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Marisela Cerda, who has worked at Microsoft for nearly 25 years, received a voluntary buyout offer at age 47. The offer has prompted her to reassess her career timeline and what she wants to contribute in the years ahead, including how she plans to spend the next phase of her work life.
Cerda, 47, is a principal customer experience manager at Microsoft and a former co-lead of the Women at Microsoft employee resource group. She joined the company in 2001 and, because of her age and tenure, received an offer that would take effect in July. She said she had not been thinking about retirement until the buyout shifted the timeline into her late 40s.
In her account, the offer made her more aware of age in the context of the job market and career progression. She described the moment as bringing a sense of urgency, including questions about what retirement and future opportunities could look like at older ages.
Cerda said she knew she would reach her 25-year mark at Microsoft in July, a milestone marked by a wall of crystal plaques. She expected that after the anniversary, she would face the question of what comes next.
She said the money offered did not clarify her next steps, but it accelerated her need to decide how she wants to spend the next 15 years of her career and to focus on where she can make a difference in her community.
Cerda said that as people move into later stages of their careers, they often have the most experience and knowledge. She described feeling more able to focus on what matters and said that despite changes in the industry, including the rise of AI, she now feels less lost than she expected.
She also said the transition has increased her clarity about her personal journey and what she wants to leave behind for her family.
Cerda said she remained at Microsoft for as long as she did because Satya Nadella became CEO in 2014 and changed the company’s culture. She described the culture as emphasizing a growth mindset, valuing customer input, learning from mistakes, and promoting inclusion.
She said the decision is not only about compensation, but also about missing opportunities to learn from the next wave of technologies while working at a company that invests billions of dollars in new technology.
Cerda said she thinks about the transition as more than a paycheck, including what kind of technological world she is leaving for her children. She also said her background shaped her motivation to stay and contribute, noting that she is Hispanic and grew up in Northern California at a time when few Latinos entered tech.
She said she wanted other people to see that they could pursue careers in technology.
A Microsoft spokesperson told Business Insider that the buyout offer is voluntary. The program uses a formula based on age and years of service to cover longtime employees and those considering retirement. The spokesperson said it includes added benefits, such as access to Microsoft health insurance for five years.
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