How 90 days at Microsoft Changed My Life

What if I told you that you could directly help transform the world? Too cheesy? What about empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more? This is the Microsoft mission statement and something we - the 'microsofties' - live and breathe every day. 

I regularly get messages asking me about my experience with Microsoft, the tech industry, and how I - a Psychology degree holding Canadian ended up as a Technical Specialist in Ireland. Naturally, I've decided to share this article to give you some insight into what it's really like as a Technical Specialist working for a behemoth like Microsoft.

THE ROLE

The first question I get asked is: what really is a Technical Specialist? I normally joke and say I'm a fancy problem solver, perhaps dream weaver, but as a Technical Specialist I get to solve real-world problems using cutting edge Microsoft technology.  I promise I won't use too many buzzwords here - but this really does describe it! 

This isn't your everyday desk job - you are working with global companies and industry leaders to deliver real change with the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform.  Each day and each customer are completely different and you get to bring your own creative twist into the mix.

THE IMPACT

Remember how I said we are empowering every person and every organization on the planet?  Companies don't know what they don't know.  They do a technology review every so many years and its inherently difficult for them to navigate the constantly evolving technology landscape.  A simplified example is to think about cell phones and how much they have changed in the past 5, even 10 years - newer cell phones may be 20% faster and save you more money.

The key point here is as a company it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start, so we act as the trusted advisor to help guide them through the process considering best practices and industry standards when undertaking digital transformation.  As a Technical Specialist I work with clients to understand the problems they face today, demonstrate and introduce new ways they can address those problems to drive business innovation and value. 

The coolest thing to see is how fast of an impact you can have on a whole industry, for example NHS physicians were able to reduce covid-exposure through remote consultations using HoloLens virtual reality technology. And this really is just scratching the surface of what we have done.

There are so many opportunities to collaborate, learn and grow from a business, technology, and industry perspective. If you are deeply passionate about technology, learning, and helping others, this is the role for you.

THE TECHNOLOGY

What really makes being a Technical Specialist at Microsoft so special is the ability to work with state of the art technology in a creative and hands on way. You are working with the technology you see in Sci-fi shows and ted talks. 

Want to make an app to help employees safely return to work post covid?  You have the Power Platform - or low-code no-code applications that you can build and deploy globally within days, not weeks.  What about a tool to quickly scan business cards while you're at a conference?  Perfect, AI builder is available and ready to use in a number of minutes.  How about an intelligent chatbot to help your customers or your internal team to onboard, or maybe you need to fully automate some old legacy application that takes a lot of effort to use with RPA.  There are endless possibilities.

The other side of this is Dynamics 365 - these are intelligent business applications that are necessary for businesses to function on a day to day.  From fully optimizing supply chains, to digitalizing and supporting e-commerce channels, finance, enhancing customer engagement, or unlocking a deeper understanding of your business.  These applications are the foundation businesses use to carry out mission critical processes and support future growth, scaling, and insight into every operation.

The exciting thing about Dynamics and the Power Platform technologies is that they are not static.  Microsoft is always researching and developing out new advancements and it's a fundamental part of our job as a Technical specialist to continuously learn and upskill. Technical learning comes in a variety of forms at Microsoft - from 3-day hackathons with deep dives into the technology and complex issues, to achieving industry acclaimed technical certifications for in demand skills, participating in private previews to learn the newest technology, and many other exciting opportunities that will carry you throughout your career.

COLLABORATION

The biggest adjustment for me was learning that you never truly are working alone at Microsoft.  From a collaboration perspective, on any given day as a Technical Specialist you may be working directly with the Program Group, engineers, solution architects, developers, global tech experts, partners, extended teams, and others to help customers transform their business.

You work directly alongside the thought leaders you see speaking at global conferences and people who are making key technological advancements.  These people who normally seem unattainable, who suddenly become easily accessible through a teams message - and the coolest part is they genuinely care. I also can't help but mention the strong global and local community networks that are invaluable for learnings, best practice, and collaboration.  There really is no such thing as a stupid question - I've tested this.

Another surprise when I joined Microsoft was how diverse and inclusive our teams are - everyone comes from a different perspective, and it is actively encouraged to question the status quo.  Not to mention that Dublin just so happens to be a HQ for Microsoft EMEA — you really are working with colleagues from across the world.  We can only grow if we take risks, we learn from opinions different from ours, we share our unique perspective and understanding with our peers and continue forward with our improved way. And no - not everyone is computer science major with a MBA. 

And when it comes to onboarding during covid, well that really could be an article on its own. When we went to Seattle for onboarding training, we happened to be right in the epicenter of the first covid-19 outbreak in the US. This was a surreal experience that proved to me how important it is to work with people who really care. They genuinely did everything in their power to ensure we all got home promptly and safely. But if I'm to put it simply, although I was in our crazy beautiful office for only a couple weeks, I have managed to make friendships for life.  My team, my manager, and leadership have brought a sense of community I didn’t think was possible when moving to a new country.

If you want to work around people who are deeply passionate about what they do and love helping others, well then this is the place for you.

WHY MICROSOFT?

Well beyond the cool technology, passionate people, and helping others there is another side to the picture that doesn't get highlighted enough - the work life balance. At Microsoft there are countless opportunities to learn personally and professionally and you are encouraged to follow your passions - but there is also a massive emphasis on wellbeing (especially with covid-19). You really can only be your best when you feel your best. And well, Ireland itself has been a whole journey I would recommend to everyone.

So, to answer the initial question: how did I go from a Psychology degree to working for Microsoft?  Well, it sounds simple, but I followed my passion for helping others and I looked for a company that shared my values - a growth mindset, integrity, collaboration, learning, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion.  I took big risks, learned a lot, and I kept seeking feedback and opportunities to help others. 

I can confidently say I wake up every day feeling excited and grateful about the opportunity to work for an organization that really wants to make a real difference in the world. 

Microsoft truly delivers on these promises, from sustainability initiatives, to being recognized as a world leader in innovation, as well as a global culture of diversity, growth-mindset, and learning from others.  This is really just scratching the surface - there is a lot more to come.

Some say I’m soft, but I argue I’m just a microsoftie – and I genuinely hope that this article was helpful offering some insight into what its like working at Microsoft.  Please feel free reach out with any questions about my journey, Microsoft, life as a technical specialist, or the technology industry as a whole.

Are you interested in a career at Microsoft? Please visit our careers site here: Business Applications Careers | Microsoft Careers

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