Q&A: What It Takes To Have An Amazing Career In Tech

Sequoia Taylor: Hey everyone. I'm Sequoia Taylor, an entrepreneur based in the San Francisco Bay area. I'm here with Laura Clayton McDonnell, a general manager at Microsoft in New York. I’ll be talking with Laura about how she built an amazing career in tech with a non-technical background and about her advice for recent grads looking to navigate careers in business and tech.

Before we jump in, I’ll share a little of my background: I've been working in San Francisco for three years now. I dreamed about a career in tech since I was a little kid growing up in Tennessee, and after five years of working in investment banking, I transitioned from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. I recently started a company called Ambitious Grads to provide the ultimate guide for anyone fresh out of college and considering careers on Wall Street and/or in Silicon Valley.

But that's enough about me. Laura, I’m excited to have you speak about your path to Microsoft, your role now, and your advice for ambitious young professionals just kicking off their careers.

Laura Clayton McDonnell: Thanks Sequoia. I’m really glad to be here and chat about opportunities in technology. I like to think of my professional journey as more of a jungle gym than a career path. I started as a lawyer in Silicon Valley, and I’m now a general manager at Microsoft. I oversee the New York Metro district's sales , marketing, and partner operations, leading a team generating $1.5 billion in revenue.

ST: Let’s back up and hear more about that law degree and how you transitioned out of the legal field.

LCM: I grew up interested in becoming a lawyer. I studied international business at San Jose State University and then went to the University of California, Berkeley for my J.D. and M.B.A. in international business and finance. I started my career working in private practices but ultimately decided I wanted to learn more about business. At the time, my parents were living in Silicon Valley, where there’s a tech company everywhere you turn. Those companies need lawyers, and the first to hire me was Apple. I was there for six years, working with the board of directors and shareholders. After that, I moved around to several different companies within Silicon Valley until I ended up at IBM and, most recently, at Microsoft in New York.

ST: What, besides proximity, attracted you to the tech industry?

LCM: I had this desire to learn more about the business of tech and the relationship between customers and products. When you think about it, technology is everywhere. It doesn't matter who you are. Everyone has some form of technology that touches their lives. In this day and age, companies want to use technology to make a difference, and that’s how I decided that this was the right space for me to accomplish my goals.

ST: What advice would you give to non-technical candidates exploring opportunities at major tech companies?

LCM: Start by deciding where you want to go in life. Really do some self-reflection and identify what you’re passionate about. You can then begin designing your next steps around those goals.

Also remember that a tech company is made up of more than just engineers. Just look at how technology works in our lives and what it takes to bring a product to market. All companies need people who understand business. And all companies need people as analysts, or people in operations. They need accountants to balance the books and lawyers to negotiate agreements.

If you’re smart, curious, and a fast learner, take the chance. Whether you do an internship or take advantage of on-the-job training, you shouldn’t be deterred just because you don’t have a specific degree. In fact, recruiters I’ve worked with are often looking for people who are willing to challenge the status quo.

ST: Do the skills you acquired as a lawyer play into your current work?

LCM: They definitely do, even if I didn’t realize how transferable they would be at the time I was transitioning. As a lawyer, you learn how to think in a specific way and to solve problems. You are trained to take in a lot of information and simplify it. There’s a lot of complexity in the tech industry, and companies are looking for candidates who can handle that. And thanks to my training, I’m also a fearless business negotiator.

ST: What roles and opportunities at Microsoft do you see as really exciting and valuable for new grads?

LCM: I think some of the most exciting opportunities out there are in sales. The nature of the work often involves traveling to different places. When I was at IBM, for example, I had the opportunity to live in South America for two years. When you’re working in a different environment, you pick up entirely new sets of skills, even beyond the language and culture. I learned a new way of doing business.

My family is from Panama, so I was brought up with an appreciation of the culture and language of Latin America. That made living in Chile particularly exciting for me. I was able to take some of my family experiences and apply them to my professional life and development. If you’re adventurous and have an interest in exploring the world, you can find a way to do that at a lot of tech companies.

ST: What are some common misconceptions about working in tech?

LCM: You absolutely do not have to be an engineer to have an amazing career at a tech company. As much as the work is about computers and software and “nerdy” stuff, it goes well beyond that. Microsoft has a strong company purpose embodied in our mission: Empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. If that resonates with you, then maybe you belong here too.

ST: What are the three skills or abilities you want to see in prospective candidates you’re interviewing?

LCM: First, I look for great communication skills — the ability to listen, to question, and to be curious. Second, I want to see your business acumen. We need people who can essentially become business analysts of our customers. The last piece is really about your attitude. Microsoft’s culture encourages a growth mindset. In this industry, things are constantly changing and you have to be open to that. Fail fast, learn from your mistakes, and keep going.

ST: Great. Let’s wrap up with one last question: Looking back, what career advice would you give your younger self?

LCM: Well, I wish I could have had your Ambitious Grads guide! But I would also tell myself not to be afraid of new opportunities. You never know where they’ll lead you. If you go to law school wanting to be a securities lawyer, that’s great, but don’t let it limit you from exploring other fields. Be okay with the idea that your aspirations may change over time. I’m not suggesting you say “yes” to absolutely every opportunity, but do be open to new things. That’s advice I still follow today.

Microsoft is among Jopwell's partner companies.