The Microsoft corporate headquarters stretch out over approximately eight million square feet in Redmond, Washington. The campus features more than 100 buildings and some 53,000 employees working on more than 500 acres. For perspective, the entire Siena campus could fit inside Microsoft HQ nearly three times.
"Coming from Siena, sitting in a class with no more than 20 people, I was immediately struck by just how massive it is."
Amal Thomas '22 began his career with Microsoft last month, though he accepted his position as program manager back in November. This summer, he flew out to Washington to look for an apartment and get his bearings. It was a fun trip, but ultimately unnecessary.
"Two weeks before I started, I got an email from my manager asking if I wanted to work in Redmond or remote from anywhere in the country. I chose remote for now, and I'm living in Albany. If I wanted to get an Airbnb in Florida and work from there tomorrow, I could do it."
What does a program manager for Microsoft do? Let's say leadership wants to build a product. Amal talks with customers, runs a competitive analysis, and researches existing products in the space. If it's determined to be worth it to pursue production, he would collaborate with software engineers to create a plan from conception to execution to launch and beyond.
In a few years, Amal would like to relocate to Washington. The goal is to buy a place "in the tech hub, surrounded by mountains and nature" and experience life from HQ. For now, remote work is fine, but the Microsoft campus features tree houses, nap rooms, game rooms, and a speakeasy. Some perks are better than others.
While in college, Amal had an internship with Regeneron and also worked at Apple (in the retail store at Crossgates Mall and also with corporate in the global retail space). Those experiences opened the door to an interview with Microsoft. Ultimately, Amal fielded several job offers in the fall of his senior year.
"Working two jobs plus full-time school, I had to budget my time down to the minute. Sometimes it felt like I was drowning in work, but I kept going. I knew that if I worked hard, it would all be worth it. That would be my advice to students. Put in the time now, and you'll be grateful you did when you land your full-time dream job." Amal Thomas '22
