Zack Vinton, Senior Compensation Analyst for Microsoft
How did you get started in your career?
"I started in grad school volunteering at Mid-State
Automotive and designed a compensation plan for the warehouse workers (it was an
auto parts warehouse in Nashville). It was really a pretty good plan, but
was probably never implemented. Later, before I graduated, I worked with
Burris and Associates in Murfreesboro. B&A was a boutique compensation
consulting firm. I basically did some comp survey analysis and survey
management. I got my first 'official job' as a compensation analyst with AGL Resources in Atlanta, GA. AGL is a holding company for Atlanta Gas
Light, a natural gas distribution company. I worked there for about a year
and a half before landing my present job with Microsoft. Currently, I am a
Senior Compensation Analyst."
What have you found most helpful from your grad school
experience for the "working world"?
"While the whole program prepared me, I would call out
three
aspects: the statistics classes (intermediate and advanced), Research
Methods/Testing, and the use of actual company data with projects and classes. The stats classes helped me to look at numbers with a critical eye. When
information is presented to me, I can look at it critically and help make
determinations on whether I think decisions can be made from it (sample sizing,
sampling method, etc.). Research Methods and Testing class helped me to
think about and plan work in an organized manner. While I'm not setting up
research in my job, I do a lot of project management and lead cross functional
project committees; these classes again help me think clearly about what I have
to do and help me produce quality outcomes. Finally, using actual data
from companies and interacting with external entities on projects is great for
giving a taste of the real world. More likely than not, your analyses
aren't going to come out perfect, and there will ambiguities and non-data related
issues that effect the decisions that are ultimately made, and the sooner one
can get exposed the these realities, the better."
In what areas (in I/O and outside of I/O) would you
recommend that I/O grads prepare themselves well to work for an organization?
"Take statistics (I know that it's required, but I can't
emphasize it enough), love statistics. Companies are highly (or should be)
data driven, and to be able to critically review numbers and make solid
decisions using it is imperative. Also, just the discipline resulting from
having to take the class helps to use logic when reviewing work that isn't even
numeric in nature. (I'm a big fan of stats.) As far as outside of
I/O, I found Persuasion to be helpful as well. Pretty much anywhere you
work you'll probably find yourself trying to persuade, or be persuaded; having
knowledge about methods of persuasion can help you to be successful in
presenting your own views and also help you to 'filter' others' presentations
and stay objective in your decision making."
What strategy would you recommend in searching for that
first job?
"Be as flexible as possible about where you are looking for
work. I had to move 3,000 miles from Atlanta to Seattle to find my current
job that I love. The more flexible you can be on location, the greater
chance you will find the job that best fits you. (See, it's that whole
Stats/Selection thing—increase your selection pool and you have a better
chance of finding that ideal candidate.) But if you don't have the
flexibility of a nationwide search when looking for a job, no matter where you
are looking, I would say not to underestimate the importance of evaluating the
company that might work for. I took my first job because it was in the
area (compensation) that I wanted to work. While the job was what I wanted,
the culture and direction that the company was going and opportunity for growth
was not a good match for me. Where you work and how you feel about that
place is more important than you might thing starting out."
What should graduating I/O students expect regarding
base salary?
"Well, being a compensation person, I of course have to say
that it depends on the what you end up doing and where you are working
geographically. A job in Nashville is going to pay a lot less than the
same job in Silicon Valley. But I know that's not the answer you are
looking for, so I would say $35,000 to $45,000 in base pay in this market (in
the Nashville area). Of course, this can vary. I made $40,000 coming out of
grad school in 1999 and thought that was a "high end" offer at that time."
What's your next step in your career?
"Well, I see myself staying with Microsoft for a while. I
really enjoy working at the company, and there are a number of opportunities for
me here in and outside of my current specialty. While management is a
possibility, I will probably elect to continue to work as an individual
contributor for now. There are specific career paths here that allow
employees to continue to grow, both in terms of work/responsibility and income
without having to become a manager. So in the short term, I'm looking to
become an internal Compensation Consultant. But in five years, who
knows?"
Do you have a funny story to tell about your work?
"I don't know how funny it is, but here goes: When the X-Box
first came out (Microsoft's home gaming system, like PlayStation2, only better),
the CEO of X-box was demoing it at an all-hands HR meeting (with about 400
people attending). He asked for a person to come up and demo the football
game, so naturally, I volunteered. I was playing this game on a screen that
was about 30 by 50 feet so everyone could see. On the first play of the
game, the computer scored a touchdown on me. The CEO was laughing at me
(good-naturedly) and 'demoing' the game's instant replay abilities by showing
the touchdown and my guy falling down in slow motion. But, he gave me a
chance to redeem myself. And then, after the kick-off, I threw a bomb and
scored a touchdown on my first play and tied the game. The CEO and room
went crazy cheering. It was pretty cool (and I saved a little face). So everybody in HR here now recognizes me as the "X-box guy".