The first 6 months of a Microsoft grad hire (during a pandemic)??

Have you ever imagined what's it like to start your career at a tech giant like Microsoft? I've just hit 6 months mark working at the company whose values are so aligned with mine. "You work with smart people and it is a fast-paced and dynamic environment." I read the review on Glassdoor before joining. Now that I've experienced Microsoft, every word in the review lives up to its meaning! My mind has been constantly occupied trying to move forward and rarely taken a moment to slow down and reflected on what has been happening… This is a great opportunity to zoom out, retrospectively make sense of things and bring you along with me in the Microsoft ride.

What do I do at Microsoft?

I've become one of Microsofties in late January 2020 as a grad hire for Technical Account Manager aka TAM in Perth, Western Australia. At the high-level, being a TAM, I support my customers to digitally transform and accelerate their technology adoption so IT investment isn't a cost but a differentiator which adds business values through Microsoft services and engagements.

The above sentence sounds like it was copied-pasted from a job description somewhere, right? Let's put it in my own words, a TAM is similar to a value pack of Tim TAM (yes, that's right, Australian chocolate biscuit), comes in different flavours, who comforts and delights customers and magically makes their IT-related problems and blockers disappear.  

Tim TAM makes a perfect sense, doesn't it? Because in reality, job title often changes but our ability to create impact remains. I agreed with what Daniella Mathews, my colleague, articulated that the title doesn't matter much because ultimately we're always our customer advocate who empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more ??

 The title doesn't matter much because ultimately Microsofties are always a customer advocate.

Embracing the ride!

Despite how eager I plunge into the job, onboarding into a gigantic organisation was an overwhelming experience — especially when we were going into the lockdown. There were a big product knowledge and skills gap that I needed to fill to be at least half a tim TAM. Therefore, digital fatigue, information overload and prioritisation was the biggest struggle so I internalised "Information is everywhere but impossible to learn and retain everything. So how do I use this wealth of information to create values in the shortest amount of time in my role? How do I know when to do what and who is the right people to engage at the right time?".

 How do I use this wealth of information to create values for my customer and my team in the shortest amount of time?

Well Jia, simply make a proper plan! The answer was nothing unconventional but often neglecting. I started with a 3-month horizon then expanded into 6 months. I asked myself "In 30/60/90 days, what would I accomplish at Microsoft?" so that any training materials, meetings, extra-curricular activities, videos, articles and certificates were strategically and intentionally taken then tied back to the predetermined accomplishments.

The reality didn't go as plan, there were times I randomly learnt and did stuff yet the plan pulled me back on track or the plan got adjusted accordingly as priorities changed. Having a clue of what's next also help me stay sane and motivated in the midst of social isolation and uncertainty. Here's how the plan got me to form key development areas of each month.

Month 1

• Understanding Microsoft culture, values and internal workings
• Understanding the overview of TAM core priorities, tools and processes
• Getting to know my team and Perth branch

Month 2

• Continuous learning and reinforcing knowledge of Month 1
• Learning Microsoft products (Azure, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365) and solutions (Modern Workplace, Data/AI, Azure Application/Infra, Business Applications)
• Understanding Microsoft Services offerings and engagements
• Getting to know the wider Australia team
• Shadowing experienced TAM in internal meetings

Month 3 (COVID-19 HIT)

• Continuous learning and reinforcing knowledge of Month 1 and 2
• Studying for Azure Fundamentals certificate
• Industry learning (Public Sector and Mining)
• Shadowing experienced TAM in customer meetings and engagements

Month 4

• Continuous learning and reinforcing knowledge of Month 1, 2 and 3
• Deep dive into my roles and responsibilities and Unified Support
• Getting to know my account team
• Getting my first customer, leading customer meetings, understanding their tech environment

Month 5

• Continuous learning and reinforcing knowledge of Month 1, 2, 3 and 4
• Attending 6-week Virtual Start Strong (as part of the Aspire Program for early in career) getting to know other Aspirers from around the world!
• Studying for Microsoft 365 Fundamentals certificate
• Deepening trust and relationship with the customer and the account team
• Gaining hands-on experience in incident management, allocating resources and managing deliveries

Month 6

• Continuous learning and reinforcing knowledge of Month 1,2,3,4 and 5
• Deep dive into Microsoft's Enterprise Mobility and Security
• Learning and practising TAM core capabilities such as collaboration, influencing for impact and customer focus.

The ride hasn't finished yet!

These dot-points have given me focus and kept me productive in the last 6 months, particularly during remote working. Time flies... looking back, I'm astonished by my learning capacity and the bond I created with the team, Perth branch, Microsoft Aspire Community and my customers in just 180 days (when most of the interactions were virtual).

I still remember how unreal it felt when walking into Microsoft Perth office seeing Michelle Sandford, a tech superwoman I admire, at the entrance as if I was arriving at Hogwarts and entering into the great hall. Michelle took my badge photo, she told me to look up and smile. The photo signifies "Looking up at my future with Microsoft".

They say the first six months are critical to building a strong foundation of a lifelong career. I agree but as I'm rolling into my 7th month, I wouldn't say THIS IS IT because there's still so much to build, so much to learn, so much to improve. I should never strive to be an expert who knows it all but to exist as a curious learner who can be 1% better every day for the rest of my career. I'm grateful to have all who support me and create an environment where it's mentally safe to experiment, fail, learn and improve. I hope to share more of my Microsoft journey with you — where I work with brilliant minds to make a difference in our world.

P.S. ?????♂????♀????♂? If you're thinking about starting your career with Microsoft. Check out Microsoft Careers for Students and Graduates. The application for 2021 grad/intern positions in Australia and New Zealand is open until mid-August 2020: Full-time for recent graduates, Full-time for MBA students, Internship opportunities