What is interning at Microsoft really like?

Stefaniia from Russia was fortunate enough to intern at Microsoft. 

Now settled into her role at the computing industry giant, she gives us an account of what it’s really like to work for such a large scale, global company…

For my internship, I’ve been working as a Customer Satisfaction Analyst in Premier Services at Microsoft.”

We put our customers in the centre of everything and we care about the experience they have by working with us.

I really love working with all the teams across different areas of the business, including the worldwide team based in Seattle, USA.

I get to contribute in a variety of ways, such as supporting customer-facing staff in their individual customer surveys, shaping new processes, providing training and delivering reports.

As you may know from my last blog, we don’t really have a usual day here at Microsoft, but here’s an example of how my day can look like…

My Typical day:

8:15 – on my way to work

I live in a house close to the UK Microsoft HQ with five other interns, and it takes around 10 minutes to get there by shuttle bus which drives straight to the office.

8:30 – arrive at the office

Working hours at Microsoft are quite flexible, so you might come a bit later and leave later, or work from home.

I prefer to work from the office so I don’t miss the social side of working life, and can spend some time with my colleagues and the other interns.

9:30 – data update

My role includes lots of data which I keep in a massive Excel file. I need to maintain survey scores and keep them up-to-date, so as a business we can plan ahead and factor in any changes/improvements.

Interns also have the opportunity to do Microsoft Exams for free, that help improve our Excel, Outlook or PowerPoint skills.

My Excel skills have improved a lot and will look great on my CV!

11:00 – 1:1 with my mentor

So, now it’s time to have a one to one with my mentor. In Microsoft, you can have one, two or even three mentors depending on what you want to get out from your placement year.

12:00 – Lunchtime!

There are two big canteens in the head office, with a great variety of mains and desserts. We have cheesecake Thursdays for cheesecake lovers like me!

13:00 – Aspire Team meeting

I am part of the Aspire Team where we organise events in order to inspire young women to pursue a range of careers within the technological industry.

We just had our first event and now we have a follow up to discuss what went well and set our aims for the future events.

14:00 – Time to build some reports

At least once a week I do a full analysis on the customer survey results. I work closely with the Technical Account Managers in order to receive personal feedback from them and identify any problem areas.

15:30 – Customer Partner Experience Team meeting

Every week I run a call with the CPE Leads to discuss how we’re doing in regards to customer satisfaction, and pinpoint anything that needs to be improved or changed.

16:30 – Almost there!

At the end of the day, I finish anything left on my to-do list, reply to emails, and plan what I am going to do tomorrow.

17:30 – Gym time

Luckily we have a very nice gym on campus where interns get a great discount too, and usually, I head there straight after work for a fitness class.

The working culture at Microsoft is amazing fun, and between all the meetings there is always some time for coffee catch-ups over pool or even Xbox game sessions.

We also take cool trips off-site for team bonding, which makes for an even better working environment!

So thrilled to see that Stefaniia’s placement year has been an excellent experience so far. We can’t wait to hear more about it, and find out about her transition back into university life!

Leave your questions for her in the comments below, or head over to chat with us on Facebook and Twitter.