I can't think of a better way to express my first two days at Microsoft than "drinking from the fire hose". There is a lot of information for a new employee to take in. The good thing is that they (read: Microsoft) know this and have an entire team dedicated to the "On-Boarding" experience of new employees.
Was Microsoft "People-Ready" like I was wondering? As a new employee, I feel they definitely are. Of all the companies I have worked for, Microsoft is the company is by far the most prepared for new employees that I have seen. Of course, with how many employees they hire (just over 12k last fiscal year world wide, I believe), it is hardly surprising they are so prepared. From what I understand, it hasn't always been that way. Frankly, I'm just glad they're more prepared now :).
I was really thinking of making a more detailed blog post about New Employee Orientation and my On-Boarding experience so far at Microsoft but I am simply emotionally drained right now. I'm definitely looking forward to a good night's sleep so I can really dive into the deep end tomorrow. I guess I'm one of those people who like to simply dive right in. That's one of the reasons I'm looking forward to tomorrow: it is the first "full day" at Microsoft without New Employee Orientation.
One thing I will share with all of you? No lie, every time I swipe my Microsoft badge at a door and hear the ding when the light goes "green", I smile :). I guess it's just starting to "sink in" that I'm now working for Microsoft.