Growing up, Microsoft was only one thing to me, a gaming system. However, over time that perception changed. Microsoft transitioned to a consumer-based firm, providing PowerPoint, excel, word, etc. Microsoft was associated with school projects and assignments.

Visiting the headquarters for Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa greatly changed my view of the company. Starting off, being able to see other group members interact with the new enhanced reality was very interesting. Seeing the applications in a manufacturing setting set the newfound understanding of the business to business model. I would never have placed such an emphasis on the pure business side of a tech company. The Dublin office did not contain an abundance of engineers, regardless of the current state of covid. Instead, the focus pertained to selling services and securing contracts. The focus on the growth mindset surprised me. Large firms tend to have a stereotype of competing against each other. The explained culture of collaboration and customer needs was greatly exemplified by Nicholas with the hackathon, accessible controller, and planetary needs.

Microsoft is a firm I would like to work at if given the opportunity. The closeness and collaboration, combined with personal well-being and the ability to chase my passions while helping others, seem unmatched. Being in a populous city surrounded by many different cultures grabs my attention to experience new cultures and people.

I would like to ask Dr. Kelly about the effects privacy laws and regulations have on current systems. Fueling this comes from the ability offered by smartphones to opt-out of tracking by apps, a move that negatively impacted Meta in recent times.