Working as an intern within the Azure Cloud Specialist Team, I am responsible for a number of initiatives aimed at enabling customers to maximise their businesses potential in the cloud. My day to day role sees me engaging with customers to understand their digital needs, and then assist them in accelerating their adoption of the cloud.
I am in the final year of my Bachelor of Commerce, Majoring in Accounting & Finance at UNSW. I found the Microsoft Internship Program through Facebook, and it looked like an awesome year-long internship in which interns were given real responsibility from day 1. While I was considering numerous other internships, I ultimately chose Microsoft as the internship provides an incredible opportunity gain exposure to the technology industry while developing invaluable soft skills at the same time.
Being thrown in the deep end to work with with some of Australia’s biggest companies provided an incredible opportunity for me to see how technology is changing traditional businesses, and allowed me to gain an understanding of how companies tackle today’s business challenges.
Outside my role, I was encouraged to take on extra projects that interested me, such as meeting with startups and organising Protégé, a student case competition. For one of these projects, I was lucky enough to have a meeting with the Managing Director of Microsoft Australia, where I had to pitch my idea for a project. This really shows the level of trust & responsibility that interns are given at Microsoft.
Coming from a business background with no real technical knowledge, it was challenging at the beginning of the internship to understand the problems facing customers. However, with the guidance of my team around me, I was able to learn about the area I was working in, and now I am the one giving advice to customers!
Another challenge I have faced during my internship was learning to work independently. At Microsoft, there is no one looking over your shoulder checking what you are working on. Right from the start, your manager trusts that you are being proactive in creating opportunities for yourself, while also doing the work assigned in your role. This independent culture took some getting used to, but I have now learned what it means to achieve results independently whilst utilising all the skills within my team!