Microsoft director took a voluntary exit offer in July. Now, he is a construction worker, plumber. What prompted a career change?

After spending 25 years building a career at Microsoft, Shawn Mrzena has traded corporate strategy meetings for construction sites, plumbing work and outdoor adventures. The former director from Redmond, Washington, took a voluntary exit offer in July and has since explored jobs far removed from his technology career. From raising beams to designing outdoor gear and guiding fly fishing trips, his new routine looks dramatically different. In a LinkedIn post, Mrzena shared how stepping away from corporate life has helped him rediscover hands-on work and feel more present.

From Microsoft director to construction worker and plumber

Mrzena marked 90 days outside the corporate world by sharing photographs of his new experiences on LinkedIn. He described taking on roles as a construction worker raising beams, a product designer creating outdoor gear and a fabrication technician working with paint, plastic and metal.

His new pursuits have also included working as a fly fishing guide in mountain waters and a plumber fixing fittings beneath a trailer. “From Corporate Director to… Well, Everything Else,” he wrote, describing how the past three months have been the opposite of his previous working life. “These photos tell the story better than I can,” Mrzena said, reflecting on a period spent “building things, fixing things, catching things” and rediscovering the satisfaction of working with his hands.

What did he do at Microsoft for 25 years?

Mrzena held several roles during his long career at Microsoft. He began as an Enterprise Account Executive before moving into regional sales management and enterprise cloud solutions. He later became Global Sales Leader and Strategy Manager for Microsoft 365 Data Privacy and Compliance. His subsequent positions included Director of Global Security and Compliance Sales Programs and Business Strategy and Sales Program Leader/Director for AI Business Solutions.

Despite the senior corporate roles, Mrzena said his experiences after leaving the company had taught him a great deal. “Corporate life taught me a lot. These last 90 days taught me even more,” he wrote.

6 months of family adventures after leaving Microsoft

Mrzena was among employees eligible for Microsoft's first-ever voluntary retirement programme, announced in April. He took the voluntary exit offer in July. In June, just a couple of weeks before his last day, July 2, he announced his retirement from the tech giant. He thanked his customers and colleagues in the company and wrote, "It’s been an absolute joy to learn from you, build with you, solve problems together," he wrote.

He also outlined his plans for the months following his exit, calling them “six months of pure vibes”. These would include family adventures, building projects, spending time on rivers and oceans, and taking naps with his two French bulldogs.

Mrzena said he would decide on his next move in 2027, leaving open possibilities such as part-time work, learning a new trade, pursuing a different career or starting his own business.

What is Microsoft's voluntary exit offer (VEO)?

Microsoft's Voluntary Exit Offer (VEO) is a time-limited programme for eligible employees in the United States, India, Canada and the United Kingdom. In a message published on Microsoft's official blog, Amy Coleman, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, described it as an opportunity for employees to leave the company with financial support and career planning resources.

As per reports by CNBC, employees must decide on the offer in December, with those who accept scheduled to leave Microsoft on December 31. It follows Microsoft's July announcement of plans to lay off approximately 4,800 workers, primarily in its Xbox and commercial sales teams.

The voluntary exit programme comes as Microsoft increases spending on data centres and AI computing capacity, including cloud infrastructure used by OpenAI, Anthropic and other companies.