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November 07 Hello fellow blogosphere residents! So this is something new for me, in a multitude of ways actually. Some of you will have found your way here via my personal blog (www.bisonium.com/blog) and you might be wondering what the heck this blog is about. After all, how many blogs does someone need, right? Better question is Windows Live Spaces? Ummmm, ok...something is definitely not right here. Luke...there has been a disruption in the force. Boy is that an understatement...read on peeps...read on...
Well, this is going to be my "work" blog if you will. I'll be using this space (no pun intended) as a way to communicate with my end-users and anyone in general wanting to know more about the User Experience aspects of design. It will also be my "journal" if you will, and I will post my progress through this new phase of my life and career. New gig? Hmmmm....
So what's this new gig you ask? This is going to shock a few of you when you read this, assuming you haven't already been privy to this info already. Wait for it....wait...wait...I have officially accepted a position at MICROSOFT as a User Experience Designer. Yep, you read that right, MICROSOFT. That may be a bit of a shock to some of you who know me as a hard-core die-hard Apple fanatic. Trust me, it's taken some time to actually sink-in for me. But like anything else in life, there are always 2 sides to anything, and sometimes you don't always have all the proper info pertaining both sides. So what's that mean for me? It means I am eating A LOT of crow and humble pie. :-)
Many years ago I left the "dark side" for the land of everything Apple. It all started when I was in the middle of completing a project for a client and my Windows machine tanked at the worst possible moment. And to make matters worse, it was all due to a virus / worm that somehow made it past all my defenses. In a moment of rage and anger, I said "enough" and got my first Mac. I wasn't new to Apple mind you, I grew up on Apple and started back in the Apple II+ days and grew from there. But I had never actually owned a "Mac". I used them extensively in design school, but I honestly hated OS 9. When I bought my first Mac, running OS X v10.2 "Jaguar", I was hooked. Unix, stable, no viruses..I was sold. I became the worlds biggest Apple junkie and fanatical mad scientist. Heck, I was even flown out to Los Angeles and filmed for one of those Apple "Switch" campaign commercials. It didn't air, but I can paid mad cash and had a blast doing it. Life was good on the Apple side, but I had also changed and turned into an Apple "Elitist". I was the worlds biggest Apple zealot. I slammed Microsoft and Windows every chance I could. Ask any of my friends, and even some blogging celeb's like Robert Scoble or Jeremy Wright, they personally suffered my wrath on a few posts. ;-) So what do I have to say for myself? Lots.
Things have changed in the computing landscape. More importantly, in my own life. Let me make one thing perfectly clear: I love my Mac! I still do and have no plans to abandon Apple's products or my views on Apple (both good and bad). With that said, I have learned that Microsoft isn't the evil empire everyone thinks it is. It isn't perfect mind you, I don't think such a company really exists (even owning your own). But, there are some AMAZING things happening within the walls of the Redmond giant and if many of you really knew the extent of some of these things, you would agree that there is definitely some good stuff happening at Microsoft, and no reason to blindly slam the company as a whole. Dare I say, having worked at Apple, there are many things the Cupertino mother-ship could learn from Microsoft. Here's one thing, CULTURE.
In my time working at and with Apple, I have seen how Apple can be a place buzzing with excitement and pride at being uber cool and hip. Arrogance is just something that comes with being at the top of your game, and there was plenty of it at Apple. I have also seen how Apple can drive their people into the ground and burn them out in a New York second. The demands are high, as are the expectations, and there is little to no tolerance for anything less. Often that means working 80 hour weeks, answering phones and emails as early as 7am, until midnight (or later). From my experience, Apple just doesn't have much of a work/life balance, and the higher levels of management just don't seem to care. I see some of my friends still working there and their faces and bodies look exhausted. How long can someone really keep that pace up before they start having health issues?
As I get older, that work/life balance has become a top priority. I want to make sure I don't miss out on those special moments with my little girl as she grows up. And I owe a lot to my wife, as she has put up with my crap and gone without a lot of things far longer than most women would. She deserves a gold medal and then some. Another thing that just makes working at Apple tough is the fact that like most other companies, if you wish to make it to the higher level positions within the company, at some point, you need to move to the mother-ship. And THAT my friends is an expensive proposition in Cupertino, CA. All-around costs are absurd, bordering insane in CA. At Microsoft, although the costs in Seattle are not as low as say, Atlanta or Austin, they are reasonable and within reach of most professionals. And quite honestly, you just can't beat the scenery, food, fresh air and lifestyle. Once you make the trip to Redmond, you seriously just don't want to go back home. Yes, it's THAT nice out there.
So in closing, yes...I was voluntarily assimilated by the Borg...and I LOVE IT. I won't apologize for it. The job is amazing and the offer was more comprehensive than anything I have accepted before. In short, Microsoft is taking care of me, and my family, and I plan to take care of them and make the best damn products I can in return. There's nothing more important in life than being happy with your job and loving what you do. The process to get here wasn't easy. In a future post, I'll go into how I arrived to getting the offer and what was involved in the interview process that so many of you are wondering about. Here's a hint, it was NOT easy. I will follow-up this post with more details as I start this new journey. But for now, I'll cut this novel short and say...welcome to my new blog. Welcome to my new life. It's a dream job, and one that I am looking forward to with great anticipation as I officially start my new journey at Microsoft in the coming weeks. For
anyone who has ever wondered what it's like to work at a place like
Microsoft, subscribe to the feed and follow me as I lead you through my
new adventure. Kind of reminds me of my Navy days...it's not just a job, it's an adventure. Rock on baby....rock on...
Ciao!
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