Solution Specialist Review

There is a great intern community here at Microsoft which meant I was able to socialise and work with other likeminded people which was a huge benefit. The customer facing side of my role is something that I enjoyed.

I would often work with and do tasks to support the colleges in my team. When my team gave me tasks to help support them I would feel valued.

My manager was extremely supportive - we would have regular 1:1s to catch up and see how I am getting on and he would always to be happy to jump on a call any time if I needed anything. My manager would often offer support and guidance and highlight ways I can improve.

At the start my placement year I wasn't overly busy. I spent my time learning about our product and shadowing colleagues in order to gain a better understanding of the role. However, as time went on I picked up more and more tasks and became increasingly busy, often with most of my days full. Unfortunately, the last quarter of my year was effected by COVID19 and meant I had less to do again.

I was given several tasks and projects that were a lot of responsibility. I had the opportunity too work with customers and partners, deliver sales pitches and set up and host events on many occasions. I would also often be in important meetings. These tasks helped drive value for the organisation.

This year I developed a range of skills that will not only be beneficial to my career but also my university studies. I developed a range of soft skills such as communication, leadership while working on projects, time management and public speaking, all of which can be transferred to benefit my studies. Additionally, I had the opportunity to complete several certifications that will benefit my future career.

There was a very supportive atmosphere in the office. If I needed help on a task or any guidance there would always be someone willing to give up their time to help out. The people were very friendly and you would often stop and chat to people and catchup which is a nice atmosphere to have.

the work placement year was organise well. Before we joined we had calls with the previous years interns to give us all the info we needed before starting. We had the intern lead / University recruitment team who ensure the smooth running of the year and make sure we knew all the key dates and events.

I had the opportunity to complete many training courses and certifications throughout the year. I have gained 6 certifications all of which will benefit my future career. There are hundreds of training courses and certification employees can complete at any time. Microsoft has a learning culture so encourages training and development.

Microsoft is a great organisation to work for. They offer great training opportunities which is attractive and offer a competitive salary

There was a great social scene at Microsoft. We had the intern society who would organise socials for us. These would include quizzes, nights out or movie nights etc. There are many placement students so there is a great intern community and the range of social activities meant there was something everyone would enjoy.

n/a as I moved back home with my parents and commuted to the office

Our year placement at Microsoft is based in Reading. Reading has a good night life with a range of bars and clubs etc. Obviously there is a university in Reading so there is a great student scene and there would often be student nights that we could get involved in.

Yes, there is a Microsoft football team which I was involved in. We would train every Monday and each year there is a tournament between all the Microsoft teams in Europe. This year we flew our to Munich and won the tournament. There are also other things you can get involved in such as women's football, cycling, photography.