I have completed my B. Tech from Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology and I had a science stream in my 10+2 of schooling. At Microsoft, I am working on many of their existing applications and enjoying the kind of life I had thought of after college. I am an explorer and love to do a bunch of activities apart from my personal and professional life. Sometimes I write and I love to share my knowledge through teaching on YouTube.
What was your strategy to crack a job at Microsoft? Can you tell us more about their selection process for such positions?
I was very clear about putting my best work on my CV and was well prepared to talk about my projects and all the experience I had, and that is why I would suggest everyone must do the same. When you go to interviews at big tech companies like Microsoft, you have to be ready with everything. The selection process is like all other tech companies, which go through CV filtration - Technical round - Managerial round - HR round. You will be asked questions starting from DSA questions to questions about yourself, your logical reasoning capabilities, the things you have done as part of your professional experience, etc.
What are the roles and responsibilities at Microsoft for someone in the domain of software engineering?
The software engineering domain is very vast. It incorporates many roles that a software engineer can perform like software consulting, product development, software improvement of Microsoft products, product managers, customer product development, etc. I am working on different software from Microsoft like PowerPoint, Excel, MS Teams, and many more. Roles at Microsoft keep changing with the kind of project you have been offered and to improve your skills.
What are your thoughts on how internships can help someone get such jobs at Microsoft?
Internships do help you get jobs at companies like Microsoft as these companies are very focused on your technical and soft skills, both of which can be judged from the kind of internships you did. As when you join as an intern, you work with a team on a particular project which gives hands-on experience of the real-life ecosystem of working fully in such roles. During your Internships, your growth to potentially become a full-time employee takes place and a mindset is created that definitely helps to understand what you can improve to secure a good job or PPO.
What kind of skills are required to crack jobs at companies like Microsoft?
According to me, technical skills, or particularly DSA for the computer science domain is an important factor but it is not the only thing that companies look into. They look into your many other different skill sets which have to align to fit in their work culture. General logical skills and communication skills are very important because you will work with teams and for that there should not be any communication blockage.
How has your overall experience been with Microsoft?
Life at Microsoft is no less than a lifetime experience and all things people mention about Microsoft online are real. The work culture is totally fascinating and the perks and benefits offered are something that makes it better for many. Everyone is great as colleagues, teams, and in particular, managers help us a lot and keep us motivated and engaged in a friendly way.
How did internships help you in your career?
I have done only one internship in my last year of college which helped me navigate my thought process to get the job at Microsoft and added great value to my CV. But I have done a lot of freelancing work during my college days and worked on a number of my personal projects which gave me a holistic experience of working as an intern at various companies. I learn project management, time management, working with various teams, customer service, etc with my personal projects and freelancing works. I am sure your internships will give me a similar taste to these. Hence my internship, freelancing, and personal project added up together and helped me ready to be an employee at Microsoft. Everyone deserves a payout if he or she is putting up effort and time for your company. A mutual understanding must be attained between the intern and the hiring company for such inclusions.
You are a vlogger and you actively post about the Microsoft employee lifestyle, what is your inspiration behind it?
I am interested in video making and have been recently creating mini vlogs for my Instagram audience as a hobby. I enjoy the process and it gives me an opportunity to learn video making and present a side of my creativity. I observe the techniques from films, vlogs, and documentaries and try to represent them with my creativity. I take it as an opportunity to explore myself apart from my personal and professional life. It's kind of my second favourite activity after coding which I enjoy a lot.
Please suggest the learnings of your journey to Microsoft which might help someone who is looking to crack the job at Microsoft?
For those who are looking for either internships or jobs at Microsoft, my suggestion to them is to work on diversifying their skills which must include a good command of DSA, logical building skills, communication style, and personal projects. Your personal project helps on good topics and gives an advantage while you are in interviews. Companies like Microsoft look at your attitude to deal with multiple acumens at a single time so that you are ready for their cultural fit for which one great example is your curious approach to problems and learnings.