Microsoft is a huge company with offices almost everywhere on the planet. Accordingly, their requirements are huge. That translates to “many” openings and a chance for you to work for Microsoft – that is if you apply and get selected. This is what we will talk about in this post – how to get a job at Microsoft or rather, how to increase your chances to work for Microsoft.
How To Get a Job at Microsoft
When we talk about plenty of openings, we mean there are
plenty – but scattered across the globe. Also, the interview process at
Microsoft is said to be among the toughest ones. Applying at random won’t work
unless you are pretty lucky. The post goes on to explain how to apply etc.
while at the same time offering you tips on how to get lucky!
Hiring At Microsoft – Get Started
The best place to start your job hunt to land up with
Microsoft is its Microsoft Careers website. The website, in addition to
providing details about jobs, also provides you with additional information
such as how people work at Microsoft, about the business and similar stuff.
You can head directly to the tab – Apply Now –
and search for the job type you are looking for. I personally feel that
this is the last step you should take when on the website. First of all,
take some time out to read about business at Microsoft. When at the careers website of
Microsoft, go to the second tab/link saying Meet Microsoft. The
first link under this tab is an abstract view of perks at Microsoft. This is
not much important if you are already a fan of Microsoft and have it clear in
your mind that you wish to work for Microsoft.
The second and third tabs – namely Our Business and Our
Office Locations – are a must-read. The page at Our Business at
Microsoft Careers website tells you about the diversity of operations you can
find at Microsoft. Being an outsider, most of us know that Microsoft is simply
a software company. Our Business page shows how and what all processes and
sub-processes happen at Microsoft. An understanding of what processes exist
will help you decide where to head when locating a job using Apply Now tab
on that website. For example, the table below is a screenshot of that page and
shows you just some of the many processes at Microsoft. You can check them out
and decide if you wish to get into research, wish to be a coder or involve
yourself with marketing at Microsoft.
Check The Office Locations
Going through the Our Office Locations will
help you get an idea of where you can work. Of course, it may not be possible
that your dream job will definitely be available at your choice of location.
You will have to make compromises. You will want to reconsider your decision
based on locations if you wish to work for Microsoft. While considering
locations, you might even want to calculate the expenses of visiting your
family back at home frequently. Among other factors, you also should check how
hard or easy it would be to adapt to the culture of different locations –
especially, the location you want.
The Our Business and Our Business Locations give
you plenty of information to create a list of three or four roles and locations
as well. Hence I recommend it reading before moving to Apply Now.
Searching For Jobs in Microsoft
Once you are clear with roles and locations available for
you, move to Find Your Fit tab. This tab has two links:
Profession and Technologies. The Profession link lets you
explore vacancies based on what type of role you want to play in your career
with Microsoft. The Technologies link helps you find a job based on all
technologies you wish to work on. The screenshot below shows what all
technologies are available currently at Microsoft. You can click on technology
towards the left and get details on the right.
Similarly, when you click on Roles, you get a list of roles
such as – Administration, Customer Support, Finance, Marketing, etc. Clicking
on a role will outline the major responsibilities that you will have to handle
that role.
Getting Ready To Apply For Job At Microsoft
Using Find Your Fit gives you an idea of
how to write your resume and cover letter. For both tabs on the page, note down
the keywords and key phrases related to the type of job you are looking for at
Microsoft.
Use those keywords in your resume and cover letter so that
your application is easily available when Microsoft Hiring Staff searches the
database using those keywords – like “working in administration in the
capacity of assistant manager…..Learned JAVA, C++“.
In the above example in quotes, the words in italics work as
keywords. Use them liberally but do not repeat them unnecessarily. Just keep in
mind that they are required only for your resume to show up when one of the
hiring staff searches with a phrase like “assistant manager for C++ team at
Hyderabad“.
Before creating the resume, I also recommend you visit the
LinkedIn profiles of some people working at Microsoft in similar roles. You can
use LinkedIn search to find such profiles. They too will provide you with an
idea of 1) keywords and 2) presentation of data. Also, make sure you have
a good LinkedIn profile.
Your resume need not be your bio-data. Make sure you include
all your previous experiences with technology and creativity, awards you won,
projects you were involved in and your interests. Make good use of whitespace
to avoid resumes looking congested.
If you are about to graduate from a B-School or any of the
MBA programs out there Microsoft seems to have a perfect program called Microsoft
Academy of College Hires to bring you on board.
TIP: Create different resumes for different
roles/technologies. That will highlight your experience with the role or
technology you are interested in while also giving your resume a better chance
to show up in applicant database searches.
After Homework – Aim and Shoot
Before you search for jobs, you will have to upload your
resume. You can also use the CV builder to create your resume. It is up to you
– depending upon what all information you have to present to the hiring staff.
For beginners, I would recommend using CV builder. You can later change the
resume by logging into the Microsoft Careers Website.
All the above done carefully, now is the time to apply for
jobs. Click on Apply Now and use the Advanced Search option to narrow down your
search to what you want. It would look something like the screenshot I took for
you. Save the search so that you can simply click the name of the search and
run it instead of going through selecting all the options again.
TIP: The more you research how the company
works, the better will be your chances to get hired. Preparing for the
interview, you should be expecting questions that you won’t know the answer to.
You need to tell the truth rather than beating around the question. You will
also get to ask questions. To show that you are keen, ask questions related to
the role and responsibilities instead of just perks, etc.
If you are looking for a job with Microsoft, then check out
the Microsoft Careers website. The website lets you search for job openings
country-wise and also has a special section for students & graduates. Here
are some more useful links:
- Microsoft
Jobs Blog – Get the inside scoop on Microsoft’s recruiting process
straight from recruiters.
- Microsoft
Careers on Facebook – Be a fan, stay in touch
- MicroSpotting.com
– Follow Ariel as she creeps around Microsoft, finding people who are
passionate about what they do. It’s like the paparazzi, but for geeks!
- ViewMyWorld.com
– Peek into what it’s like to work at Microsoft.
- YouAtMicrosoft.com
– Listen to employees who speak honestly and openly about diversity at
Microsoft.
The above is just for information purposes and does not guarantee a job with Microsoft. It intends to guide you through the application process so that your chances of getting hired increase.
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