My Name Is Jasper

Icon

Don't try to be an icon,

Con the I inside of you.

That picture you've been painting,

Doesn't look a thing like you.

I'll agree that it's a nice try,

But when your paint is dry,

We're all just little icons

Super you and super I.

Icon – Daan Stuyven (44)

Not including my family, Joeri was the first person to visit me in Canada. He and I have been friends since university and later also at Microsoft. He had to spend a week in Washington DC for work, but booked an additional flight to Toronto's little island airport. During a stop at one of the many sunny patios we frequented those handful of days, filled with Blue Jays, craft beer and other shenanigans, Joeri states: "Well, I guess we've come full circle. After all, without me you wouldn't be here."

Fair enough: a relatively new employee to Microsoft back in January 2008, Joeri referred me to the human resources department. Three months later they had successfully recruited me from University, well before I would take my last exams. When I signed the contract, the HR Director didn't seem the least bit worried. Surely this young man would have no issue passing all his exams by his scheduled first day on the job. After all, she herself was a Solvay alumna. Let's just say it was a good thing she was unaware of some disastrous midterm results. In the end all was fine. I graduated in June 2008, a few months before the devastating bank crisis came crashing down over Europe and the United States. I was lucky. The kids graduating 12 months after me were not.

Yes, Joeri got me into Microsoft, and yes, Microsoft got me to Canada. But, when he said that, I couldn't help but think of a Hilary Clinton joke.

The joke goes as follows: Bill and Hilary are driving through Arkansas. They're running on empty and stop at the closest gas station. Hilary realises the owner is an old sweetheart from high school. After filling their tank, Bill says: "Honey can you imagine? If you would have stayed with that guy, you would have lived in a gas station now." To which Hilary replies: "No Bill, he would have been the President of the United States."

I have always been grateful for the help Joeri was able to give me. He was able to help two more people from the Solvay Business School Class of 2008. They only hired five people in total that year. However, back in that day – and I'll admit I still feel this way – I was confident, call it arrogant even, I would have little trouble landing an exciting job to start an even more exciting career. Turned out, some parts did not go exactly as planned.

The first interview with an HR manager went extremely well. It was a simple and straightforward interview about experiences, passions and visions. Worlds apart from the recruitment process I went through around that time with other companies. Banks, Big 4 consulting, engineering companies. They made us take mathematical and language tests and do role-playing games. Very long days, but in the end they had been rewarding: by the time of my first interview at Microsoft, I had gathered a nice collection of job offers.

The second interview, this time with the HR Director, went very well too. Well, at least I think so. The only thing I remember from the interview was the vest the absolutely passionate and charming lady was wearing. Was she trying to distract me as some sort of test? The piece of clothing could only be described, by any fashion standard, as bizarre. At the end, she told me I was a fit for two open positions they had. My next – and final – interview would be with the directors of the divisions I would potentially join.