I Had 12 Jobs Over 22 Years at Microsoft. Here’s What it Taught Me About Finding My Ideal Job
Brieanne Yuchasz spent 22 years at Microsoft, holding 12 different roles before leaving in 2023 to launch her own career coaching business. Reflecting on her time at the tech giant, she says the biggest lesson she learned is that “change is constant. If you can learn to embrace it, then you can thrive.”
Yuchasz’s career path at Microsoft included positions in product launches, operations, advertising, community management, and ultimately chief of staff. Along the way, she navigated promotions, layoffs, panic attacks, and reorganizations, each shift teaching her to align work with her values, purpose, and vision. “Every move taught me a lesson on career management, which I now pass on to my clients,” she explained.
Starting fresh out of college in the early 2000s, she worked on product launches such as Age of Mythology and later managed customer experience for what became the Microsoft Store. Though she rose to management, she often returned to individual contributor roles to focus on strengths like collaboration, planning, and change management.
When layoffs hit in 2018, Yuchasz attempted to launch her coaching business but decided she wasn’t ready. She returned to Microsoft the following year as a senior business program manager and later became chief of staff in 2022, reaching what she called a “career peak.” Still, she found herself asking, “What’s next?” and realized her long-term calling was coaching.
In May 2023, she resigned to focus full time on her consultancy, ViewPoint Coaching & Consulting. While she admits she may one day return to Microsoft, she says her years there gave her the foundation to build a small business. “Overall, my experience was incredible. Every step prepared me for what I’m doing now.”