My Take on: Finding the PERFECT Company Culture
Aliza Akhter, a student and Winter Intern for InTheir20s shares her thoughts on our recent interview with Microsoft’s Kati Quigley
My first thoughts when choosing which interview to review were, “Which one relates to me the most?” Then I saw this one. I thought to myself, this seems like one I could benefit from because I had just taken a management course in school where we had discussed company culture.
InTheir20s interviewed Kati Quigley, Senior Director of Global Industry Marketing at Microsoft. With over 20 years of experience under her belt, I figured her interview would be the most beneficial and exciting to watch. My favorite thing about Kati was that our interests align as well. I plan to major in marketing, while she is a director for at Microsoft. We also both enjoy event planning and execution.
My favorite takeaway from this interview, however, has to be Quigley’s view of company administrators.
I got my first job just under 4 months ago. I work 2 part-time jobs, both in retail. When applying for the first one, I heard countless adults tell me how to structure my resume and what to say or not to say during the interview. As someone who gets nervous during interviews, it was pretty nerve-wracking to hear all these different views on what the right way to act is. In the end, I went with the cliche saying of “being myself.” That and projecting myself as the perfect candidate for the job. My resume included the clubs I was in, the classes I had taken, and my grades. The interesting part is that none of those related to a retail job. I identified with Kati when she shared a story about interns Microsoft hired in the past. The interns had plenty of experience, but not in computer software. Each intern or college hire that got an interview was engaged in non-academic activities that highlighted their passions. Sometimes the passion related to the job, and sometimes it was unrelated. Various activities such as participating in sports, founding nonprofits, and working for smaller companies all contributed to their character and increased their chances of being hired. I plan to integrate this advice into my business life by adjusting my resume so that the irrelevant activities are gone and only my passions/relevant experience is listed.
The second most interesting piece of advice I heard was to interview the company back. At first I didn’t understand what she meant, but as the interview continued, it was shocking how right Kati was. Her take on interviews is that so many people worry about presenting themselves as the right candidate for the job without taking time to realize if the company is one they can picture themselves in. It’s like walking into a restaurant but not realizing their seating is uncomfortable and their food isn’t your preference. It might be a great restaurant and you want to eat there because of the great reviews, but it’s not the right one for your taste buds. Next time you’re at an interview, don’t be afraid to ask them questions as well. Figure out if their company culture is one you can imagine yourself being apart of; figure out if their company values are one’s you can align yourself with. Another common misconception: curiosity equals lack of knowledge. Honestly, I used to think the same before watching Kati’s interview, but after listening to her explain it, I see it’s a valued quality. Many avoid asking too many questions because it might seem as if they are uneducated about the position when in reality, it shows interest and allows them to get a feel for the company. When interviewing for a larger company in the future, I know I’ll definitely remember this. Right now, it’s my dream to intern at Pinterest. However, I’ll get a feel for what the employee environment is like and the company culture. And you should, too.
The last piece of advice was something I’ve never heard of before. It’s probably because I haven’t been in the business world for very long, but Kati described it perfectly. Landon asked her when she was a recent college grad, which did she work to achieve: vertical or horizontal growth? Her response was both. Vertical growth pertains to “climbing the ladder,” or seeking promotion after promotion. Horizontal growth would get a feel for where you are while staying at your current level. Kati responded that out of college, she focused on both. However, she recommended horizontal first just because of the change you need to make to a company before thinking about promotions. What interested me the most about this concept was that she described multiple “turns” she made, all of which were horizontal. She may have joined a new company with the same position or learned new skills without leveling up. In her experience, it’s unlikely to make a vertical and horizontal shift simultaneously, Regardless, any shift is good because it represents progress. And progress is success.
