Just as we suspected, career is a hot topic for many of you! Yesterday we held a live chat event on our Facebook page featuring Kevin Otten, a Microsoft University Recruiter. From landing a job or internship at Microsoft to top skills for tech industry professional, we covered it all. See below for some of the top questions and answers from our one hour session.
Jobs & Internships at Microsoft
How can I get a job at Microsoft? How can I get an internship at Microsoft? In terms of the steps to take, you can apply online at Microsoft.com/university. You can also go through your school's career center, if it has one. You can also build out a network by trying to find former classmates, colleagues, etc. who may work at Microsoft. Also, you can follow the Microsoft Jobs Blog: http://microsoftjobsblog.com/.
What kind of skills and traits does Microsoft look for in a candidate?How do I prepare for a job at Microsoft? What should I be doing now (while still in school) to best prepare for a career at Microsoft?
- The best thing to do is make sure you have an up to date resume, and practice your interviewing skills prior to interviewing with us. For example, practice with a friend or an advisor, or the career center for your school (if it has one).
- In terms of what skills Microsoft is looking for, we really value problem-solving. The ability to wrap your mind around a problem and carefully think through the optimal solution... whether it is a design problem, a coding problem, etc. We also value someone who always keeps the end user or customer in mind in how they go about solving a problem.
- For example, we value someone who has taken difficult classes and performed well in school, but also someone who has taken initiative to work on projects outside of their classes as well - such as building apps for fun or participating in hackathons or coding competitions.
- Seek out the advice of a trusted teacher or advisor who you have worked with. Ask them for ideas about what kinds of experiences you could pursue at school or in extracurricular activities to help develop your skills. Don't underestimate the power and value of effort and hard work!
- In terms of what kind of skills to develop, or what kinds of experiences we value, try to become involved in computer science or computer engineering student clubs or organizations on campus. These groups often are well connected to some of the latest news in the technology world, and also will often have projects or things you can do to help further develop your skills. This is helpful regardless of what your background is or where you are looking for a job.
The best thing you can do is practice your ability to code and solve computer science problems. - There are also some books you can check out that are a good guide to help students prepare for the kinds of questions that Microsoft asks. Here is a list of a few:
- Programming Interviews Exposed by John Mongan, Noah Suojanen, and Eric Giguere
- Puzzles for Programmers and Pros by Dennis Sasha
- Cracking the Coding Interview by Gayle Laakmann.
- There is also another book that I would highly recommend called “How We Test Software At Microsoft.” Our approach to testing is rather unique and this is a very helpful book for anyone interested in learning more and developing this skill. The kinds of problems discussed in these books are common to many different types of coding and programming interviews.
- It is important to clearly clarify any potential problem you may be trying to solve - whether in an interview or for a class or for a project, and be able to think through how you would code the answer. Also - know how to test your code, and definitely test it if you are in an interview to make sure that it works. Also, look for optimizations. The first answer to a problem or the most obvious coding solution may not be the optimal one. We definitely appreciate when candidates have testing abilities and skills, as these are not always emphasized in every computer science or computer engineering curriculum. Being able to test software is a very valuable skill!
What do interns at Microsoft work on? Our interns work on real world problems alongside our full time engineering employees. As an example, they work on some of the very same features that our other employees work on - coding the solutions to the problems we are trying to solve for the software that we make as a company. Interns contribute to the actual products we ship to customers throughout the world. For example, this summer we will have some interns working on Windows 8. Last summer we had some interns working on Windows Phone apps. We have interns working on virtually every product we offer, from Windows, to Office, to Windows Phone, to OneNote, to Xbox.
Can I get a 2-3 week internship? I am not sure about doing an internship that short. Most of our internships last several weeks longer than just the 2-3 weeks you are asking about. If you were to interview for an internship, that is something you could discuss with your interviewers.
Does my current residence location impact my ability to get a job at Microsoft? Regardless of where you live or what school you are coming from, you definitely do have a chance in our interview process. The important thing is to have a significant amount of coding experience with difficult technical problems - for example, challenging projects you may have in a class or from an extracurricular activity. Also, being involved in, or being a leader of, computer science or engineering organizations definitely makes a person stand out.
What sort of role does a technical writer have at Microsoft? Our technical writers perform a variety of roles - for examples, in some cases they are helping to translate technical jargon into everyday language that users can understand. There are definitely many different kinds of technical writing positions you could pursue.
What opportunities exist for students pursuing IT degrees? We do often get questions about folks are pursuing IT versus computer science or computer engineering. We definitely do have IT roles and look for similar skills - problem solving, coding ability, testing ability, and someone who can really think about the end user and what that user might need or want in a product or technology solution. You might want to check out any IT-related student groups or clubs at your school.
Resume & Technical Skills
How do I improve my resume? A couple things that anyone can do to help improve their resume, regardless of where you live or what school you go to are included below:
- Include when you are expecting to graduate on your resume - different schools have different program lengths. You may be eligible for different kinds of internships or jobs depending on when you graduate.
- List the coding languages are you familiar with, and highlight experiences you have using those languages or programs even if it is not part of a class or required project.
- Follow news and information about Imagine Cup - and participate if you can. The event happens every year and it is an amazing opportunity for students to showcase their talents and ideas http://bit.ly/L3fjO4.
What is more important, creativity in different technologies (i.e. doing different projects) or studying and getting good marks? We really value a mixture of both.
How important are grades?
- Candidates need to definitely have good grades and show a strong technical aptitude, but also be able to be creative and think outside the box.
- A few different questions were posed about grades and how important they are. The tricky part is that different schools in different companies use different grading systems. The important thing is showing that when given a goal to achieve, you work very hard to achieve it and can excel above and beyond your peers.
- For example, if your school uses a ranking system for students based on their grades or GPA, and you have a high ranking, mentioning that in an interview on your resume can really help you stand out.
What are examples of things a student can do to stand out from the crowd? How can I get noticed?
- There isn't one easy answer, but ultimately we really need people who can solve problems quickly and accurately without making assumptions.
- The best thing you can do is to try to gain experiences where you are using and advancing those skills you have already learned in class. For example, applying them to projects in difficult classes you are taking, or for fun projects that you can initiate on your own - like building an app for example.
What languages are crucial at Microsoft? At Microsoft we use many different languages, but the most common ones are the C languages: C, C++, C#, etc. However, you do not have to be an expert in these languages to obtain a job here. The most important skill to have coming in as a student is your ability to problem-solve. In many interviews you would be allowed to code the answer to a question in whatever language you would prefer.
I submitted my resume but never heard back. Why? We do receive literally hundreds of thousands of applications from students around the world. Unfortunately, due to that high volume, we aren't able to respond to every candidate if they are not offered the chance to interview. However, we do review every resume and every application that is submitted.
Is participation in the MSP program beneficial during the recruitment process? We definitely value students who have experience as a Microsoft Student Partner (MSP). If you have an MSP on your campus, you should definitely connect with that person and learn more about the program. What is required of an MSP varies by country and by school, but you can find more information here: http://bit.ly/JmA71Z.
Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the chat. Was the chat helpful? Would you be interested in attending another career-focused chat session in the future? Leave us a comment.