Today consisted of lots of figuring out public transportation and walking 10,000+ steps while navigating. I woke up at the ungodly hour of 6:00 AM this morning to get ready for a tour of Microsoft. It was my first time using Ireland’s public transportation which really made me feel like I was “adulting”. Later, we got to tour the Croke Stadium which hosts Gaelic football and hurling matches, and even got to try out the unique Irish sports.
Before visiting Microsoft, I didn’t know much about the company other than they were successful in the technology industry. I have uses PowerPoint, Excel, and Word for many years and enjoyed my experience with such platforms. However, I was surprised to learn that they have a much wider scope of products and services, such as the HoloLens. Watching the demonstrations of enhanced reality device made me realize society is getting closer and closer to The Matrix. I always knew Microsoft was a huge company, but seeing the headquarters in person with the hundreds of employees and reviewing its statistics really demonstrated the impact that Microsoft has made for people all over the world.
Microsoft engages with the community in Ireland by providing countless business opportunities for its partners. Nicholas, an Account Executive at Microsoft mentioned that they have provided over 3 trillion in revenue for people who use Microsoft systems for their own business ventures.
I would absolutely love to work at Microsoft. The company culture is extremely appealing because they value their employees’ well-being over everything. There are plenty of places and activities within the building for workers to take a break, there is plenty of great food options, and there even is a napping station. Additionally, Microsoft values the growth-mindset, which is something I look for in companies. I like that they want to invest in you as a worker and watch you succeed and move up, just as much as you invest in their company as an employee.
A question I have for Dr. Kelley about tech is: How do tech companies maintain their competitive edge while innovations are constantly being created?