Today we had our first company visit in Ireland, and we started off with a big one: Microsoft! Like many, when thinking about Microsoft I initially think of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and that they sell some of their own devices like laptops. After hearing more about Microsoft, I now see that they do so much more. Not only do they create a large variety of software, hardware, and other technological innovations, but they have created a company and work environment that caters to the needs of the customer (they emphasized their customer obsession) and of their employees (they discussed the freedom they have to work on projects their passionate about and that better the company along with the work-life balance they promote).
The Dublin office is the hub of Microsoft in Europe. Because of this, there is such a wide array of employees from different cultures and countries. Today alone we met people on the team who are from France, Germany, and The Netherlands. The diversity within the company allows them to relate to the diversity of their customers and provide for the needs of the community. I personally am not a very techy person and have never been interested in working in the tech field. I definitely loved the work environment within the company and that is something I want in any job I may have. Everyone seems to want to help each other achieve creativity and innovation and use the technology they create to improve our world whether it’s the way consumers use the technology or missions such as reducing the company’s carbon footprint.
After visiting our first tech company in Ireland, I am interested to know more about the history of technology within the country and why specifically it is becoming such a large industry. I want to know which companies started the tech boom and am interested to hear what Dr. Kelley has to say on our tour of the Financial District tomorrow.