Solutions Specialist Review

My role within the year long internship was to assist and manage accounts across the public sector. So I looked after national security and higher education sectors which I loved. They were two varied sectors which gave me good experience in working with different industries and people. I did presentations, customer sessions, sales process, charity events, socials and more

Yes, developed so many skills. Mainly being presentation skills which also increased my confidence. I had to deliver a lot of presentations to customers whether on a small or larger scale to explain the products and how they would benefit their company. Another one is time management, it can be overwhelming at the start doing a 9-5 and learning so many new concepts but once you manage your time the workload becomes more manageable and you begin to really enjoy the work and love being busy and having things to do

Surprisingly yes, I was treated like a full time employee rather than being seen only as an intern. The support we had entering the first month was needed and appreciated by all interns, the HR team did a great job of easing us in. From there, I worked alongside my team and manager to deliver sales. This started by generating leads or talking to existing customers and seeing if there was a need for a refresh of products. I set out pricing by talking to people internally but also Microsoft partners, I delivered presentations initially with my manager and as my confidence in presenting and the knowledge of product grew I did them alone. I also had the chance to explore other avenues e.g marketing through creating promotional videos and being in the videos myself. The whole experience was great, loved my placement year.

I received just the right amount, we had HR training for the first month which I think really helped me ease into the role. Then I had weekly if not daily calls with my manager to check in and see how I was getting on and if needed further support. Aside from customer and internal meetings, we also had an informal meeting with my direct team just to catch up and talk about things top of mind. It’s also great for networking, as I could reach out to anyone and ask to know a little bit more about their role etc and everyone was more than happy to chat. Throughout the year we still received support and activities hosted by the University Recruitment HR team

One of the reasons I wanted to come back to Microsoft (alongside many others) was the culture, I’ve never worked anywhere where my opinions and feedback was valued rather than critiqued. There is always support of anyone was struggling. There was resources for working from home and the work life balance was great. While there is a lot to be done during the week, it is encouraged to take some time to rest and socialise which I loved.

As mentioned above, I loved my internship and I’m happy to say I’m returning as a grad in September 2024

Yes

Just be yourself and show your personality and work hard. Take every opportunity that is given and step out of your comfort zone