Movin’ On Up

On April 30, 2010, I walked through the doors of Microsoft Studios as a new contract employee at Microsoft.  It was my first job after moving up here to Seattle relatively unannounced and completely unplanned.  I have been at Microsoft for over three years as an hourly contractor, with a couple of position changes during that time.  It’s the longest I’ve been in a single job…well…ever. 

In a couple of weeks, this era comes to an end.

That’s right boys and girls, I will be leaving my long-term employment at Microsoft and moving on to a new position with another company in nearby Bellevue, DataSphere.  And, it marks the first time in my entire employment history where I am a full-time, salaried, and benefitted employee.  No more timecards!  Paid Vacation!  No overtime pay (*Sad Trombone*)  It’s a great position, looks like a great company, and I really dig their platform. (By the way, may I highly suggest that you visit and then bookmark http://www.sadtrombone.com and http://www.dramabutton.com?  These two websites are a must for anyone who needs more sound effects in their life.)

It’s been a fascinating three years at Microsoft, for sure.  When I started, I had just finished working at Aztec ShowTrax, teaching voice, and performing.  I was still getting used to the idea that I was done with the performing world.  My business experience was limited to my own start-ups and customer support jobs.  I had spent several years as a gypsy, taking me to wherever the next paying gig was.

Over these three years, I got used to working a standard work week, learned to appreciate my weekends more than life itself, learned what it’s like having a regular paycheck, got an MBA and learned how to speak the language of business a little better.  I speak the language, but with a very heavy performer’s (aka affected fake British) accent.  I’ve managed to start a real live savings account and have a 401k AND an IRA.  I’ve started another company.  I became thoroughly engrossed in video games.  I gained 25 pounds.

The last three years have been a really fun, challenging, difficult, amazing, life-altering time for me.  I’m grateful for the opportunities I had to learn and experience and grow at Microsoft, and I’m grateful for the opportunities that I’m going to have to grow and expand my skills further.  It’ll be bittersweet to leave my nice cubicle with the wall of windows and my access to all the latest and greatest technological toys…even before they are announced to the public.  But it will also be nice to expand into a new position and face new challenges.  I’m the kind of person who has to continue to be challenged, and I’m excited for the new ones headed my way.

I won’t be blogging a lot about my work at DataSphere because, well, it’s just kind of tacky to blog about work too much (and can really come back to bite you in the butt if you’re not careful) but I wanted friends and family to know about this big change for me.  I’m no longer a contractor, I’m a real employee!  I feel like a real human boy!