My Brilliant Microsoft Career
My Last Microsoft Job
I was
a member of the Development and Production team for the TechNet CD ROM. Not many people have heard of the TechNet CD, which is really
too bad because it's a terrific product. It works like a magazine: every month
the subscriber gets a new "issue" of around 5 CDs with the most
current information about supporting Microsoft products for end users (i.e.
Office, Windows NT and 95, User's Guides, Resource Kits, etc.). Of course, now
it’s available on-line, too.
Except
for the magazine production atmosphere (someone is always under a deadline and extremely
upset at someone else producing under a different schedule), it was a great
experience. I learned oodles about how to work with a deadline, how the product
cycle works, how to rev a development product, how to work with your
co-workers, even when you are extremely upset with them, and how to talk to
those perky marketing people (who were also super-efficient).
However,
I learned more useful things about life management during my first two weeks
after "retiring" than I did in six years of working there! Things
like, always carry lip-gloss and suntan lotion; if you can't drink the local
water there's always Coca-Cola; and you can live on bread and water.
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Microsoft Career
Highlights
Remember the "Microserfs" short story (now a
full-length book) by Doug Coupland that appeared in Wired? I read that on a
rainy Seattle Sunday morning, and spent the rest of the day cowering under
the covers. It hit a little too close to home. That was the day I made
the grand five-year plan: apply to grad school, leave Microsoft, travel all
over the place, start grad school, and get a dog. Thanks to Doug, I have
achieved my objectives! Go Doug! Now I need a new five-year plan! |
Support Engineer
I used
to be a Support Engineer for Word for Mac and Win Word. I spent 6.5 hours a day
on the phone, and then went home and wondered why my ears were ringing. When I
started, we only had to answer about 5 hours of calls. Just after I left, they
increased the goal to 7.5 hours!!! Not even a talking monkey could answer the
phone that long!
My
phone record statistics showed that I talked to an average of 10,000 callers
every year. Of course, that means I also solved at least 10,000 Word problems a
year … J
Versions of Word I Have Supported:
o
Word
for Mac 4.0
o
Word
for Mac 5.0, 5.1
o
Word
for Windows 6.0
o
Word
for Mac 6.0 (like for two days)
Most Famous Person I Ever Talked To:
o
The
guy who wrote the Braveheart script.
Coolest Award:
o
PSS
Excellence Award, July 1994
"Laurie has earned this award by being a Mac word Support goddess,
providing exemplary problem resolution by using her extensive knowledge,
patience, and buoyant spirits."
Okay, it's a little over the
top, but it's not very often you get a plaque with that sort of thing carved
into it! I didn't get to keep the marble pyramid, though.
Coolest Present from Happy Customer:
o
Omaha
fresh steaks from Texas, delivered in dry ice.
http://www.exmsft.com/˜lauriekl/lkjob.htm
— last edited on July 11, 2001.