Have you ever wanted to ask a corporate executive exactly how they got their start? Wondered if they had any regrets? Or wanted advice on planning your career? This week, in partnership with the Microsoft Asia Citizenship team, 51 youth from five cities across Southeast Asia, specifically Hanoi, Ho Chi Min City, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore, got the chance to do just that.
In the global launch of YouthSpark dialogue sessions called ‘Ask Me Anything’, two Microsoft executives, Rich Sauer, Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Legal & Corporate Affairs, and Jessica Tan, Managing Director, Microsoft Singapore, were connected via video call to young people across the region to talk about their personal career journeys and to offer advice on education, being a manager, working in the IT industry, maintaining personal integrity, how to be successful and balancing work and family.
The audience was aged between 18 and 30 and are involved with various YouthSpark programmes such as Innovate for Good, YouthSpark grants, Imagine Cup, Microsoft Student Partners or hackathons. Singapore youth participated live at the Microsoft Technology Centre and Jessica stayed for an hour past the scheduled end of the event sharing her experiences.
Jessica’s advice included: “Recognise those who have helped you become successful.” And, “You have the power of choice when it comes to work-life balance.” She concluded by saying, “To succeed, remember these three things: the impact and influence you make, collaborate with colleagues and be confident in your ideas.”
Rich declared from the start, “Live a life of no regrets,” and explained that he has always kept himself open to new opportunities and takes them when he sees a chance to try something new that will enhance himself personally and professionally. He concluded by saying that, “There is no compromise when it comes to establishing your reputation based on trust and integrity.”
Thank you to everyone who participated in this first dialogue session!
Anak Sabang Merauke, a youth movement from Aceh, Riau, East Java, Bali, West Kalimantan, Sabah, North Maluku and Papua, Indonesia, visited the Microsoft Indonesia offices in Jakarta during their Technology Day event on July 9. Attendees were mostly young teenagers with a passion to improve their villages with Microsoft technology.
The training was a great eye opener for the students as well as their mentors, young professionals who volunteered to assist the young people. The BG and CSI team showcased Windows 8, Office 365 and Skype.
As part of the event, the participants created a video of their real life experience in the office.
Himal Shrestha is the type of youth one expects at software competitions. The 17-year-old student wants to master the ins and outs of Microsoft Excel®, is excited about getting certification for his MS Office® skills and dreams of becoming a data scientist.
While his counterparts at the 2013 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Championship are mostly from developed countries, Himal is from one of the world’s least developed economies, Nepal. Despite vast economic improvements in the last seven years, Nepal remains one of the poorest countries in the world, and where the mainstay of the economy is agriculture — that’s why Himal became known as the boy who “brings tech glory” to Nepal, after his win on 6 August.
With a perfect score of 1000/1000 at the Nepal national championship, Himal secured a trip sponsored by the Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) Nepal to compete in Washington, DC, where he bagged a gold in the Microsoft Excel® 2010 category, and walked awaywith a US$5,000 scholarship.
Conscious about the difficulties he had to traverse, and the wider significance of his win, Himal noted, “It was a great honour representing Nepal in the competition, especially since this is the first time my country is participating in this worldwide championship. I hope this win will help inspire more students in Nepal to dream big and do really great in future events.”
Since 2002, the MOS Championship has been providing students with the platform to showcase their mastery of Microsoft Office products. More than 344,000 candidates from 90 countries participated in this year’s competition.
“Nepal does not have a Silicon Valley – yet. It is among the least developed countries in the world, and three-fourths of the people rely on agriculture for a livelihood. Yet, Himal managed to perform brilliantly and put Nepal on the map at the MOS Championship,” said Allen Tuladhar, Country Director of MIC Nepal. “We are proud of Himal’s efforts, and we hope Nepali students like him will become the rule rather than the exception.”
“This [win] will set an example to my country, to the world. Nepal can do better and send more participants in the future, and do really great!” Himal concluded.
Watch an interview with Himal after his gold medal win.