Andrew Lee: Power Platform Direct Business | Sr. Marketing Manager, Microsoft

The Old Grad Story: 

Andrew completed five years’ service as an Engineer, then left the Army to get his MBA at UCLA Anderson. While at Anderson, Andrew interned at Roaming Hunger, a startup experience that informed his decision to secure a Product Marketing internship with Microsoft. Andrew’s internship at Microsoft led to a full-time offer, through a post-MBA rotational program, which helped prepare him for his current role as Sr. Product Marketing Manager.

Old Grad Knowledge:

In the startup environment, there are no guardrails, and there really isn’t anyone holding your hand and telling you how to do your job. Despite enjoying the experience, I was left wondering how the “best of the best” run a business – this eventually led me to Microsoft.

MBAs are useful to pivot into roles and industries you don’t have a background in, and also provide a nice environment to decompress and re-acclimate to life outside of the Army.

Building a Career at Microsoft

·         Demonstrating a growth mindset and commitment to continuous learning are key to entering Microsoft and thriving within it. West Point and the Army provide us experiences to demonstrate both – use stories to illustrate these qualities!

·         Army Officers have experience running cross-functional programs with diverse stakeholders – Microsoft values those experiences and skill sets.

·         Getting into Microsoft is the hard part – once you get in, the mobility to different functions and products is high. There is tremendous opportunity to try new things and find assignments that you’re passionate about.

·         The most common ways for veterans to get in are 1) by getting an MBA, 2) through programs like Breakline, and 3) via the Microsoft Systems and Software Academy.

·         People often undervalue the potential of a tech sales career path, but recruiters are hungry for talented performers with a sales background.