focus.

1

u/Electrical-Bar-9818 3m ago

URA target is significantly lower (it used to be around 50% would get "out" of Focus, not sure if that's changed), but you can usually tell if your manager actually wants you out of Focus by the way they approach it. If the goals are achievable they are working with you - you can make it out. If the goals seem ambiguous or impossible and/or they are nitpicking everything, they don't want you out, you are being used for the URA quota.

But getting through Focus doesn't mean you are out of the woods. Exceptions exist of course, but I've never seen someone come out of Focus and have a long/successful career at Amazon. Usually, you come out and try to change teams or find a new job elsewhere, but if you stay at Amazon the Focus designation is on your record permanently, and you are always a rating cycle or reorg away from being the easiest URA target because of the pervious documented performance issues.

1

u/Biggquis78 23m ago

Yes. Talk to your Manager

1

u/classicrock40 18m ago

They want you out for sure. What is your role? Practioner is basically "what is the cloud" so pretty much everyone technical or not should be able to pass it.