Chris Alexander
Something for Everyone
18th May, 2010
Microsoft is a huge corporation, with divisions on all the world’s continents and employing thousands worldwide.
But what jobs actually get done at Microsoft? The sheer diversity of positions may surprise. Here’s just a small sampling of what is available.
Engineer
There are, of course, the people who build the products. Windows, Office, Windows Mobile, SharePoint, Windows Server and so on aren’t small products, and affect the lives of millions of people every day. Building and maintaining their massive code bases are the responsibility of many engineers and developers.
Manager
Don’t forget, with all those engineers, you need someone to make sure everyone is working effectively. Project managers need a deep technical understanding to effectively lead their teams, and deliver software on-time and within budget.
Tester
So you’re releasing software globally, and you need to make sure everyone’s happy with it. Who’s going to ensure that your code exceeds everyone’s expectations for features, reliability, stability, and usability? Testers ensure the software is top-quality and ready for use when release day comes.
Consultant
Bringing Microsoft’s tools and technology to development shops all over the world isn’t going to be easy. Take your expertise and Microsoft’s technology on the road, helping out companies large and small with their development and deployment of new Microsoft kit.
Evangelism
6.6 billion people aren’t going to find out about all the cool things you can on their own. Evangelists reach out to communities, be it enthusiasts, IT pros, students, DBAs or usergroups, and show them what they can do and what they can get hold of. Presentations, attending events, producing blogs, videos and howtos are all part of the day-to-day goings-on for an evangelist.
Sales and Marketing
Microsoft run thousands of ad campaigns simultaneously targeting everyone from global corporations to home users, non-profits to governments. Driving those campaigns and big sales is a huge undertaking, and getting the best results is the ultimate challenge.
Hardware Engineers
Thanks to @jhomerston for the reminder. Microsoft also have a huge hardware department, producing everything from mice and keyboards up to HD webcams and prototypes of futuristic devices.
Researcher
Microsoft Research has branches throughout the world, and works on everything from hardware concepts, to algorithms and software concepts. This is an awesome place to work, and you get to shape the future of the way Microsoft thinks and works.