Microsoft

"Be more vocal about what you want and if the tasks you are given align with your career goals. If you are not happy with the team, MOVE to another team before your morale gets beat down and it starts hurting your reviews. It is now getting easier to change teams and there is no requirement to stay for any amount of time. I have seen that people don't always start with the right team, but now you have the power to move to another team."

"Like many others, I worked early on as contingent staff for a number of years before joining as an FTE. The group I finally joined was fun, innovative, took risks and had a lot of integrity. We weren't doing brain surgery but everyone worked very hard as a team. I knew at the outset being a woman was a problem as I was hired at $10K less than a male counterpart with equal experience -- actually less in the area we were hired. But I liked my boss (salary was his bosses mandate) and I decided to take the job. I never ever cried except once at work about 4 months before I resigned and it was at 10pm at night and I was alone in my office. Over the years I created a suit of armor to deal with the increasingly hostile environment. I find now after leaving that after many months I am crying all of the time. I had just turned off my emotions to deal with all of the stress, abuse and intolerance. Recently MS has laid off pretty much everyone in IT over 40 and all of the women they could possibly get rid of. They do this under the guise of RIFF which is crap. They are cleaning house to get rid of the old people. I can find many of my friends jobs now on the job boards everywhere. And the executives continue to sit in front of Congress and the Senate talking about how there aren't enough qualified people and how they need more H1Bs. Don't make me laugh. The many good years I had I remember with joy but the company now isn't a very nice place. Suffice it to say the comment Nadella made at the women's conference wasn't him misspeaking."

"Be Open"

"..."

"Be confident in yourself, and others will be confident about you. Be a decision maker, people are hungry for direction. Be kind, smart and nice aren't mutually exclusive. Don't get hung up on levels and promotions, instead do good work, elevate others and success will come. Or at least you'll be happy. And be clear about what you want from your career. Don't assume management will guess at your aspirations."