Microsoftie in Question: Elan Levy

Job title: Program Manager II, SQL Server - Azure Business Intelligence

Location: Herzelia, Israel

Elan, how did you come to work at Microsoft Israel?
I didn’t follow a traditional path as I actually started working with a medical technology startup while still in high school. I collaborated with a doctor to build video games to test physiological levels for kids with asthma.

Then, I became a development lead in the Israeli Army and later worked for a communication network company. Up to that point in my career, I had always been a developer. But, I started to interact with customers and found it fascinating.

I realized that I wanted to be a program manager (PM) and decided to get a formal university education so nothing would stand between me and my ideal career.

So you had a lot of work experience before you even got your higher education?
Yes.  And that way I really knew what I wanted when I went back to school in Computer Science and Psychology. While still in school, I started looking for PM internship. I didn’t even know if a specific PM internship existed, but I found the perfect internship at Microsoft.

In Israel, an internship can last up to two-and-a-half years. Microsoft was flexible and allowed me to do two days per week at the company and three days per week at school. My role eventually transitioned into a full-time program manager position at Microsoft. It is a dream come true because Microsoft is the best place to be a PM in the tech industry.

What makes it so ideal to be a Program Manager at Microsoft?
You get to oversee projects and teams that are unique in three ways:

First is “Education.” Microsoft brings in the smartest, most experienced people from throughout the industry. We frequently hire top people from other companies into high-level positions at Microsoft.

Second is “Direct Access.” Here you can talk to anyone at the company. This level of access helps you to learn from people in ways that you can’t at other companies.

Third is “Scale.” Our scale is enormous. Our products touch every corner of the planet. You can’t get that scale – especially across so many products – anywhere else.

You can experience that scale at Microsoft Israel?
We have a few hundred engineers working on Server and Tools, Windows Intune, Microsoft Reseach, Bing Mobile and Xbox, among other things.

I started on Windows 8 and am now on Cloud with SQL Azure reporting capabilities. Even though we are halfway around the globe from Microsoft headquarters, the opportunities here are still endless.

Today we’d like to celebrate all of the mothers at Microsoft – women throughout the company who strike the delicate balance of being a rockstar at work AND on the homefront. Check out our snapshot of Sr. Product Marketing Manager for Display Advertising Experiences, Anshu Khurana. Later today, look for some shorter profiles of working moms at Microsoft on our social media.

Anshu, have you learned any lessons from your children that serve you well at work?
Patience. With two kids under age 5, I am now a more patient person. With kids you have to stop, listen, and explain the tiniest of details. You can incorporate that quality into your personality, and it shows at work. Also, being a mom, I am more compassionate and empathetic. So if other folks around me are going through personal stuff and need space, I find that I am more sympathetic.

What time-management strategies have worked for you?
I don’t like taking meetings after 4 pm. I use the last two hours of the day to catch up on tasks. Also, I like to wake up and get ready to start working early in the morning so I can get more done. Microsoft is extremely supportive of a positive work/life balance.

What keeps you grounded when things get crazy-busy?
I keep things in perspective and give myself credit. I’m doing my best to be a good mom and a good employee. In the summer, some days, I leave the office at 4 pm, enjoy the sun with my kids, and catch up on my work later in the night. I make time for what’s important, whether it’s a meeting or a commitment to my kids.

You’re keeping a lot of balls in the air. What are you most proud of?
For me, satisfaction comes from winning in life’s different arenas. I am happiest when I’m succeeding at being a good wife, a good friend and good at work. That’s what keeps me going. And that is where I find the joy in my life.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Sean Turner started to intern at Intel during high school. By the time that he headed to USC for a degree in Computer Engineering/Computer Science, Sean already had more insight into life and career in Silicon Valley than many mid-career professionals.

As Sean neared college graduation, he decided to explore other corners of the Valley and chose to intern at Microsoft Silicon Valley (MSV). He says, "I wasn't sure where I wanted to work in the longer-run, but I was interested in creating tools to help other devs excel and Microsoft seemed like the place to go."

Of the 800 or so annual interns at Microsoft, a handful of them are located at MSV. Upon arrival on campus, Sean instantly became part of a tight-knit group. He reminisces, "We were all good friends. We were inseparable and even took trips together on the weekends."

While the camaraderie was important, it was attending Microsoft's Professional Developer's Conference (PDC) that convinced Sean to choose a career with Microsoft over the dozens of other high-powered Valley tech companies.

Sean says, "I saw Don Box and Chris Sells give the keynote speech. At that point, I was inspired to work with Microsoft's technologies that make SDEs' lives simpler. I wanted to give back to others in the same way that I was learning from that keynote."

Sean is now a Software Development Engineer II (SDEII) at Microsoft Tellme, creating Microsoft's speech recognition solutions, and is happier than ever with his decision to come to the company. Looking back at his other options, Sean explains, "I enjoyed Intel, but it is a more 'mature' organization. It is totally process driven. Microsoft - on the other hand - is driven by passion. That's not to say that we're a bunch of code cowboys, but there's a balance of process and passion."

Within that balance of process and passion, Sean sees something he calls "a positive stress level." He argues, "I have never felt pushed to work beyond my comfort level. That said, I have chosen to burn the midnight oil a lot and when there is a clear, global impact to your work, you are inspired to push yourself."

Sean's manager, Jim Chou, notes, "Here you get the rigor and high-impact horsepower of working with Microsoft properties, from Office to Bing to Xbox. And you get to work with people who are filled to the brim with the vibrancy of the tech culture here in the Bay Area, who contribute their passion and agility in their work each and every day."

As Sean points out, "I don't feel like I have a job or a 9-to-5. I really care about what I'm doing. Microsoft empowers individual devs to own features and take them to the next level. And we have decades of experience writing software at scale, bringing the process to bear at this high level. Microsoft has figured it out."

In the end, Sean knows that the company shares the same passion about creating world-changing technology as the devs who pour their hearts and souls into their work. He says, "We know that the Microsoft will always go that same extra mile. There is organizational commitment to match our commitment."

Dear JobsBlog: I am about to graduate and I plan to work in search. As a recruiter, could you please tell me why I should consider Bing over the traditional, obvious choice of Google?
-Miner of Data

Dear MOD:
If you want to work on state of the art search – whether it’s image, video, relevance, shopping or more – and you want to apply creative and innovative parts of yourself to your work, Bing is the clear choice. We have made search beautiful and useful.

We have also taken the time to listen to our customers and incorporate video, images, shopping, travel, information and shortcuts into our search engine results over the years. Something the ‘ten blue links’ didn’t have.

Let me give you a bit more detail… here are my “Top Three Reasons to Work for Bing.”

1) Bing is for doing
I can’t live without Bing Mobile on my phone. While on a recent vacation in Orlando, someone in my family desperately needed to find an item at Whole Foods. I simply spoke my search term into Bing Mobile, up came the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), immediate directions from my current location and I was there in minutes.

Bing is for doing: for me and – most importantly in that case – for my family. When you’re a mom, you have to deliver. And we work every day to make Bing a more useful tool for people around the world.

2) Scale
While those other guys have scale too, we have competitive reach and manage it in different ways. With the huge scale of sites, data, images, videos, shopping items, etc., there are always interesting challenge spaces for new employees on team. We want you to continue to find innovative ways to deliver requested content in the most user-friendly, fastest-time possible.

3) Microsoft is a great place to work
Here, we support our employees, give back to our local communities and have plans for your career growth. We are a company built of multiple divisions and businesses. Unlike other companies, we encourage you to experience a breadth of opportunities. We care that you are doing your best work now, but we also make sure that you are preparing for your best career in the future.

Apply now. Imagine working in a place where you will be challenged to do your best, grow and succeed.

Eugenia

Today, I’m excited to kick off our Women in IT series. I’m sitting down with Juliana Gomez to learn a little bit about why she chose to join Microsoft and why she has been here for six years.

Check out the video below if you’d like to see Juliana share about her Microsoft experience in person. Following this first interview, look for future stories where Juliana talks about why she decided to enter IT and her three tips for women for women to achieve success.

Juliana, when did you join Microsoft and what is your job today?
I joined Microsoft in 2006 at the Redmond headquarters and had several roles in the IT organization, from large-scale Change Management programs to a field role where I work today in Ireland. I currently lead the Extended Quality and Business Excellence organization in Europe.

We do three things: Create a strategic portfolio of programs supporting the Country Managers to improve their processes; develop the quality capability in the organization and build a community of individuals who practice this methodology. Our goal is to always create a great experience for our customers.

Why did you come to Microsoft and what do you like best about working here?
The reasons I decided to come to Microsoft are also why I still like working here today. For me, it’s about the opportunities to do what you want and be who you are. I like the diversity at all levels. You can’t necessarily get these kinds of opportunities and you don’t see this kind of diversity at other companies.

At Microsoft, a woman in IT can push her career as far as her intellect and ambition will take her. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, you can take your career as far as you want here.

What has surprised you most about the Microsoft culture?
The informality, openness and innovation.

By informality, I mean that the organization is flat – you have access to the people you need regardless of rank or title. Doors are always open. Openness is about being able to say what you think freely without fear. Here, we are encouraged to voice our opinions, take a chance and challenge the status quo. Innovation is about the environment Microsoft creates; we have the platform to be creative and implement new ideas. It’s ok if you don’t do it perfect the first time, you pick it up and try again. Individuals can build on others’ ideas, this fosters collaboration.

What would you like to tell someone who’s considering working for Microsoft? 
If you have great ideas – it doesn’t matter what level you are, everyone is heard if they have a great idea!