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Janelle Godfrey inspired by Priya’s interviews for a while now, and have really enjoyed “meeting” her international candidates on the JobsBlog. Well, now I’m excited to share some great stories from a handful of recent hires from the U.S., so keep your eyes peeled in the next few weeks as I have a lot of great interviews lined up. hear from candidates from small schools and big schools, those who had tons of offers and some who had just their MS offer. I’m looking forward to sharing these stories with you, so let me know if you like reading them, and/or if you have specific types of candidates that you would like to hear more about. I’ll share the story of Noah Spitzer-Williams. Noah’s a graduate of Tufts University, a small school near Boston with a total enrollment of about 8000, and not a college that one traditionally thinks of relative to computer science...yet a great small school with great graduates, nonetheless! a really unique Microsoft experience that he’ll fill you in on in the interview below. But in brief, he had interviewed with Google and hadn’t heard anything back from them for over five months. After finally receiving a “thanks, but no thanks” email from them, he decided to apply to Microsoft ON THE CAREER WEBSITE! it happens, people can get jobs without knowing 10 hiring managers and 23 recruiters, and it happens more often than you think! Within a few weeks of applying, Noah had interviewed, found a great group fit,discount windows 7 update key, was hired and ultimately accepted a position within Media Center as a Program Manager. his account of the whole process, one that I think you’ll find to be very honest and smart...enjoy. me a little bit about your background. Where are you originally from and how did you get interested in technology? born and raised in New York, about 20 minutes north of Manhattan. I went to Tufts University outside Boston and majored in Computer Science with a minor in Entrepreneurial Leadership. Since middle school I had been making websites for myself and co-workers of my parents. In high school and college I teamed up with friends to start a few mini-businesses, usually around software or online applications. Basically I loved technology and I loved figuring out a way to make money off of it. were you looking into after graduation? started interviewing for Full Time positions in September of 2005,windows 7 starter update key, I knew I wanted to have a technology/business type role. I wanted a job where I could work with technology,cheap microsoft windows 7 x64 key, yet take advantage of my social skills. Unfortunately, most places didn’t consider young applicants for such jobs. Most places wanted you to work as a developer for several years before you could get your hands into the business. Don't get me wrong, I love programming. I just wouldn't want to do it 40 hours a week. also knew I wanted to move to the West coast for a change of scenery and because that’s where a lot of the technology powerhouses lived. started off interviewing with Google among other companies, what happened? months of interviews without an offer I wanted, I decided to apply to Microsoft even though I wasn’t entirely serious about it. Although they had the role I was looking for, a Program Manager, I was not sold on Microsoft as a company of the future until I came out to visit. But I ended up getting a phone interview and then being asked to fly out, and the rest is history. been your perception of Microsoft while you were growing up and while in college? was younger, Bill Gates was one of my biggest idols. But that was in Microsoft’s heyday. When the government case came up, it seemed like Microsoft would do anything they could to crush the competition. Although I still thought their products were the best, I was not impressed in the way they worked with others. This meant a lot to me and was one of the reasons I was so skeptical. the case ended, it still seemed like Microsoft was not the “wow” company it used to be. Everyone was flocking to start-ups and it seemed like working for the “devil” was not a smart career move. But then the bubble burst and it seemed like Microsoft was slowly starting to build itself up again. They began to play more nicely with others and invested in non-traditional areas such as the entertainment space (my new home). Suddenly I got the feeling that Microsoft was taking steps to ensure its long term success and they were driven to re-invent themselves. I found this very inspiring. did you have to take to get an interview? I just sent my resume to the college full-time email address. I heard back within a few weeks, so I guess I got lucky! you prepare for the interview day? had prepared for months for an interview with Google, and I had done several interviews with other companies, so I didn’t do a whole lot of studying for Microsoft. But I had done it all before - interview books, blogs, mock interviews, websites. I actually do remember the night before my interview I read some books in Barnes & Noble about being a project manager. They helped a ton! you feel when Microsoft made you the Full Time offer? when I heard the details). I was also very relieved. I was leaving for Europe in a week and I was afraid I’d have to spend my whole summer interviewing. And I could proudly say “I’m going to work for Microsoft.” you think getting this job will impact you in the next few years? think I’m in the best situation I could ever be in. The people are great, the product is absolutely awesome, and the city (Redmond/Seattle) is perfect. I never come home in a bad mood so it’s certainly added a positive element to my life. And I think being able to start in a role such as a Program Manger (PM) is great because I have many years to grow and the skills I learn can easily be applied to other fields. My parents couldn’t be more excited, except they wish Microsoft would open up a New York office ;-) have you been hired into? PM of Media Center, which is part of eHome and E&D (Entertainment & Devices). been the biggest challenge about coming to MS? young and naive, yet having to make decisions that affect many people who have been here much longer than me. Furthermore, figuring out how to make these decisions when everyone on my team is much smarter than I am. I often wonder how they let a kid straight out of college have so much influence,microsoft office Home And Student 2010 product key! It just demonstrates the trust Microsoft has in their employees, no matter how young they may be. My parents barely believe me when I tell them what I do! this experience compare to prior jobs and internships? I had an internship after high school in which I wrote code all day and barely talked to anyone. I couldn’t stay awake and would often take naps in the bathroom! I was convinced there would be no way I could ever do a 40 hour week. In my role here, I find myself checking work email at home because I want to keep driving my features forward so we can get to the next challenge! is one element that does make me nervous in that I think I have a hard time appreciating the opportunity here because I have nothing to compare it to. The best I can go off of are the stories from my friends about their jobs. Like I’ll ask, “Wait, you guys don’t get a keg every Friday?” you think of Seattle coming from your location? born and raised New Yorker so it is quite different - although I think it’s for the better. I wanted to come out West for a change of pace and scenery. people here are generally friendlier, although sometimes it is hard breaking into social groups because so many are born and raised in Seattle. But activity-wise and scenery-wise, I honestly think it’s the most under-rated city in the U.S. No one back home knows that snowboarding is less than an hour away or that many folks have a clear view of the one of biggest mountains in the continental U.S.! thoughts? some key things that changed my view of Microsoft that I think really deserved to be called out. The overall recruiting process couldn’t have gone any better. I interviewed with Google for five months while chasing people down half the time. Here, the whole process took three weeks and I was in constant contact with someone. It gave me the impression that the whole company was organized and on the ball. first recruiter I met, Ake Satia, really got me excited about this opportunity because I could tell how much she loved her job. And she shared all the same fears I had,office Pro Plus 2007 generator key, like “working for the devil”, etc. It was great to interview with people that would actually be my co-workers and managers. At other companies, I usually interviewed with random people. But here, I could ask myself, “Can I see myself working with this person every day?” That certainly made the difference when I met my team. They were amazing!