I moved to the Bay Area from the Midwest after I graduated from college hoping to pursue a career in a more expanded job market. I have a degree in Business-Sociology from a small liberal arts college and I had originally planned on going into Human Resources. Shortly after I arrived in Silicon Valley my career path changed when I found a vendor position at Microsoft with the Global Criminal Compliance Team.

Global Criminal Compliance is a team within Global Foundation Services that handles criminal and civil legal process served on Microsoft that seeks disclosure of Microsoft Online Services customer account records in accordance with applicable laws. The mission of the Global Criminal Compliance team is to deliver the best in industry responses to global Law Enforcement requests for customer data. 

The position was one I never even knew existed but it was a perfect fit. Having just graduated college, I had a large skillset but not a lot of experience. I was able to get that experience and demonstrate my abilities to the team while also gaining exposure to the work stream. I had the opportunity to utilize my critical thinking and problem solving skills for the first time in a business setting.

I had been working as a vendor for about two and a half years when a full-time position opened up in Global Criminal Compliance. The interview process was a little intimidating at first. I spent a full day talking with future peers and managers. As it turned out, I had nothing to be nervous about! Everyone I spoke with was so supportive that it felt less like an interview and more like having a conversation. I was able to leverage my experience as a vendor to obtain a full-time position. I think my situation really showcases how dedicated Microsoft is to developing and retaining talent.

I love working at Microsoft and for GFS. The work I do makes me feel like I’m making a difference in the global community and my team is like a family to me.