Company: Microsoft
Date: 2015-08-24
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: former
Experience level: Senior

Executive Business Administrator
Pros: • Work/Life balance can be great if you set and stick to your boundaries (more on that in the 'cons' section).

• Casual workplace, no dress code, free drinks, most of the people I've worked with over the years will be lifelong friends.

• Flexibility - have a dentist appointment? No problem. You can hop online later from home to see what you missed, or decide beforehand of you wont be available after your appointment, just let people know.

• Benefits. As in medical, "perks", etc - can't beat 'em!

•Name dropping... "Yeah I work for a little company called Microsoft, maybe you've heard of it?" Everyone knows that name, that brand. Whether the other person thinks highly or poorly of Microsoft, they know your company. In any country, anywhere. That's pretty cool.
Cons: •Set your boundaries on DAY 1. I don't mean the day you start, I mean DAY 1, in the interview loop. It depends on the manager and the team, but unless you want to work 24/7, you better tell them you value your work/life balance and that you don't check mail outside of business hours (of course there are exceptions). Most importantly, STICK TO THOSE BOUNDARIES when you've accepted the offer letter, and you're in the position. One reply from you on a Saturday or Sunday, means they'll always expect a weekend response. The same goes for vacation. Unless there is an emergency, vacation is to get AWAY from work. Do not respond to your email on vacation, or the cycle will continue.

• Any support (admin) position, no matter what company or team, depends on the relationship between the admin and the manager. When your manager is laid off - the person who interviewed you, offered you the job, the person you MUTUALLY chose to work with, the person you've bonded with, built a strong relationship with, automatically know you both have each other's support - is gone. Unfortunately, there are plenty of other managers in the group that they'll shove you under. To be moved to a completely new manager, unwillingly (on both sides) has happened to me several times. At the time, if you hadn't been in a position for a year, you had to request permission from your manager to interview (they've recently gotten rid of that rule, but not in time for me to be laid off). If you decided to request permission, that automatically put a target on your back - so I was stuck until I was finally laid off.

•The pay for admins is lower than most companies, but the benefits do help take the sting out of that.

•Admins are always last on the list for raises. Yes, if you have a good review, you will get a raise. But it won't be very much.

•Yes, you'll work your butt off, some weeks will be crazy and other weeks you'll be twiddling your thumbs. Admin positions are hourly at Microsoft, which is actually an advantage because they get paid OT (time+1/2). However, during the "slow weeks", you shouldn't be penalized on your paycheck because there wasn't 40 hours worth of work to do. If your boss says "why don't you go ahead and take the afternoon off, it's dead", I'd take the afternoon off! If I needed the full 40 due to financial reasons, I'd make up things to do. That's a waste of my time and the company doesn't benefit either.

•There's definitely been a climate change since Satya took over. The Gates days were the good ol' days, the Ballmer days weren't as great, but still good - I don't have the confidence in Satya to lead Microsoft to success. We used to be and could be again, the best of the best! But I've seen Satya makes one bad decision after another, after another...

• Every team is on pins and needles wondering who will be next on the chopping block. Morale is the lowest I've ever seen it. Something needs to change and revive what we used to be - Microsoft - a company I was always proud to say I worked for. Until now.

•Due to the "climate change", you have to look out for you. You'll be back stabbed, stepped on, thrown under the bus. Especially if you're better at your job that the other admins on the team - then you're a threat to them. For the most part, admins used to stick together, now it's eat or be eaten.

•Trust no one. Anything you say will be used against you, if it will take the pressure off of someone else.