My name is Lisa Olson and I’m a Staffing Consultant for Live Search. I’ve been recruiting at Microsoft since 2006 and started out recruiting for the Windows Live Experiences team (Messenger, Spaces, Mail), which is what got me hooked on blogging to begin with.

I then switched to support the Live Search team and now report to the famous Jenna Adorno. I’ve also been very privileged to be able to showcase Microsoft’s flexibility and commitment to its employees by working in a job share and on a stretch assignment. I work three days a week and stay at home with my daughter the other two days. This truly is the BEST company!

I am originally from Texas. I was born and raised there. I received my bachelors in Computer Science from Texas A&M University. (Can I get a “Whoop” from my fellow Aggies? :-)) I started out as a software engineer but quickly realized that it wasn’t for me. Then my husband received a job offer from Microsoft so we packed up and moved to Redmond. I got into technical recruiting, which was a good mix for me, and was lucky to have the opportunity to work at Microsoft. I was a contractor first before converting to full-time. And no, I do not still code and no, don’t test me. ;-)

Outside of work, I love spending time with my daughter, my husband and my two gigantic Chihuahuas. Seriously, I think I have the largest Chihuahuas out there. I hate to admit it, but I am also a huge Twilight fanatic and am always open to discussing the series.

I’m looking forward to posting on JobsBlog to share the inner workings of the interview process and what life is really like working at Microsoft.

Recently I decided to explore new opportunities at Microsoft that are aligned to my career aspirations.  This meant that I needed to update my resume (which hasn’t been touched since 2005) with my work experience that I have gained over the last 4 years.  Hmmm…  what exactly did I do over the last 4 years?

I must have sat there for 30 minutes with a blank resume while I tried to remember what I accomplished.  Besides a general idea of the responsibilities I had, I couldn’t remember the exact metrics I achieved, awards I won or extra projects I took on.  That’s when it hit me that I shouldn’t have waited until I was looking for a new job to update my resume!

Continue reading...

CNN and CareerBuilder recently published a list of the 43 weirdest things said in job interviews, and we asked for your stories. We also asked our JobsBloggers. Here is Lisa's answer.

 I actually had to think hard about this one because I block those crazy memories from my head.  :)

A few years ago, I was interviewing someone onsite for a Software Development Engineer (SDE) role for Messenger.  The last question I asked him was “Why are you interested in working at Microsoft?”  I thought it was a pretty easy question to ask.

Continue reading...

You may be wondering where Gretchen, Angela and I have been the last few months. We know it's been awfully quiet around here.

Well, we’ve been immersed with a few large recruiting projects that we can proudly say have successfully shipped!  One of the projects is Microsoft’s new global careers site.

Continue reading...

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. Five 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!

Continue reading...

A few months ago I wrote about taking on a stretch assignment with the HR systems team. I’m really enjoying the role and my fun, crazy team and thought I’d give you a taste of what I’ve been up to by writing about our recent morale event.

Continue reading...

Dear JobsBlog: I've never done a lunch interview before, but I've heard horror stories about candidates being so nervous they forget basic table manners or get a huge chunk of broccoli stuck in their teeth. How can I enjoy my meal and still impress a hiring manager? Any suggestions on what to order and how to avoid awkwardness?

-Apprehensive Appetite

Dear Apprehensive Appetite: You've probably seen us mention on this blog that answers to many questions we receive vary from recruiter to recruiter. That said, we decided to take some bites of advice from several JobsBloggers on this topic. Put your headphones on and get your elbows off the table for podcasts from Matt, Lisa and Janelle that will help improve your lunch interview techniques!

Continue reading...

#8 Recently Interviewed said:

I just had a phone interview with Microsoft a little over an hour ago. Now I am wondering: What is the best way to start off an interview? I felt like the first couple of seconds were an awkward "Hello, erm, ugh... Yeah, I'm <name>" moment and I didn't really know what to say, and it almost felt like the interviewer expected me to say something in particular... What would be the best thing to do to make a good impression when starting off an interview?

Dear Recently Interviewed:

I saw your question in the comments section of Matt’s Five ways to fail my phone interview post and felt it needed a post of its own. 

Continue reading...

Dear JobsBlog: I am having trouble defining whether I am a college candidate or an experienced candidate, as I only have 18 months of experience. I am not sure if I should be considered "experienced” when the pool of experienced candidates may have experience ranging from 13 months to 10+ years.

-In-Between Experience

Dear In-Between Experience: Yes, you are an experienced candidate. At Microsoft in the United States, we break out our candidate types into two categories: college or experienced. A college candidate is anyone currently enrolled in a university program regardless of professional experience or anyone who has received a degree within the last year. This not only includes full-time students pursuing their bachelor’s but also candidates who are pursuing their master’s or doctorate. An experienced candidate is anyone with one or more years of experience and is not currently enrolled in a full-time university program. 

Continue reading...

Microsoft has done it again. They have amazed me in the way they accommodate and treat their employees. As you read from my previous post, I was job sharing in a Staffing Consultant role working 24-hour weeks. In October, I decided to switch back to working full-time. Well one of the career paths I have always wanted to explore is in program management working with our staffing systems. Guess what? It just so happened that the team needed some extra help, so now I am doing a stretch assignment for them for the next 8 months!

Continue reading...

Dear JobsBlog: Some of the jobs I’m interested in were posted almost a year ago. Are those jobs still available or has someone just forgotten to remove them from the website? - One-Year Wondering Dear "One-Year Wondering": That’s a great question! First, yes, the jobs should still be available. Each...

Continue reading...

A few months ago, Channel 9 asked us if we'd like to refresh the old "What's it like to interview at Microsoft" videos that Gretchen and Zoe filmed 4 years ago. Sure! So Kenji , Gretchen , and I - along with some other Microsoft recruiters and employees - took part in a 7 part video series called Get...

Continue reading...

Last Thursday Microsoft held its annual company meeting at Safeco Field in Seattle. This is when Microsoft comes together to talk about the different business groups, show demos of future releases, and talk about where we’re going as a company. To help explain what it’s like being there, it reminds me...

Continue reading...

A few months ago, I did a post on what a recruiter looks for in a resume review. This time, let’s take a look at what a SDET hiring manager looks for in a resume. Before we begin, if you aren’t sure what a SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test) does, check out Zoe’s post or Manish's ViewmyWorld...

Continue reading...

Whether you’re looking for a job, thinking about your next career move or content with where you’re at, you should always be thinking about how to demonstrate your expertise and position yourself in the industry. What do I mean by this? Think about technical conferences, online blogs, RSS feeds you subscribe...

Continue reading...

Several months ago, Jim posted a video from his experience at the Vancouver office. I’m pleased to say that I recently hired Steven Shelford, Senior SDE, to work out of that office for the Live Search Relevance team. I asked him to talk about the Vancouver office and what distinguishes it from Redmond...

Continue reading...

Who were all of the new yellow badge employees on our campus on Monday? Well, Monday was our ‘Take your Daughters and Sons To Work Day’ event. There were many young Microsoft "employees" shadowing their parents to learn more about what they do every day. It was a chance to learn about their parent’s...

Continue reading...

I realize it’s only June, but it's the end of the fiscal year for Microsoft. This is one of my favorite times of the year (calendar, that is). Summer is starting to really begin, the deer and bunnies reappear in my backyard and Rainier cherries are finally in season! It’s a time to look back at our last...

Continue reading...

What happens when you go away on vacation for a month? Well if you’re Neil, the Staffing Director of the Platform and Services Division, you’ll be surprised to return and find that your side of the office has been redecorated entirely in pink. His officemate, Jen, cooked up the idea to decorate his office...

Continue reading...

When I do initial resume reviews, there are certain things I'm focusing on in each section. I’d like to share with you what I look for (and don’t look for) in the resume during this quick scan. Of course, keep in mind that every recruiter is different and what I look for in a resume might be different...

Continue reading...

Lisa is back with another post! As a job seeker, you might think you’re not harming anyone by withholding the fact that you’re interviewing with multiple companies, when in fact it could take away some of your career options. It's exciting to have several companies interested in you, but it can be hard...

Continue reading...