I chose Amazon. For lots of reasons. I'll be working with technology I already know so anything beyond this point will be building onto rather than starting over. It will probably translate into my next job better. I've heard things about the culture at Microsoft that I didn't feel would mesh well with my personality. Not that they're bad and I couldn't take it. I just know I would have a hard time and not thrive in those conditions with the pressure on. I've loved working at amazon so far... the cuture felt very open, innovative, and collaborative. All of my buddies at Amazon had time to talk to me about why they chose it over Microsoft. Most of my buddies at Microsoft never got back to me ie they're probably super busy or don't remember me anymore. Amazon just seemed like a better fit. The company runs lean which I can appreciate. In the end,.. they offered me more money as well that more than made up for the difference in benefits. I think Amazon is in a unique spot at the moment and they're doing really well as a company for Amazon. I think Microsoft is in a little bit of a slump for Microsoft. That said,.. the team I would have been working on sounded pretty exciting and I'm sure they're not going anywhere any time soon as a company. I just had visions of previous work for Novell in which everything started getting off-shored and overpromised and understaffed and nobody wanted to stick around anymore. I was not looking forward to working for another company that wasn't doing as well as they have in the past. I think the team I was going to be working for was certainly not a has been though. They were doing some exciting things I was looking forward to learning more about. I just wanted sure Microsoft as a whole was where I wanted to be.
Don't get me wrong there are a lot of things about Amazon that are not my favorite. Parking..lack of benefits. They're almost no better than my husband's retail benefits or lack there of. Vacation isn't as good. The bonusing I think is a little better but potentially I will not be with the company long enough to really see any of that if I have anything to say about it. :) My team will not be at the main amazon location which is a sweet commute for me at the moment. My future commute will not be as good I don't think. Too much downtown traffic involved. Holidays,... way to skimp on the holidays. But I digress. The downsides were outweighed by my need for money and dare I say,..preference to work at Amazon. I never thought I'd want to work there over Microsoft but once I truly reflected on what my family needs are right now and what would make me happy and willing to put in another 2 years or more of work. Amazon won out.
Microsoft,.. I am soo soo sad that I did not pick you. I really have always wanted to work for you and I loved my interview experience. I was super excited and super stoked to work for you. Now, I probably will never have another opportunity and I am sad that I will never have the chance to purchase products at a discounted price as an employee or almnus employee. Farewell. I wish that circumstances had been different so that I could have gotten to know you. What I've seen. I loved. I super hope that you find a new and exciting product that nobody else already makes to bring the excitement back into your future. (btw - I love the Kinect and I can't wait to get one,.. make some more things like that better than anybody else does at affordable prices and the excitement is going to pick back up) Microsoft I have always and will always be a fan of what you've done for computers!
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