Thank you, Microsoft
On March of 2017, I started my career as an entry level software engineer. Before that, I did my undergrad in computer science at Penn State (We Are!). I had the opportunity of a lifetime when I got an internship for the summer of 2016, which introduced me to Microsoft and what my next 5 years were going to be.
A lot of people used to tell me I would be joining a huge corporation and that making a name for myself was going to be very hard. I internalized this and tried to somehow challenge that assumption.
This is a summarized version of my journey through Microsoft and some of the lessons it taught me.
Work
My first months of Microsoft were all about learning. I learned React and started coding some frontend work. I didn’t think this initial work was going to “stick” around but fast forward five years and the same code is still there! I did want to pivot to backend and I communicated this to my manager who encouraged me to pursue it.
About 8 months into the role, my manager changed. Priorities changed and I got my first cross-geo project focusing on API development. In this project, I introduced my first backend code review, the infamous one. This CR got 140 comments and had numerous files changed. Got A LOT of learnings from that one. Will share the story some other time 😃.
About 1.5 years into the job, the org really started to morph into a big data and AI platform for data engineers and data scientists in (and out of!) Microsoft. At the beginning of 2018, we started the AI side of the platform, enabling data scientists “to do AI in 30 mins”. This was one of my favorite projects. I learned how to build a service from scratch, more API development, distributed systems, cloud services, and much more. We built and stood up a complete end-to-end service with a small team. It really felt like a startup. This was a project my leadership team presented to Satya and the response was exhilarating.
By the beginning of 2020, I switched teams internally to a new initiative that was formed to tackle on new challenges for the org and help plan, design, and ship big projects quickly. This was the beginning of a great opportunity for me, where I got into technical lead role. By the end of 2020, I helped form a new team with members from across the world. This team ended up having one of the most energetic attitudes to develop and deliver results I’ve ever worked with. This was an awesome, challenging space to be in.
Lastly, for the past year, I switched projects to the team responsible of offering our big data platform outside of MS. The team has doubled since then and have gotten more and more customers. The energy and customer obsessed mindset that this team has is phenomenal, and it is very contagious.
Lessons
There are a myriad of lessons I internalized during my tenure. For now, I’ll share some of my top ones that helped me navigate through this journey.
Microsoft is full of opportunities.. but you have to take them:
There is a huge difference in waiting for something to happen than proactively looking for it. If growth and new opportunities is what you seek, then it is imperative that you put yourself out there, asking and constantly looking for new opportunities within your work. Whether it be a new feature, participation on a feature from another team, or even helping form a volunteer-team.
Talk. To. People:
I cannot stress the importance of this. Networking and fostering connections are crucial to your entire professional career. You will meet people who will help and mentor you. At the same time, you will have the opportunity to give back and do the same for others. Talking and meeting people from different roles, backgrounds, and teams can help you discover new opportunities and learn different ways to tackle problems. Networking is SUPER important.
Have empathy:
Satya’s Hit Refresh is a great book with a focus on empathy, I highly recommend it. Understanding and deeply caring about your employees will transform your mindset from having to help to wanting to help.
Learn from mistakes with a growth mindset:
It’s not only about learning from the mistakes you make, but how will you use those learnings to propel forward. Understanding the difference between the fixed and growth mindset (Growth Mindset by Dr. Dweck) is crucial. Taking things with a positive attitude, learning from mistakes and acting on them are life-changing skills to have. 140 comments in a code review might feel brutal, but if you take it with a learning perspective, it can be career changing.
Take risks — fortune favors the bold:
Fail fast and iterate. Sometimes it’s better to say sorry than ask for permission.. Of course, don’t take this to the extreme and use your own judgement.
Culture eats strategy:
We hear this a lot but it’s so true. The values MS instills on employees and how the various layers of leadership take them is phenomenal. If you have an energized, morale focused, and motivated team you will be able to accomplish any of your objectives and key results. The power of feeling tranquil and working on a place where all voices are heard and new perspectives are encouraged is extremely refreshing.
What’s next?
After five years, it’s time for a change.
At the beginning of 2017, a friend and coworker of mine introduced me to blockchain and crypto. “Invest in Ethereum” he said, to which I responded “Don’t think so, you are crazy, ETH is at 80$ and I don’t understand it — who would want to get in on that”. Well, we all know how that turned out😆.
Nevertheless, I started to get more hands on with the technology. I read books and articles and was amazed by the possibilities and its revolution. I’ve decided to make a move into the Fintech space and take part in the development of an integrated world economy.
Stay tuned for what’s next, and to my MS coworkers: please stay in touch!
