Success Stories Feature

Ask 10 different people what their dream job is and you’ll get 10 different answers. For Michael Anthony, it’s summed up in one word: Microsoft.

Anthony  graduated in 2010 with dual bachelor’s degrees—one in Computer Science and the other in Game Design and Development—from RIT’s Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. He interviewed with Microsoft in fall 2009.

“I was offered the job the day I got back,” he says, and has been working for Microsoft as a software development engineer with Xbox Marketplace, working with multiple business partners such as EA Publishers,  since graduation.

“Because I work at Xbox, people assume I’m playing games all day, which is not the case,” he says. “The Xbox project is huge with so many different aspects to it. There are other RIT alumni who work on various teams at Xbox, which is really nice, because we all have a common experience.”

Anthony and his family lived in Illinois until his freshman year of high school when they moved to Robins, Iowa. He now lives in Bellevue, Wash., near Seattle.

“The Pacific Northwest is so green, with beautiful mountains and scenery,” Anthony says. “People really think ‘green’ as well. I really enjoy the culture. The transformation from school to the real world can be tricky. When I moved to Washington, it was the first time I had my own apartment. My family lives in the center of the country, so we’re about as far away now as when I was at RIT.”

Anthony recently returned to the RIT campus to conduct resume reviews and mock interviews as well as participate in a panel discussion about internships for Microsoft. He shared some of his advice for students.

“I told them they must have a passion for what they do,” he says. “It’s really important to love what you’re doing, and keep it as fun as possible. Work for a company you like, and above all, know your stuff!

“Working at Microsoft is my dream job – beyond my dream job! It brings together both my computer science and game design and development degrees. There’s a casual atmosphere at work; it’s very laid back, but we get a lot accomplished.”

This story appeared in the Spring/Summer 2011 issue of FOCUS Magazine.