Up9rade IT career @ www.up9rade.com

Why have true faith with Microsoft staffing?

I was sitting beside the test Mgr of Sql team in shuttle bus went home together yesterday.
He's a western, worked for Microsoft for 4 years, and before that, had worked for large & start up software companies.
He choosed to work in SQL team Shanghai voluntarily, now he leads the team for MDAC testing.
Over the chatting, he's pretty proud of: what we are doing now, is the best compares with Redmond did before. MDAC team wins the respect, we are the strongest. We own the component independently.

Why do you work for Microsoft:
I still believe Microsoft is the best place for programmer to go, only look at the huge product families, has almost everything. I have worked for different types of companies...

So, why I staffing for Microsoft?

First of all, because the bar is very high, and it won't be lowered because of hard to find great candidates...Of course, which makes staffing a challenging job, while, on the contrary, which builts the truth faith for Microsoft staffing: we have the smart people, great team, doing cutting edge products. Isn't it the best selling point to those great programmers?

Second:
You don't like to manage people, what your interests is in programming, fine, keep what you like to do, you own the engineer's title, yet could get paid by your contribution level.
You like to manage people, fine, from engineer, you could be development or test lead, group manager, product unit manager and vice president.
Current GM of STB Shanghai was a test engineer. Current GM of SQL China R&D team was a dev.

Third, we have the policy for internal rotation.
An employee worked for more than 1 year, he's eligible for ...

tags: staffing MS culture

@ 20070929 07:07:00 with 0 comments read more...

The real work things with MS

I have not updated my blog recently, engaged in a project in Oct.
Here would like let the pictures talk:

从T恤说起：
从上次开all hands 会议大概两三个礼拜过去了，在会议上宣布的一个议题之一是：由微软员工自己design通过比稿产生的
T恤终于发到我们手上了，分男女两套，我桌上的这件是蓝色的。

上次的会议议题包括：
－介绍服务器及开发工具事业部在微软全球产品开发战略中所做出的贡献，其中也提到了SQL Server Team, 很多人熟悉的MDAC (Microsoft Data Access Components) 是由上海的小组独立来own的。
－微软新园区的建设进度，到明年十月份，完成第一栋建筑并入住，我在期望着绿茵球场，可以溜冰的食堂和自己的健身中心。
－给在微软“生存”满一年的员工发大大的带有1字的水晶奖杯；
－给在社区志愿者活动中贡献出自己时间和汗水的员工扔棒球帽；
－给大家展示入选的T恤设计；
－介绍新加入的员工等等等等。。。

和你的孩子一起工作。
一个国外工程师的四岁大孩子在玩桌球，超可爱。
迄今为止的记录是：一个老外带了他六个孩子和夫人一起上，最小的抱在怀里会娇嗲嗲地说: hello, 最大的上高中。
叹为观止。

微软的培训，会提前公布出来，哪几周什么培训，提前在线上报上名，自己搬个小板凳过去就可以听的。
内容从技术专题到general 管理知识都有。

<pic3& ...

tags: working in MS MS culture

@ 20070927 05:36:00 with 0 comments read more...

To make work a great game

Congratulations to 2 new members joining SQL China team!

This week SQL China R&D Team got 2 great new members joining, cheer for this!

Let's make our work a great game!

Congratulations to 2 shots to China Woman Soccer team!
Right after finished these words, we beat New Zealand of 2:0.
I love these girls, I love this game, for you are really playing soccer in China.

tags: career opportunity SQL Server

@ 20070921 06:00:00 with 0 comments read more...

Typhoon

Work at home tomorrow...

Towards the severe Typhoon coming, without discussion from management team, a notice was sent to all employees before they go home today:
Please work at home tomorrow.

so I work at home tomorrow.

tags: work and life MS culture

@ 20070919 05:45:00 with 0 comments read more...

Destiny

由于工作的关系，跟人聊天问人家经历成为一种习惯，在对方看来也似乎理所当然。
加上同许多的候选人有过接触，所以不勉有一些感慨。

以下的内容绝无特定指向，本人的见解也未必正确，请勿对号入座。

微软在中国的研发策略中，在人才开发方面，越来越倚重培养本地的管理人才，在面试一些工作资历颇丰的侯选人时(experience >=10 years),有时候也遇到特别令人惋惜的情况：

比如说：
有些90年代初毕业的候选人，也许是从国内一流的名校毕业，毕业之后当时最好的选择之一是进国企。
在国企的环境里，相对地比较养人，于是呆了五六年。
然后接下来是互联网的浪潮，于是投身互联网：也许是同学朋友创业，过去帮个忙；公司的背景可能是拿了很多风投的，也有比较强的海外脉络。然后泡沫破灭了。
于由自己的经历与相对全面的背景，再回头去做程序员似乎比较难了，于是转去一些中等规模的公司去做 architect 或者 CTO。
结果可能发现那样的公司并不如想象中运转地顺，有太多的人为因素。
于是还是想回到外资IT的巨挚，选择项目管理或者企业顾问。
然而遇上公司机构调整，自己被列入了精减人员的名单。

在一定范围内，这种具有类似背景的候选人具有普遍性。
他们在“当下”做出的种种职业选择都是正确的：
系出名校，毕业之初加入国企，那在当时是好的选择。
互联网浪潮涌来的时候，果断投身其中，也没有错。
� ...

tags: career advice

@ 20070918 05:28:00 with 1 comments read more...

After Work

好象近来很多人递消息过来，嗨，好久没更新博客了？是呀，我不在写博客，就是在享受生活。 :) 也不全是，在加班。

在北京的时候，跟人聊天，说到对微软的感觉，有人就提到了，加班超多，赚那份钱累呀。这种说法有妖魔化的感觉 : )
IT 行业普遍辛苦，但是微软做研发不算是最辛苦的，以我所在的这一层楼面来说，过了七点，几乎都要关灯了。
一次和一个国外的的工程师聊天，反应很敏捷的一个家伙，来上海不久就已经对怎样换乘地铁了如指掌。（我第一天还连续坐反了两次方向）
问起下班做什么？编程吗？他说，不，为什么，白天已经做得够多了。
谢谢他，为我们树立了一个好的榜样。

现在的风气好象是每个人见面必要说忙，才算正常。这种风气太恐怖了。至少我在这儿已经见过不止一次工程师在工作时间里在休息室鼾声如雷，有的还干脆抱个毛绒熊睡觉，来来往往的人走来走去，没有人在意。

以前公司里有些经理经常在晚上半夜还在往外发邮件，睡不着起来回邮件，心里总是想：这些上司给下属树立了一个坏榜样？
至少给我这样的员工断绝了往上爬的念头，那么辛苦？！还是算了。

好吧，我下了班做什么。。。
开电脑，工作，游戏，写点小代码；弹琴；散步或者溜冰或者跑到华师新校区踢球；
看上去丰富多彩，其实没有，大部分时间还是花在了电脑前。要开始控制体重了。

tags: work and life hobby

@ 20070914 06:09:00 with 2 comments read more...

Freedo & his space