Category: Advice

  • Career vs. Professional Development: What’s the Difference?

    Career vs. Professional Development: What’s the Difference?

    Is career development the same as professional development? No! Often, we mix up career and professional development — but these are 2 different things. I met with Eric Simons, Director of CritSit Management in the Federal Center of Excellence at Microsoft to chat about this topic and how to go…

  • 3 Secrets to Better Networking from 300+ Coffee Chats

    3 Secrets to Better Networking from 300+ Coffee Chats

    I used to be absolutely terrified of networking. The thought of talking to grown-ass adults made my heart race and my mouth go dry. In my second year of university, I decided to face my fears by joining a sales team where I had to make cold calls to hiring…

  • 3 Steps for Navigating the Layoffs Landscape

    3 Steps for Navigating the Layoffs Landscape

    When I was a university student, one of my mentors was a Senior VP at the O&G company where I was interning at. I remember she told me one time that no one—no matter how skilled or experienced or high up in the corporate ladder he or she was—was in-disposable.…

  • Read This If You’re Interested In Making a Career Transition Into Tech

    Read This If You’re Interested In Making a Career Transition Into Tech

    Whether you’re a teacher or an accountant, making a career transition into tech is possible if you put your mind to it. I started the #MakingTheMove series to share unique stories and advice from people who started off with non-technical backgrounds and ended up in the tech world! #ICYMI, here…

  • 3 Steps to Start the Job Hunting Process Effectively

    3 Steps to Start the Job Hunting Process Effectively

    In my many career chats, I’ve heard that 18 months is usually a good time to start putting your feelers out for new opportunities. The exercise of job hunting can be tedious and painful, but it keeps you sharp and fresh in the ever-changing job market. Even if you’re happy…

  • 32 Learnings from 32 Years at Microsoft with Adrienne Hall

    32 Learnings from 32 Years at Microsoft with Adrienne Hall

    What’s it like to meet Bill Gates on a plane to Hawaii or ride the limo with Steve Balmer in Vegas? Adrienne Hall, General Manager of Microsoft Cloud Communications, would know because she was Employee #4029 who joined Microsoft back in 1990! Before joining Microsoft, Adrienne was an elementary school teacher…

  • #MakingTheMove: Management Consultant to Entrepreneur to Intrapreneur

    #MakingTheMove: Management Consultant to Entrepreneur to Intrapreneur

    Before launching an Asian American seltzer in partnership with 88rising and the world’s largest brewer, AB inBev, Henry Shi thought he was going to become an accountant just like every other Asian student out there. Even when he had a cushy job as a management consultant, Henry faced his fears…

  • How to handle rejection when you’re job hunting

    How to handle rejection when you’re job hunting

    Overcoming rejection is one of the biggest pain points of the job hunting process. Whether it’s an automated email that comes seconds after you submit your application or a personalized note from a recruiter after several rounds of interviews, every form of rejection stings 🐝 Today, I am sharing some…

  • 25 Tips on How to Get a Job at Microsoft

    25 Tips on How to Get a Job at Microsoft

    Updated August 2025 Did you know that Microsoft gets 1M+ job applications every month? Getting a job at Microsoft seems to be a popular topic in my conversations with dozens of students, friends, and peers. Today, I am sharing how I would personally approach job hunting if I wanted to…

  • Making the Move: Stay-At-Home-Mom to Exec Assistant to Business Program Manager

    Making the Move: Stay-At-Home-Mom to Exec Assistant to Business Program Manager

    The Making the Move series strives to inspire those who come from unique backgrounds and want to break into the world of tech. Here’s a secret… You don’t need to be a computer science major! Today, I am sharing the career journey of Esther Chen, Business Program Manager at Microsoft where she…