Last week the blogosphere was abuzz with the fact that Microsoft is now hiring folks to work at its two new stores — this week I had the chance to chat with one of the 'Softies responsible for making those hires.

The geek in question: Cheryl Hibbard

The job title: Store Manager of the Microsoft Store in Scottsdale, AZ

What are you working on right now? The largest and most important task for me now is hiring the best talent for the new Microsoft store opening in Scottsdale. I have only been in the Scottsdale area for a week now and meeting such wonderful and talented people in the community has been fun and rewarding. I feel very fortunate to meet such amazing people!

What are the key traits you're looking for? Since we have several roles that will be in the stores — like technical support, trainers, sales team and a sales support team — product knowledge along with a customer focus background is crucial in team building. Also, with this being the very first store for Microsoft, it’s also critical that everyone is flexible and willing to share ideas and concerns… it will help Microsoft make future stores better by what they learn from us.

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