Entries tagged 'work-life-balance'

  • Mon August 15, 2011

    Cricket brought me back to Microsoft

    ‘Softies in question:Srikanth, Srini, Samarth and Vijay (left to right)
    Vijay Beniwal - Test Lead, Dynamics Retail Team
    Srini Santhanam – SDE II Online Services Division, Display Ads Dev
    Samarth Shah - SDE II, Windows Phone Engineering
    Srikanth Sundaragopalan - SDE II Online Services Division, Display Ads Dev

    Cricket is one of the biggest team sports in the world with a staggering 100 million fans around the globe. Originally from England, the bat and ball game is especially popular in countries with former British influence such as India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa and Barbados.

    While cricket remains a lesser-known sport in the United States, the sport is growing here and our country now ranks as one of the top 30 teams in the world. This is due in part to immigration from countries like India – where cricket is the most popular sport among its 1.2+ billion people.

    In 1995, Microsoft cricket enthusiasts got together to create the Microsoft Cricket Club (MSCC) which was then instrumental in forming the Northwest Cricket League.

    The Microsoft Cricket Club now consists of four teams (blue, red, green and crimson jerseys) and the league has 22 teams across three divisions. MSCC has become not only a successful proving ground for members of the regional team (the Northwest Regional team won the National Championship last year), but a priceless part of many a Microsofties’ workday.

    Microspotting sat down with four of our finest batsmen and bowlers to discuss balancing career with cricket at Microsoft.

    MSCC team logoDid you all grow up playing cricket since you were little kids?
    Samarth: Of course. I think it was like that for all of us. When I had free time as a kid we were always playing cricket. I don’t really remember a time before we played cricket.

    How important was the team in your decision to come to Microsoft?
    Srikanth: Obviously, the work was the most important thing, but being able to continue to play competitive cricket was a huge factor. Cricket is still what we live for outside of work and family.

    And it’s not just any old team here. When there are people, like Samarth, who are going on to play for the US National Team it shows how much you can achieve on this team. Cricket inspires us and the other players inspire us.
     

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  • Mon April 18, 2011

    Balancing work and kids: real advice for real life

    MicrospottingThe 'Softie in question: Anshu KhuranaMicrosoft Employee, Anshu Khurana

    Job title: Sr. Product Marketing Manager
     
    There’s no instruction manual to manage modern family life. Combining parenthood and full-time work means a docket of conflicts and stresses, who-does-the-housework-questions… and joy. For Anshu Khurana, senior product marketing manager in Microsoft advertising, who has two children under the age of 4, the goal of being professional, accomplished, and nurturing is rich and meaningful. Consider this Microspotting post a little “Coffee Tawk” with a successful woman who is keeping all the balls in the air—while keeping it real.

    You have two small children and work full-time at Microsoft. What helps you juggle your job and your kids?
    First, you are right that it really is a juggling act! For me, I take a moment to prioritize each day and determine what is critical for the week. Then my husband and I determine what we can do for ourselves and what can be outsourced. For instance, only I can be the mother of my kids, that’s non-negotiable. But someone else can help us with the cooking and cleaning. It’s human nature that we want to do everything ourselves, but clearly there is not enough time in the day. It helps for me to set limits and not feel guilty about it. An example is that I might say to myself, “This weekend, there will be absolutely no emails until Sunday night.” Or I will plan to pick up my kids and have family time with my husband at home for the next four hours, unwind and go to bed.
     
    Have you learned any lessons from your children that serve you well at work?
    Patience. With two kids under age 4, I am now a more patient person. With kids you have to stop, listen, and explain the tiniest of details. You can incorporate that quality into your personality, and it shows at work. Also, being a mom, I am more compassionate and empathetic. So if other folks around me are going through personal stuff and need space, I find that I am more sympathetic.

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  • Wed March 23, 2011

    What motivates you to apply to a specific company?

    In our latest edition of the Question of the Week, we asked “What motivates you to apply to a specific company?” 

    You responded with many  great answers that covered a wide range of reasons why you might chose to apply for a position. While you may guess a lot of people look at compensation and job content, another prevailing theme was how a company treats—and to a larger extent—supports their employees. Here is a taste of some of the responses we heard:
     

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