Many people pursue careers at Microsoft because of their benefits and the reputation of the company. The competition means applying for jobs can be intimidating, whether you’re just graduating or making a career switch.
Passion and an impressive background are not always enough to get the role you want. But you may be able to get the job you’re looking for if you know what the company is looking for and stick to those values.
This guide can help you market yourself as a desirable new hire at Microsoft.
Microsoft employs people in many roles, including software engineers, product managers, designers, programmers, and more.
The company has implemented work from home flexibility for most employees and flexible working hours to meet the needs of their employees.
If you’re a student or recent graduate, Microsoft also offers: technical internshipsincluding UX design, supply chain, IT operations, finance, sales, and many types of engineering. These internships are hard to earn, but can provide future career opportunities.
You can submit vacancies on the Microsoft website, LinkedIn, or many various job boards. Applying directly on the Microsoft website will not increase your chances of being hired. Choose the site that works best for you.
Referrals are a great way to get your resume noticed at Microsoft, although you can still be hired without one. If you don’t know current Microsoft employees, you can use LinkedIn as a networking tool and connect with recruiters.
Microsoft recruiters can attend recruitment events for students and recent graduates. Please contact your school’s Career Services Center for the next recruitment event.
Microsoft is looking for people who match their core values, have technical knowledge and can think.
Self-awareness and determination prove to Microsoft that you can work well in teams and persevere when you encounter technical problems.
For coding roles, Microsoft is looking for individuals with the best technical skills such as: Microsoft Azuresoftware engineering, SQL, Pythonand Microsoft C#.
Soft Skills Microsoft Wants
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Microsoft Core Values
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It depends on the role.
For example, the program manager position is considered entry-level and requires only one year of experience. Software or hardware engineer positions require three to five years.
How to meet Microsoft’s expectations when applying for a technical position?
A lot large technology companies use a similar process to screen a candidate’s educational background, LinkedIn profile, resume, and portfolio.
It is important to make a good impression, so prepare well before submitting your application.
Education background
Entry Level Microsoft Careers may not need a degree† The company encourages anyone who believes they are a good fit to apply and instead focuses on the soft skills and willingness to learn of applicants.
a . fill coding boot camp shows the determination hiring managers want for positions that require coding skills.
TO SEE: Will tech employers hire coding bootcamp graduates?
LinkedIn profile
Microsoft bought LinkedIn in 2016 for $26 billion and uses it as a key component in recruiting new employees.
Update your profile with a new photo and use your LinkedIn summary to sell yourself to recruiters.
Refresh your profile regularly and match keywords to vacancies you are interested in. Use language recruiters and recruiting software search for.
Resume
Keep in mind that your resume will likely be scanned by an applicant tracking system. This software filters applications by searching them for keywords.
Make it easy for the software to read by using both long and acronyms of keywords, using traditional fonts, and avoiding tables and columns.
Tailor your resume to the specific position you are applying for. Use keywords from the job description and list only your relevant work experience. A resume software engineer must be completely different from a sales or marketing resume.
Stick to a standard resume template with a reverse chronological format to make your resume more appealing to the software — and the people conducting the second screening.
Online portfolio (if applicable)
All coding professionals should have a portfolio and update it regularly to demonstrate their coding skills. You can your . to house coding portfolio on a website like GitHub or your website.
Your portfolio should reflect both your greatest strengths and the skills usually required for the positions you are pursuing.
Make sure your profile includes your coding projects, contact details, and a short biography.
Microsoft’s Interview Stages
As of June 2022, Microsoft’s interview process is: completely virtual† If you need to apply for disability-related accommodation during the process, please complete: this shape†
Phone screener
Tech companies usually start the process with a phone screening. This one interview by phone confirms your qualifications and your alignment with Microsoft’s corporate values. It usually takes about 15 minutes.
The interviewer asks: behavioral interview questions and quickly checks your technical knowledge.
Be willing to talk about yourself and sound enthusiastic when asked why you want to work at Microsoft. This interview checks that you’ve done your homework about the company and researched it properly.
Extensive final talks
During the subsequent interviews, you can virtually meet the employees and managers of the team for which you are applying. You will likely go through several rounds of interviews on various topics related to your desired position.
These technical interviews assess soft skills such as problem solving and position-specific hard skills such as designing, coding and testing. They take place through Microsoft Teams and other third-party software.
The problem solving part takes 45 minutes. Interviewers look at how you navigate through problems and how you think.
Depending on your role, you can also complete tasks and answer questions in the following categories:
- Design: Candidates are expected to understand how to design a new platform from scratch.
- Coding: You demonstrate your skills in the programming language you are most familiar with. Make sure to practice as much as possible before the interview. Microsoft describes this section as “a crucial part of the interview†
- Testing: you test your own code and code written by the other team members.
For more information on technical interviews, see Preparation Tips from Microsoft†
How to Prepare for Microsoft Interview Questions
Microsoft’s interview questions aren’t easy to answer, so make sure you practice as much as you can. After reading our application tipsconduct mock interviews with a friend to polish your reactions and body language.
Use the STAR method when answering questions. Reply with the specific ssituation, tto ask, aaction, and rresult of the situation you describe.
Practice answering basic behavioral interview questions and explore unique questions Microsoft may ask. Interviewees report questions they’ve encountered on sites like Glassdoor and Exponent.
Unique questions for Microsoft to ask
- Why do you want to work at Microsoft?
- How would you work with a teammate of yours who is blind?
- Microsoft is an innovative company and is looking for innovative employees. What’s the best idea you’ve had in the past year?
- Briefly explain how you would secure a Windows computer.
Behavioral Questions Microsoft May Ask
- Describe a time when a project failed.
- What would you do if you disagreed with your manager?
- What is one of the most complex projects you have been involved in?
- How do you maintain and update your skills?