My IT placement year with Microsoft
After A levels, it was a natural choice to take my IT studies further. At university we had to find a placement between the second and third years. I looked for prospective employers online, applying through websites. Microsoft was one of the larger companies that I approached. By chance, they were looking for interns at the time and contacted me.
Applying theory to practical IT in the workplace
I was hoping for a placement where I could apply the theory I’d been learning and wouldn’t just be making coffee. I started as part of the technical support team, providing help to some of the company’s European customers. The client would often call with a set of questions relating to any project problems. I needed to apply myself to their situations quickly and found my previous knowledge of programming was beneficial.
I experienced several roles and even had the chance to travel, including a trip to Japan for a project. I liked the working environment. The hours were quite flexible and I was involved in some of the out-of-hours sporting social activities – as well as a drinking club!
Andrew Webber's degree was in computer science with distributing systems. He completed a year-long placement with Microsoft.