Get Back Up: From The Streets To The Microsoft Suites, is the career autobiography of George Santino, co-written by MJ Beaufrand, and spanning Santino’s decades-long career journey from his difficult childhood through making partner at Microsoft. Santino documents his ups and downs in careful detail, including how he talked his way into his first tech job with no resume, how he countered four rejections from Microsoft before getting hired , and how he labored up the ranks from tester to partner at Microsoft over 20 years.

While there are a lot of important career insights in the book, here are five of my favorites:

Get back up

The title is very appropriate for the story, since Santino overcame multiple setbacks on his journey – difficult childhood, debilitating back surgeries and chronic pain, several business failures, and surviving multiple reorganizations and internal transfers within Microsoft. Throughout the difficulties, Santino maintains his work ethic and focus on what he can do to proactively improve the situation.

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