Kenji Yamaguchi
My name is Kenji Yamaguchi and I'm a Recruiter for the Windows & Windows Live engineering teams here at Microsoft. My groups are responsible for a variety of products & services which really serve to enhance the Windows user experience and keep track of all the online "stuff" you care about. If you've ever used products like Hotmail, Messenger, SkyDrive or Photo Gallery - you've sampled the effort and hard work my team is passionate about delivering.
As a Seattle Native, and long-time reader of Jobsblog, I’m thrilled at the opportunity to contribute and give my first-hand experience of Microsoft from the inside.
So if you have questions – ask away – that’s what I’m here for!
Posts by Kenji
Social Networking - it's not just virtual
With all of this focus on internet social media – it’s easy to lose sight of those tried and true methods of decades past.
In recent years, it seems like everywhere you look the term “Social Networking” is staring you right in the face. Stories abound from recruiters and jobseekers alike telling of how their latest social media experience lead to that last “great” hire. But what about back in the day of the dinosaur: before Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn dominated the marketplace? How did people network for jobs before social media? Did people really have to *gasp* meet face-to-face??? It seems like a foreign concept – yet recently, I’ve discovered that face-to-face networking events are making a bit of a comeback. And you know what else? I think they actually work better.
After a suggestion from one of my out-of-work friends, I decided to try out a networking event known as the Seattle Job Social, which is held monthly at Twist Lounge in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood (if you’re interested in relocating – Belltown has great nightlife, just FYI). While I’d been to my share of job fairs, this was my first social networking event, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
Strengths and weaknesses revisited
Not long after JobsBlog started in 2004, Gretchen answered a reader who wanted to know what he should say when an interviewer asked him to describe his strengths and weaknesses.
Six years later, that post is still one of the most popular articles on this site. Gretchen’s advice remains relevant, of course, and we encourage you to read it – but we thought we’d give you an update from varying viewpoints. Check out what Kenji, Lisa and Matt have to say about this infamous interview question!
The dreaded compensation question
Dear Jobsblog:
When and how is it appropriate to ask about salary, benefits and vacation time? I don’t want to seem like I’m just looking for money and perks, but, at the same time, this information is important to consider. How should I approach this? Whom should I ask these questions?-All About The Benjamins (just kidding)
Dear Mr. (or Ms.) Benjamins:
Compensation (salary, benefits, etc.) is an important aspect of any job search. As a recruiter, it’s easy to forget how nerve-wracking this question can be for the candidate. After all, I answer it almost every day.Questions relating to compensation are best dealt with early in the process and need to be treated with tact and care. By no means are they something that should be put off until the end or skipped over lightly. Candidates should approach compensation questions in terms of Who, When and How.
CES reflections
Hey Jobsblog readers!
These past few months have been all about change and new experiences for me. While I continue to work very closely with the Windows Live team, I’ve also expanded to encompass parts of Operations & Windows Engineering. It’s fun to see how other teams operate and learn about all of their exciting products and features. I really do love technology and that passion is one of the main reasons why I work at Microsoft.
On that note, I had the incredible opportunity to visit the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Now, with a few weeks between me and the event, I've had the opportunity to reflect on the CES and the state of technology:
Doing your research before the interview
Congratulations! So you’ve made it past the initial resume review and you’re being called in for those important next steps. There are a few days between now and then, and anxiety is building in anticipation. You want to do well in your interview, and in this economy you know that it’s tougher than ever to stand out amongst the crowd. So what do you do? Time to channel that energy into something productive!
