Cooper
What is the best way to get into Microsoft software development team?
Hi my name is cooper I am in sixth grade and my dream job is Microsoft software development team and I have a few questions. What degree is the best to get into Microsoft because I know a lot of people apply, and what do I need to do to start getting ready, I have all ready been programming with java and html, if you would answer my question that would mean a lot. #software #microsoft
7 answers
Robert Horvick
Robert’s Answer
Working at Microsoft is a challenging thing - but it can be a lot of fun. I worked there for about 10 years on several different teams.
If you live in the Puget Sound area then you should start by looking at their high school program: https://careers.microsoft.com/students/highschool While you are a little young now, it is never too early to explore what you want to do. If you aren't in the Puget Sound area then you can still find opportunities to learn things. The key is to just start doing things. Build something with a Raspberry Pi. Write some software to help manage your hobby (when I was your age I wrote software to manage my baseball card collection). Find something you are interested in and create something around it. Keep it fun and make sure it is something you love.
While there are many ways into Microsoft - it sounds like you want to work there right after college. So my first bit of advice is to make sure you go to a college that Microsoft recruits at. Microsoft does not go to every college in the country (or world). When I worked there we actively recruited at maybe 75 or 100 schools. Here's some information on schools that have the most placement at the 7 big software companies: http://www.wired.com/2014/05/alumni-network-2/
If your goal is to get a job at Microsoft right out of school then you can increase your chances by going to a school that they recruit at.
These schools are tough to get into. You're going to need to have more than just good grades. Volunteer. Participate in sports and activities. If you are in boy scouts then get your Eagle (really! I always liked seeing Eagle Scout on a resume). Get a job. Demonstrate that you are not afraid of hard work and that you follow-through with your commitments. Be the best "you" that you can be.
And don't be afraid to brag about it. Start a blog as you are learning. Write about the software you are writing and the problem you are trying to solve. When you need help use Stack Overflow (or Twitter, or whatever!) to ask people for help. It will take time to learn how to ask questions that get responses - but that is a very valuable skill to develop. You don't need to blog every day and it doesn't matter if anyone is reading it or not. Over time you will have a bunch of stuff you've written that will demonstrate your long-term passion for this - and that will be valuable.
Next you need to pick a field of study. Computer Science or Electrical Engineering are the obvious choices. Some schools might have other things like Computer Engineering or Software Engineering - but it's all basically the same stuff. The point is that you need to be a in a degree that will align with what you want to do. If you want to be a software engineer then you had been learn about that, right?
Then it comes down to getting noticed. In your junior year you should have an internship. Try and get one at Microsoft. Microsoft interns who do well often get job offers. You could also get one at somewhere like Apple, Google or Amazon - those companies would be a good "proxy" for Microsoft. By that I mean that if I saw a Google internship on your resume then I would view that just about as positively as a Microsoft one. The only reason the MS one might be better is because I could learn more about how awesome you did.
Remember that blog you created? I hope you've been keeping it going because when applying for an internship, it could be a great way to show who you are and what you are capable of. Sometimes the hardest part of hiring an intern is that everyone is an "unknown quantity". Are they able to work on projects that last more than a day or two? Can they function on a team? Are they remotely capable of doing the work we need? A blog can show them all that and more. But you can't create it a month before interviewing. If it is years old that will make people say "Wow!"
You should keep doing internships until your graduate. I know a guy who did 5. Five! I only did one - but it lasted two years.
Graduating from college, in computer science, without an internship is a mistake. Don't make that mistake.
And if you don't get hired after college ... don't worry about it. Microsoft hires experienced people all the time. It just wasn't the right moment. If after a few years of working you still want to work at Microsoft that option will be available.
Good luck, Cooper!
Thank you so much that means a lot thank you took your time for me thank you.
Cooper
Anoop Shukla
Anoop’s Answer
First of all I would like to say that you are going in right direction and keep the good work.
If you would like to make sure that your dream come true, so try to make carrier plan first. Like what is your area of interest like software development, analytics etc. Then try to implement in your real life.
One more important thing, please try to enroll yourself in a college you can help you to get internship and try to learn from that.
All the best for your future. :)
Greg Robinson
Greg’s Answer
Cloud is where everything is going now, specifically AWS and Azure. Learn about these platforms and services, what they offer, the advantages, etc.
Gautam Madaan
Gautam’s Answer
It's wonderful to see that you are already planning your career and have started working towards it. All the answers here are super relevant and I'll just add my perspective as well.
1. Explore Microsoft: Take your time to explore different products and services that Microsoft offers. You can do that by visiting their website, talking to teachers and your parents/guardians, and trying out their products. It'll help you get a sense of what Microsoft does and what areas you would want to explore.
2. List what interests you: Once you are done exploring, you can create a list of products and services (like xbox, azure, windows, Microsoft office, Microsoft teams etc.) that you found interesting and start by learning more about each of them. One of the best ways to learn about it is to create small projects and taking classes. For example: If you are interested in learning how games run on xbox, you can start by looking up courses that teach the basics of hardware, how input and output devices(controllers and screen) work, how graphics work etc.
3. Keep learning: Since you do have a good amount of time before you would want to start working full-time at Microsoft, I would recommend you keep learning continuously by creating mini projects. It'll help you understand better and also help you land a job at Microsoft (and others) by showcasing your interest, knowledge, and skills.
Sometimes it is hard to understand what knowledge will be relevant in the future but from my experience nothing can replace the curiosity to learn. So, if you find something interesting make sure you follow it and not worry a lot about how it is going to help you, it just might in the future.
Mark Tschetter
Mark’s Answer
But you want to get into Microsoft, so what you're really asking is how to get into the best companies and the companies that are pickiest in their hiring.
First, it's a given you'll want to go to a school with a good reputation for computer science, and you'll need to do very well at your classes. Find a school that offers internship and take advantage. Having real world experience when you graduate will help you very much in finding a job. If you can't get an internship work in a lab at the school, or build a web site or application on your own. Companies want to see that you had initiative to do something besides your classes.
Practice interviewing. Get as many interviews as you can so you get comfortable with it and get used to the experience.
Microsoft is known for hiring smart people that are good problem solvers. Study puzzles and brain teasers. It's almost guaranteed you'll get some difficult puzzle to solve or challenging "story problem" in an interview at a company like Microsoft or Google. Learning how to solve these types of puzzles is a skill in itself.
Companies like it if you make an effort to know them. Become an expert in Microsoft as a company. Follow them in the news. Understand the challenges they are facing in the marketplace, understand what markets they are in. Read books their leaders write. Learn what you can about the company's org structure (who are the people in key positions, what are their backgrounds, where do they have offices at, how many people at each office, etc).
Roy Prabuddha
Roy’s Answer
When considering a degree, computer science or information technology with an emphasis on programming could be a good start. Moreover, there's a wealth of certifications available, such as those offered by Microsoft, AWS, or Google. These can not only enhance your learning but also keep you abreast of the latest developments in the tech world. Keep pushing forward, the sky's the limit!
Faten Abi Rizk
Faten’s Answer
The future is heading towards the cloud. I strongly advise to go for cloud related solutions. Alongside developments skills, you would need methodology, standard of coding, testing, delivery. You should get familiar with Agile (Scrum / Kanban), Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery (aka CI/CD), Automated testing ...
First focus on understanding the basics, the why and the how. Then you can start by doing small projects (i.e. calculator). Later on, you will develop large scale projects.