“I’d rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate.” ~ George Burns

Over the years many, many family and friends have sent me their resume to get hired by Microsoft. I’m embarrassed to say very few made the cut.

But many of those who took my advice to join a temp agency and come in that way worked themselves into a job of a life time. They did this by learning from Microsoft as a contractor, networking, and developing a strong rep for a great work ethic. And as a plus, rather than being place based on what job is available at the time, a dicey proposition at best, the experienced contractor can cherry-pick that perfect job from inside the gates!

This story about ex-softie and now Zoosk Co-CEO Shayan Zadeh, rang a bell with me too.

What were your main business takeaways from working at MS?
Throughout Microsoft there are very established and successful business processes. I learned how to use these processes to attract talent, to evaluate candidates and to manage a team of super-smart, talented, and strong personalities. During my time at Microsoft, I really came to understand the impact of team morale on productivity and the ways that one can create an environment to foster collaboration.

I apply variations of these processes across my company. They helped me to create Zoosk and also help me run it in an efficient manner on a day-to-day basis. I think we’ve been successful and have been able to have fun in the meantime.

Just some grist for you mills, dear readers. Here’s wishing you good luck in your job of a lifetime search.