Customer Success Account Manager (CSAM) Review

The CSAM role is aimed at providing the customer with the best support, but also usage of the Microsoft services. The role involves bringing in the right people to get the maximum business value out of the customer's contract. Day-to-day for a CSAM involves liaising externally with customers, scoping future opportunities and troubleshooting existing problems. From this, the CSAM is then required to leverage the internal resources at Microsoft to remove blockers for the customer and open their eyes to the functionalities of the products and services. This often involves bringing in engineers who are experts in specific areas to discuss further with the customer. The CSAM is an orchestrator both internally and externally, managing the relationship between the customer and Microsoft.

I have learnt so many new skills this year. Microsoft allows you to understand the intricacies of the world of work by getting hands on with experienced employees and having independent conversations with customers. Particularly the skills I have developed are, technical understanding and acumen, organisational skills, professional skills and communication. More than this though, it has been a great place to develop my mindset and focus on what is important to me as I continue my career.

Yes. Microsoft is an excellent place to apply if you are someone who likes being independent and figuring things out by themselves. Working here has made me go and seek answers myself rather than immediately asking the person next to me. However, too much responsibility early on in your career can sometimes be overwhelming and the 'hands-off' type of management can tend to feel a bit neglectful. If you are someone who needs more attention from a manager, you will have to be sure to voice this. The great thing is, you will not be making tea and coffee on this placement, you will be making a real life impact. This is one of the reasons I have enjoyed this year so much and it's been a really valuable use of my time.

Support and guidance is where Microsoft really fell short for me. Support from management for me was very limited and often at times I felt unimportant to a manager who was too busy to take an interest in my work. Support from HR during the onboarding phase of our placement was good, however this unfortunately took a greatly unsupportive turn as HR treated interns like school children speaking to them in a patronising manner. HR often do not understand that as employees with aligned customers and responsibilities we should be prioritising those, often sending passive aggressive emails when their sessions are not attended due to prior commitments. The support from my department is amazing, unfortunately the support from those I really needed it from this year just wasn't there. The lack of empathy and understanding from these figures put in place to 'support' made many interns avoid going to them for support and seek solace within one another or other teammates at Microsoft. It is sad to say as I have enjoyed my placement so much but support was awful.

The culture is hands down the best thing about working at Microsoft. They really make an effort to make sure all voices are heard and seen. There are so many opportunities to get involved in charitable work but also communities for employees of all demographics, I love that. The general atmosphere at Microsoft is a collaborative one, people here are extremely intelligent but I rarely got a feeling of arrogance or superiority from employees. They treat interns with respect and help them as much as they can along the way. There are some really cool people here and it is a great opportunity to network with such high calibre, forward thinking individuals.

I really enjoyed my placement. In a year of virtual work I have met so many amazing people who have shaped who I am and what my career will look like for good. I am sad to be leaving so soon and desperately hope to return as a graduate - I think that says it all. The support and management was what really let the placement down for me, however I know that has not been the case for everyone. I have seen many people who's manager has lifted them up and celebrated their achievements. If I am successful at returning to Microsoft I hope to experience this. Regardless, I have learnt so much and been very proud of my own perseverance.

Yes

Be confident, be bold. Microsoft is a place where you will thrive if you use your initiative and get on with things. If you are someone who needs lots of support and guidance, that's okay but consider some smaller companies that have the networks in place to support this. Microsoft don't overly care about grades and experience, they care about who you are as a person, if you fit into the culture and most importantly your willingness to learn. Also, a huge thing is you really do not have to be technical to get an amazing job here.