Hints & tips

Below you will find an outline of our candidate selection process as well as some hints and tips on recruitment in Microsoft. Quotations included are from our own interns and graduates that have been through the process and want to share their tips with you:

CV/Application Form
Ensure that you include all details and fill in all sections so that we have all the information we need. Please be sure to fill in as many fields as process as the data is critical for our recruitment process.

Student Evaluation Screens
You may not have been asked to fill out a questionnaire such as this in the past. The questions are designed to let us know more than what is on your CV so think about your examples carefully. We also want to know what kind of projects you want to work on so be honest!

Coding Tests
If you are applying for one of our Technical Programmes you will be asked to write code as part of this year’s evaluation process as that is a key competency for our technical positions. Be sure to read the question carefully, write the best code you can, test it, implement the most elegant solution you can. More code does not necessarily mean “good code”. Also, it will be timed so plan your approach in advance so you don’t leave key steps out of your process.

Assessment Centres
An Assessment Centre involves coming onsite with other candidates and taking part in a number of exercises throughout the day. It will give you the opportunity to see what Microsoft is like and to meet some of the managers. The exercises will rate you against core competencies that we feel are important for any Microsoft employee. The exercises may include a case study, group exercise, presentation and technical exercise.

“Don’t try and play a role, be yourself. This helped me throughout the assessment because I gained confidence throughout the day. If you are just yourself and put your best foot forward, that is all anyone wants from you. This allowed me to focus on my strengths and gave me the opportunity to “shine my own light” Ciara, MACH.

Interviews
Interviews at Microsoft give you the opportunity to find out more about our company, including the various groups and the specific roles on offer. It also gives us the opportunity to get to know more about you. Use this time to ask any questions you have and make sure that you have all the information you need about the roles on offer, our programmes etc. For technical interviews we’ll ask you technical questions which you should answer using a whiteboard. Don’t let this put you off. It’s a way of illustrating your answers and your thinking behind them.

“Never assume you have failed an interview, even if you haven’t solved all of the problems or feel dissatisfied with your answers. Always do your best until the very end; don’t ever give up; and always leave a good impression. If you don’t know something, just say it. Don’t worry; nobody knows everything. It’s more about how you’re willing to learn new things. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, an interview is not just a one-way street. You do most of the talking, but the interviewer is there to answer your questions as well.” Agata, Graduate

Nerves
All of us are nervous when we attend any assessment centre/interview. Our interviewers will try and put you at ease. We are not here to catch you out; we simply want to find out more information about you. Try and remember this to ease the nerves so that we can get a true picture of who you are.

“Don’t be afraid if you’re not from Ireland or an English-speaking country. Your English doesn’t have to be perfect as long as you can communicate. There are teams in Microsoft that are very multicultural, which gives everyone invaluable experience. The more nationalities and cultures we have here, the better.” Agata, Graduate.

“Try and get rid of nerves before heading into the interview. Easier said than done, though! You won’t fail an interview for being nervous, but if you are you may not be able to show them the ‘true you’.” Chris, Intern.

Examples
Competency-based recruitment is about showing us that you posses certain skills that we deem important for our roles. It involves your experiences and how you deal with certain situations. Think of examples in advance to make it easier for you to discuss, even if you’re nervous. Examples can come from your college experience, but also from work experience, hobbies, and interests. They could include: Working on a project, Working within a Team or Dealing with difficult situations.

“For my interview, preparing real-world examples was the best help. You know you are always going to get questions on “Can you tell me a time you worked in a team/ had conflict/ had to work under pressure, etc”. I did work experience in my college course and my advice would be to give business examples of your experience to answer these questions, rather than constantly having to refer to college work alone.” Diarmuid, Graduate.

Time & Location
Ensure that you are on time and give yourself plenty of time to get here. Plan your journey in advance so that you know where you are going. If you arrive early, you will give yourself an opportunity to relax, take in your surroundings and prepare yourself.

“Make sure you are on time. Leave half an hour earlier, allow for traffic and other problems that can be out of your control. “ Shaun, Intern.

Preparation
There is loads of information online about Microsoft. Prepare in advance so that you find out information about the company and what we do here in Ireland. Have examples of your own experiences fresh in your mind and brush up on your general technical skills.

“Read up about what’s going on in the market with Microsoft and their competitors and then form your own opinion. It shows the interviewer that you have thought about how it would affect you if you were the person involved”. Finbar, Graduate.

“My advice would be: Don’t just have good things prepared to say about Microsoft and its products. You could be asked for objective criticisms, too.” Daniel, Intern.

Remember, if you have gotten this far, we just want to find out more information about you and give you more information about us. So relax, and we’ll take care of the rest.