English Ph.D.s Spawn Alternative Career Pathways and Success at Microsoft For Four UW Alumni

By Cheryll Sorensen Root

English Ph.D.s at Microsoft

Market forces, personal interests, and the unique skills that come with a University of Washington Ph.D. in English have led four women to successful technical careers at Microsoft.  All four credit their doctoral studies for the high-level skills they bring to their roles, ranging far beyond writing to encompass leadership that helps co-workers learn, solves analytic problems, and spawns ideas that directly support Microsoft’s mission.

Working at Microsoft was not the first career choice of Dr. Suzanne Sowinska, 1992 graduate of the UW English doctoral degree program.  Post-graduation, she pictured herself in a traditional tenure-track academic position, but a combination of personal circumstances and market glut altered her career trajectory.  However, in her position at Microsoft she found excitement and intellectual challenge.  She says she was “inspired and seduced” by technology and the company that “forever changed the way that people understand and receive narrative.”  As senior manager, she leads a team benefitting 1,700 Microsoft content publishers.  Content publishing is the professional engineering discipline that includes technical, print, media, and web-based communications and publications.

Dr. Barbara McGuire received her Ph.D. from UW in 1996, graduating magna cum laude.  Though she had competitive credentials, she was unwilling to move her family for “just any job,” and looked for work outside education.  Prompted by a friend and “on a lark,” she sent her résumé to Microsoft.  Despite little computer expertise, she had two interviews with Microsoft and was offered a job on the spot.  She now works as senior content project manager of Engineering Excellence where she has “come full circle” returning to the classroom and teaching content publishing standards and best practices.  McGuire says her classroom has similarities as well as differences from traditional teaching.  Similarities include the importance of developing great curricula, engaging students, and accommodating different learning styles; differences include greater variety in instructional delivery, such as e-learning, videos, Webcasts, podcasts, and teleconferencing.  Also, she notes, “I rarely assign homework.”

Dr. Laura Brenner, user assistance manager, received her Ph.D. in English literature in 1994.  As a graduate student she did freelance technical writing work for Microsoft.  For the last 13 years, she has worked as a writer and manager helping create several of the larger Microsoft websites.  In her position she uses technical writing to connect with users so that they can use the software proficiently.

Dr. Gail Kluepfel started her graduate studies in the 90s in business, but decided to pursue an English Ph.D. because she wanted to enable students to see more meaning around them and to teach writing at a level that helps students succeed.  She graduated in 2002 with a Ph.D. in language studies.  Prior to her career with Microsoft she had over 12 years of academic teaching and administration experience. Now, as a program manager, she is responsible for training Microsoft’s sales and marketing professionals.  Kluepfel says she enjoys working with a company that “encourages innovation” and that “actively promotes and encourages philanthropy and giving.”

All four women stated that their alternate career paths have been rewarding in a variety of ways, and cite their transferable skills and tools a graduate education had given them.  Besides the obvious—the ability to write well—graduate education helps students problem-solve and think analytically, manage projects, communicate, teach and understand how others learn, and to give birth to an idea from scratch and bring it to fruition.

As for career advice to students pursing a doctoral degree in liberal arts, Kluepfel suggested pursuing internships or volunteering to stay in touch with the business world.  Sowinska says  Microsoft employs many liberal arts majors; in fact, the first person she worked with in the company was a modern dance major.  Brenner stated that successful applicants should be aware of what they have to offer, plus “the ability to write, read, communicate with lots of people, educate people, and demonstrate that they have the ability to learn.”