‘Softie in Question: E.J. Layne

Job title: Program Manager Intern – Immersive Office Experience

On summer break from his Master’s degree studies in Computer Science at Georgia Tech, E.J. Layne decided to intern on Microsoft’s Redmond Campus. Far from mastering the photocopier or Starbucks runs, E.J. is trusted with evolving some of Microsoft Office OneNote’s upcoming features and driving new ideas to advance technology.

Beyond his substantial work responsibilities, E.J. also finds time to compete on an Ultimate Frisbee club team and star in Season 3 of My Intern Life (MIL3).

He is one of eight Microsoft interns contributing weekly video snippets for the online mini-series. New episodes will be posted on Microsoft JobsBlog every Wednesday through September. Even if you are just starting to consider interning in the technology industry, MIL3 is not to be missed!

Microspotting caught up with E.J. to hear how he’s settling in as an intern and get behind the scenes of his behind the scene videos.

E.J., was it always a goal to intern at Microsoft?
I guess I always saw Microsoft as a pinnacle in the tech industry, but never really counted on working here. I also looked at Google, but decided that the Program Manager (PM) role at Microsoft was best for me.

Why’s that?
At Google, the internship is more of a narrow user experience design role. The PM internship here allows me to design my feature using my computer science background. However, I also have to consider real world user scenarios, competition and development costs in my design. It’s a broader experience and a better fit for me.
 

Why did you want to intern with a big tech company, rather than a smaller company or a startup?
I wanted to get experience with the best. This is also a great place to meet people with whom you may end up working in the future or people who will really spark your interest and imagination about new and different technologies.

Tell us about being featured in the My Intern Life video series?
It’s a lot of fun. I have a video camera and am filming all the different stuff that I’m up to throughout my week. The show gives insight into life in the Seattle area and what it’s really like to be an intern here at Microsoft.

Have you had time to explore much beyond campus?
Well, I’ve been super-busy with work, but I do play on an Ultimate Frisbee team in Seattle. I live in Redmond with another intern and I don’t have a car, but Microsoft provided me with a free public transportation pass, so that makes it is pretty easy to get around.

I’ve also traveled to Vancouver and Portland, Oregon, to play in tournaments with the Ultimate team.

Are we going to get to watch some Ultimate Frisbee footage on My Intern Life?
We’ll see. There are a few other interns on the team. And, having fun and meeting people is a big part of interning here too, so I’ll try to include some of it in a video.

Catch a new episode of Season 3 of My Intern Life every Wednesday at: http://microsoftjobsblog.com/my-intern-life/