By: John Lavery
One of the most common things I hear from candidates that I talk to, is ‘I want to work for a Microsoft Partner.’ The scope of the technology industry is vast and, with Microsoft business applications seeing impressive growth year on year, there is no shortage of job opportunities in every industry imaginable. So, why work for a Microsoft Partner and what exactly is it about the idea of working for a Microsoft Partner that candidates find so attractive?
We’ve picked out some of the top reasons below.
Cutting-Edge Technology
The technology industry is incredibly fast-moving and, with exciting new releases and upgrades coming out practically every day, it can be nearly impossible for even the most enthusiastic technology evangelist to keep up with this ever-changing landscape. Especially while also maintaining a high level of performance in their day-to-day duties.
This is where, as employers, Microsoft Partners really differentiate themselves from End Users.
Firstly, a portfolio of ongoing projects (not to mention constantly evolving pipelines) means that candidates have extensive opportunities to get their teeth stuck into the latest releases and learn on the job. Secondly, learning new skills and getting exposure to the latest tech are simply part of the culture at Microsoft Partners.
They will provide access to educational materials directly from Microsoft, provide demo versions of the latest releases for employees to play around with and even pay for Microsoft certification exams.
Multiple Exciting Projects
Working for an End User as part of a Microsoft business application implementation can be fantastic and, for many candidates, this is their first exposure to the excitement of project work. Unfortunately for those involved in the project (but much to the relief of the senior stakeholders), it won’t last forever.
What happens after the project reaches Go-Live? For many, this means assuming a Support, Administration or Training role and missing out on the aspects of project work that they enjoyed so much.
Once again, this is an area where Microsoft Partners excel. With an array of projects ongoing at any one time, candidates can be sure that they will never be short of opportunities to perform the role that they love on an interesting project. On top of that, working on multiple projects means that employees can broaden their horizons, learn about new industries and become more well-rounded.
Career Progression
Career progression is something that is very important to a lot of people and is one of the most common motivations that candidates have when looking for a new job in any industry. What makes career progression difficult for Microsoft technology professionals working at End Users is that they are limited by a lack of real growth opportunities.
For example, imagine an experienced Microsoft technology Support Analyst who is ready to make the step up to Junior Developer. Working for an End User, our fictional Support Analyst would struggle to make that move. Even at a large enterprise with a dedicated technology department, opportunities are scarce. Technical teams are small and, for most companies, not an area they are looking to significantly expand.
Our Support Analyst could wait around for one of the Developers to move on but, even then, the pressures of project deadlines and the lack of allocated training budget means that End Users are generally unlikely to take a risk on an internal candidate who may take a few months to get up to speed when they can find an external resource who will hit the ground running.
Microsoft Partners can offer clearly defined progression paths and actively encourage movement upwards within their organisation. They also have more time and patience to accommodate a learning curve safe in the knowledge that, once our Support Analyst’s skills are at the right level and they are a full-fledged Junior Developer, they will be a valuable asset on all projects moving forward. On top of that, they are likely to have experienced employees who can act as mentors and share their own knowledge to ease the transition.