After a bus and Luas ride, we went a little out of the city to our last site visit at Microsoft. And what a great visit to wrap up the trip. I think most of us saw how all the concepts we have been learning and seen over the past couple of days came together in a final tour. We saw glimpses of technology, innovation, pivoting, collaborative corporate culture, and business roles within the company. After exploring the building, with its unique architecture and features (it is actually designed to look like an island, including “neighborhoods” for different teams), we had the opportunity to sit down with recent interns and part of the sales team, who hinted at the future for Microsoft and how they are able to market their product in a way that differentiates from competitors. I thought that the business has a strong culture and great opportunity for networking that really benefits them in their productivity rates. The videos they showed us were also very inspiring about the potential for technology and innovation to improve the lives of users, such as a new reliance on Artificial Intelligence, specifically due to the rise in “digital transformation.” I didn’t realize how much I actually use Microsoft products, yet understand now how effective they are at implementing their tech. The lunch we had in their cafeteria was also a nice perk to the trip. I think the best advice I gained from our visit was that it doesn’t really matter what degree you have, but how you are able to use it in alignment with soft skills to be useful to a company. This idea relieves a lot of stress about picking a perfect major and instead relies on the fact that skills will be more beneficial to a firm in the long run.

The afternoon was spent giving our final presentations in our teams pitching our ideas with an Irish and global perspective now. I think the information I learned in just the past two weeks has been so valuable and was really reflected in the quality of our presentation. We gained a deeper understanding of how important company culture and collaboration is to an organization, especially in gaining networks that can be used and relied on. In fact, I learned today that our visit to AirBNB was actually established based on a conversation started in the local pizza shop. I think the idea of forming relationships is key to really becoming successful in business, and I hope to take this piece of Irish culture back to the States with me.

Even though I found the time building up to the presentations to be stressful, I really became appreciative of the process. Researching and preparing for the final project taught me so much in terms of organization, megatrends, culture, and other factors I would not have known otherwise when relating to today’s society of business. Also, submitting my first college paper felt very rewarding. And we were able to celebrate our submission even more with our group farewell dinner at Camden’s Kitchen. I enjoyed delicious duck and mustard potatoes that made for a perfect last meal in Ireland. While bittersweet, I know I will be keeping in touch with my fellow Woodcocks and can’t wait to share my experiences further with those back home, while utilizing my newfound knowledge in the field.