Reflections on my last day at Microsoft
I did the math. Since 1997, I've worked almost nowhere but Microsoft. Subtract out 2 years and 9 months at other companies, and about 3 years of unemployment (!), and that totals about 10 years at the company as a full-timer or contractor/vendor. Give or take a couple of months and that's about as long as I was at Bantam. I've worked in five different groups--both business-to-business and business-to-consumer--and out of all that, I've only had one supervisor that I didn't really work well with. Other than that, all of my experiences there have been anywhere from not bad to exceptionally good.
Today was my second-to-last day in my current group, the Legal and Corporate Affairs team. One coworker gave me a couple of sweet farewell gifts: a cat toy for the kitties and a really pretty blank notebook with a William Morris pattern on the cover. At lunchtime, I went out for dim sum with some of my coworkers and tried to finish wrapping up my projects; I have a little more to do tomorrow and then I'm done. Because of a super-early meeting, I was able to leave the office a little early, so I went over to the company store to pick up a couple of souvenirs. I really wanted a hoodie or a tee shirt, but nothing in the current styles appealed to me, and at the prices they were charging, I couldn't justify spending money on something I didn't love. Instead, I picked up some pens, a magnet, a water bottle and a couple of other little things. And then I drove home.
I won't miss the commute.
But it's just odd to think about not working at Microsoft. I've learned so much there. It's going to be challenging to be the new kid in a new environment. I want that challenge; I want to stretch my muscles in a new situation. At the same time, I admit to feeling wistful about my departure, nervous about moving forward. I like my team and I like the work (even though sometimes it felt like there wasn't quite enough). The Microsoft campus I work at is very green and pretty. It's a pretty cushy set-up in a lot of ways. I can't help thinking of the last time I worked somewhere that wasn't Microsoft--it was a nightmare. It's looking like this situation is going to be very different indeed.
I'll enjoy my last day at the Large Software Company in Redmond (as so many job ads describe it), and then I'll move on. I shouldn't worry. This new opportunity feels like a good move and I'm looking forward to it. At the same time, I have been told very clearly by my agency and by my team that if things don't work out in the new job, I have but to say the word and I'll have a place at Microsoft again. It's nice to know I've left a positive impression.
"What the future holds, no one can know, but forward we look, and forward we go."
Today was my second-to-last day in my current group, the Legal and Corporate Affairs team. One coworker gave me a couple of sweet farewell gifts: a cat toy for the kitties and a really pretty blank notebook with a William Morris pattern on the cover. At lunchtime, I went out for dim sum with some of my coworkers and tried to finish wrapping up my projects; I have a little more to do tomorrow and then I'm done. Because of a super-early meeting, I was able to leave the office a little early, so I went over to the company store to pick up a couple of souvenirs. I really wanted a hoodie or a tee shirt, but nothing in the current styles appealed to me, and at the prices they were charging, I couldn't justify spending money on something I didn't love. Instead, I picked up some pens, a magnet, a water bottle and a couple of other little things. And then I drove home.
I won't miss the commute.
But it's just odd to think about not working at Microsoft. I've learned so much there. It's going to be challenging to be the new kid in a new environment. I want that challenge; I want to stretch my muscles in a new situation. At the same time, I admit to feeling wistful about my departure, nervous about moving forward. I like my team and I like the work (even though sometimes it felt like there wasn't quite enough). The Microsoft campus I work at is very green and pretty. It's a pretty cushy set-up in a lot of ways. I can't help thinking of the last time I worked somewhere that wasn't Microsoft--it was a nightmare. It's looking like this situation is going to be very different indeed.
I'll enjoy my last day at the Large Software Company in Redmond (as so many job ads describe it), and then I'll move on. I shouldn't worry. This new opportunity feels like a good move and I'm looking forward to it. At the same time, I have been told very clearly by my agency and by my team that if things don't work out in the new job, I have but to say the word and I'll have a place at Microsoft again. It's nice to know I've left a positive impression.
"What the future holds, no one can know, but forward we look, and forward we go."