Stepping stones for a career in technology

My first foray into a large technology company has been wrought with great experiences, obstacles and a growing appreciation for the challenges people within this industry go through daily. I'm putting this article together to share my learnings and reflections after a year working in Microsoft - an organization that seeks to empower every person and organization in the world to achieve more, through the purposeful application of its technologies. I'll be sharing three key learnings that helped me make the most of my first year in technology. 

Acclimatizing with adversity

Getting comfortable with adversity was the #1 piece of advice I was given when I first started. When thinking of this, it makes a lot of sense whilst working within the technology industry as innovation increasingly changes the landscape at which you operate within. Therefore, recognizing your reactions to adversity and self-regulating yourself to approach it methodically can be useful by first identifying issues/areas of importance before proceeding to address through all possible means. This is a tough one to get used to (still a WIP for me) but looking to do all your due-diligence is a step in the right direction, before moving on to your next challenge.

A lack of empathy is a lack of understanding

Working in an incredibly collaborative environment begs the need for the single-most important ingredient in working with others – empathy. To me it’s an understanding of what drives a person, what worries them and what they hope to achieve. During my experience I had a taste of the profound effect of technology on the lives of people both astronomically and dismally, the latter I aimed to explore. I learned that education and knowledge of the application of technology can sometimes be framed simply as an ‘expectation’ whereby at times resources aren’t readily available to address these knowledge-gaps. This discovery humbled my thinking and helped me appreciate first understanding others before looking to apply programs/projects/technologies at them (‘purposeful application’).

Thinking on this, it’s especially important to be cognizant of those around you to ensure that the positive impact you’re looking to provide can be absorbed by those you work with. Missing this can greatly reduce the impact you make and the legacy you leave behind as this ripples less and less. 

Orchestrating your own destiny

Opportunity surrounds us in everything that we do provided that we expose ourselves toward it. The question is more towards whether we’re ready and able to seize it to address a problem, improve a situation or create an outcome previously unknown. With the our technology industry as it is, consistently distilling newer, better, and faster technologies this has never been truer. Looking over processes, asking questions, challenging conventional thought and simply asking about problems are all ways you can create an opportunity for yourself to make an impact. The challenge from there is bringing all the pieces together – the vision, the people, and the process to achieve that outcome. If you’re successful at this you’ll be able to shape your experience and direct yourself on a fulfilling career trajectory, even if you haven’t worked it out yet.

Wrapping up…

The unifying point between these three learnings is that it’s about the combination not the siloed application. From here, it’s about leveraging your own attributes, abilities, and skills to augment your capacity to deliver meaningful value to what you apply yourself towards.

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I’m thankful for my year as a Microsoft intern has been rife with great experiences and I hope that this article has given some useful tips for anyone looking to dive into this challenging but rewarding career. 

Finally, a big thanks to Microsoft’s University Recruiting team for the opportunity, the guidance, and the experiences I’ve benefited greatly from.

Happy to get in touch if you have any feedback or questions.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. I’ve included a few links that have been useful in my own development below:

The Golden Circle – Simon Sinek

Why leaders eat last – Simon Sinek

APAC University Careers – Find out more on the Internship and MACH program