Throughout the summer, the Luxembourg Times and our French-speaking sister publication Virgule will be featuring profiles of different employees in the country, giving an insight into what it’s like to work in different industries and companies.
Matteo Gallinotto, 24, has been working as an account manager at Amazon in Luxembourg since January.
Originally from Italy, he’s also a content creator with over 35,000 followers across social media, where he shares insights into his daily life. His posts often resonate with fellow expats, he said, and they frequently reach out with questions about living and working in Luxembourg.
In a conversation with the Luxembourg Times, Matteo spoke about what a typical day looks like like for him as one of nearly 4,400 employees at Amazon’s headquarters in the Grand Duchy, how he manages a long-distance relationship, and how his experience compares to his time in Germany and Italy.
“I’m an account manager. Simply put, I do sales,” Matteo explained, while sipping an afterwork beer on a Friday. “I manage clients who sell on Amazon.” These sellers vary in size and location, and Matteo is in regular contact with them worldwide, helping to resolve issues and optimise their selling experience on the platform.
“There are a lot of different dynamics,” he said. “We account managers take care of the day-to-day and make sure the selling process runs as smoothly as possible.” Currently, Matteo manages sales at Amazon Ireland, and he was involved in its launch by ensuring that all legal and tax requirements were properly implemented.
“I don’t have the typical billionaire routine. I don’t wake up at 5:00,” he laughed. “I usually wake up around 8:00, drink an awful coffee, and eat some cookies at home. Then I take the free tram, or sometimes the bike, and get to the office by 9:00.”
From 9:00 to 12:00, Matteo checks on the status of his projects and answers emails from sellers in different time zones. He also prepares for internal meetings, known at Amazon as ‘weekly business reviews’.
“At 12, everyone heads to lunch. We usually go together to the Auchan in Kirchberg, and what’s great about that is that you can go with someone different every day,” he said.
“After lunch, I basically just talk all the time,” explained the Amazonian. “The most important meetings happen in the afternoon, and that’s when customers tend to respond and want to speak with you.”
What Matteo finds most stimulating about his job is the opportunity to build relationships and trust with his clients. “Of course, it depends on the company. Some are happy to hear your proposals, while others prefer not to be disturbed.”
Account managers at Amazon can take ownership of specific topics, said the young expat. “You can simply bring it up with your manager. We have the freedom to propose plans, as long as we can justify them. This kind of autonomy allows for fast results,” he said. “Even though I joined recently, I already own two topics, and people come to me for those.”
“When we joined, we were told to take all the time we needed to settle in. But three weeks in, I was already diving into my work, calling sellers, and building connections,” he continued.
Sales, Matteo emphasised, requires specific skills. “You need to be outgoing and proactive. Selling is the oldest job in the world, and still the most important in every company. […] Compared to places I’ve worked at before, Amazon gives you much more freedom and encourages you to speak your mind. There is far less internal politics, which can be very disruptive in a corporate environment.”
Before joining Amazon, Matteo worked in Germany for Audi. “One big difference I see here is documentation. Amazon doesn’t want flashy powerpoints. They want straight-up documents. The company has built a lot of internal tools […] being such a large organisation, they’ve streamlined everything, and those tools are not so hard to pick up.”
Before joining Amazon, Matteo worked in Germany for Audi. “One big difference I see here is documentation. Amazon doesn’t want flashy powerpoints. They want straight-up documents. The company has built a lot of internal tools […] being such a large organisation, they’ve streamlined everything, and those tools are not so hard to pick up.”
Matteo is evidently impressed by Amazon’s work ethic and culture, with nothing negative to say about the company: “For me, it’s a huge opportunity. I’m convinced that if you placed fifty Amazonians in a company like Audi, it could be saved from the decline they’re experiencing. I truly believe – and often say in my videos – that an Amazon employee joining a small or medium Italian company would be a game-changer, implementing internal processes that drive absolute efficiency. […] This same mindset is science fiction in Italy.”
His workday typically ends at 17:30, when he heads to the gym. “It’s the perfect time to leave before the crowd arrives,” he smirked.
Matteo usually doesn’t work late, but he is aware that other teams do. “I’ve never done absurd hours. I’ve been lucky; it depends a lot on the team and the role,” he said. “If I have to stay late, I’ll do it, but it rarely happens. I am also an ‘L4’ [an entry-level role, editor’s note]. […] It all depends on the responsibilities you have.”
A trawl of job forums sees Amazon varyingly described as a demanding pressure cooker, with long hours and high expectations, and a company that rewards hard workers and empowers employees.
“I’ve been living abroad for three years now, and here in Luxembourg I have the best work-life balance. I don’t live to work, especially thanks to the flexibility to work from home, which is still something compared to other countries where Amazon operates,” he said.
Last January, Amazon globally ordered its staff to return to a full five-day in-office schedule, ending a hybrid model allowing two days of working from home. Following negotiations under Luxembourg labour law, staff in Luxembourg were allowed to initially keep both days, which were trimmed to one day this July. Additionally, staff retain the flexibility of 20 annual ‘work-from-anywhere’ days.
“I always take the day working from home,” Matteo said. “It gives me the flexibility to do groceries or other activities during my lunch break. Thanks, Luxembourg, for this.”
After living in Germany, Matteo had his eyes set on a few options. “My goal was either to live in Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands or Dubai. […] In Switzerland, not knowing the language was an obstacle. In Dubai, the salary packages weren’t what I was looking for, and in the Netherlands I never got a reply.” Compared to his time in Ingolstadt, he finds Luxembourg to be a metropolis. “I was amazed when I saw the tram my first day in the city.”
He now lives alone in Limpertsberg and pays a monthly rent of €1,700. “I’ve lived in many cities, and every time, the hardest part about moving is not having friends. The first two months, you feel lonely. […] Luckily, Amazon has a lot of clubs, which – in my case – saved me. I now play football every week. Just like that, you start meeting people, going out more, and joining after-work events,” he said.
His main expenses are rent, monthly weekend getaways to Milan to visit his girlfriend, and occasional vacations. “I don’t put limitations on my spending. Of course, I don’t eat smoked salmon every day, but I manage to save around €1,000 per month.” Matteo also shares his monthly spending and salary breakdown – between €60,000 and €70,000 gross annually – on Instagram and TikTok, drawing interest from both local and international expats.
“But we need to put things into context. This lifestyle in Italy would be considered pure bourgeoisie at 24. Here in Luxembourg, I’m just an average person. Of course, living with someone would make things easier and much cheaper,” he said.
Matteo also occasionally browses housing prices, but he’s not actively planning to settle in Luxembourg long-term. “I want to get promoted and be seen as a proactive person. But I don’t really picture myself here or anywhere else in particular in the coming years. I just want to take everything Luxembourg has to offer me.”
Matteo has simple yet ambitious goals: buy its own place, a reclinable couch, a garage and a spots car. Also, he would like to stop being in a long-distance arrangement with his girlfriend “After a month not seeing each other, it gets tough. But we have our goals that keep us going.”
The specificity of Amazon in the Luxembourg job market won’t limit his future career prospects, Matteo said. “Amazon’s pace is extremely fast, and everything is data-driven. With numbers, you can’t lie. Numbers speak, and Amazon follows numbers. Who cares if the tools or terminology are different from other companies? The concepts are the same.”
Not more than three months ago, Matteo began sharing his journey of working and living abroad on TikTok and Instagram. He has since gained 37,000 followers on both platforms combined. Now a familiar name among Italian expats in and outside of Luxembourg, Matteo says he is an inspiration for those who are considering taking the leap abroad.
“I film very simple videos: from grocery hauls to monthly expenses, everyday life in Luxembourg, and how to find a job abroad.” The content that tends to go viral? “When I talk about the downsides of living abroad. Probably because not many people share their weaknesses or the harsh reality of it all. I try to be as transparent as I can,” he said.
Amazon has welcomed what seems a do-it-yourself talent attraction strategy and his managers have not yet complained about this online presence. “They’re really happy with it, because I keep things factual. They’ve even received applications from people who watch my videos. […] I often get messages on Instagram from people asking how to ace interviews or looking for advice,” he said.
