My name is Alexandra Rector. I have been in Software Testing at Microsoft for 14 years. Hard to believe it's been that long, but I LOVE IT!!

My advice for young women looking at their future and wondering what they want to do or be is to follow your passion. I never expected to be where I am today, but I followed my passion and ended up in a great place.

When I was 17, I went off to Wellesley College (a women's college) with all intentions of being a math major. I was good at math in high school, so figured that I might as well do that. In my second semester of college, I took my first computer science class ever, and discovered my passion! Not only was I good at it, but I love problem solving and every assignment was like one big puzzle to solve.

After graduating, I started work at Microsoft as a Software Test Engineer, and am now Director of Testing in Office. The most important qualities we look for when evaluating a potential employee is their problem solving capabilities, as well as their passion for computers and software.

Best of luck to you in the future!!