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How to Land a Job at Microsoft

mashable.com

11–20 of 22 posts

Re: How to Land a Job at Microsoft

#11
This is decent basic advice for generic advice on landing a job at any number of tech companies.

His advice on how to answer questions, however, fell short. Just saying "I don't know" to questions is a sure-fire way to terminate the interview loop early. Interviewers at Microsoft aren't primarily looking for knowledge, but rather problem-solving skills and the ability to think about issues. If you don't know something, it's fine to explain that you don't know, but you had better follow up with a discussion on what you think and why you think it.

Re: How to Land a Job at Microsoft

#12
post #8

Why is this specifically about Microsoft? It seems applying to facebook|google|apple is about the same, and they're seen as more desirable to most people I know.

The article reads like Microsoft paid them to write it.

Or, it might have been written for any generic tech company, and then "Microsoft" was tagged on for SEO purposes...

Re: How to Land a Job at Microsoft

#13
post #12
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article reads like Microsoft paid them to write it.

Or, it might have been written for any generic tech company, and then "Microsoft" was tagged on for SEO purposes...

It has quotes from Microsoft employees.

Re: How to Land a Job at Microsoft

#14
post #9
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not claiming that Microsoft is the best company to work for. But - the "I'm to good to work at company X" attitude will not lead you far. Especially if you say that on Microsoft which still has some of the world greatest minds.

I'm to good to work at company X That's not what I was implying. Any article titled "How to land a job at X" should probably go into a bit of detail about why X is a desirable place to work, learn, and grow as a developer. The article doesn't explain at all why Microsoft would be such a such a place, instead jumping straight to the conclusion about how to get a job there.

When you said "why I would ever want to work for Microsoft".

I certainly didn't see it as a criticism towards the article but towards Microsoft as a company to work for.

Re: How to Land a Job at Microsoft

#15
post #7
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not claiming that Microsoft is the best company to work for. But - the "I'm to good to work at company X" attitude will not lead you far. Especially if you say that on Microsoft which still has some of the world greatest minds.

The windows and office company still has the worlds greatest minds? There's no working web office, they threw their mobile efforts away. They disbanded their browser team. What makes you think they're smart?

Some of the guys who work on .NET in particular are the best in the world at what they do; but it's so highly specialized that there are very few other places they could work where they would simultaneously have their code used so much in practice, and where they would be able to focus as narrowly.

And the Linux world in particular could do with someone like Raymond Chen (IMO).

Re: How to Land a Job at Microsoft

#16
post #7
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not claiming that Microsoft is the best company to work for. But - the "I'm to good to work at company X" attitude will not lead you far. Especially if you say that on Microsoft which still has some of the world greatest minds.

The windows and office company still has the worlds greatest minds? There's no working web office, they threw their mobile efforts away. They disbanded their browser team. What makes you think they're smart?

Occams razor and statistical reasoning. The likelihood that the population contains a (normal) distribution with a not smart mean while also containing enough technical sophistication to create the products they do seems low.

no business skill Implies no intelligence is false

since

Intelligence => Business Skill is false. Business Skill is not necessary for intelligence.

Re: How to Land a Job at Microsoft

#17
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm to good to work at company X That's not what I was implying. Any article titled "How to land a job at X" should probably go into a bit of detail about why X is a desirable place to work, learn, and grow as a developer. The article doesn't explain at all why Microsoft would be such a such a place, instead jumping straight to the conclusion about how to get a job there.

When you said "why I would ever want to work for Microsoft". I certainly didn't see it as a criticism towards the article but towards Microsoft as a company to work for.

Oh, I have criticisms for Microsoft, but not because I think I'm too good to work there. I would need to read a lot of very good reasons to make me want to work on one of Microsoft's many dying product lines and how to cope with their smug corporate attitude, etc...

Re: How to Land a Job at Microsoft

#18
post #2

I'd prefer to first read an article about why I would ever want to work for Microsoft in the first place.

Much has been written and disseminated about their culture, benefits and compensation practices. They are one of the largest software companies in the world with a publicly recognized name. Their product offerings span just about everything you would want to do with a computer. They have (historically) been a very stable source of employment, with a good compensation and benefit package, along with a full career path for developers (a rarity in most companies it seems).

Unfortunately, their business practices have also left some developers with a bad taste in their mouth (whether through their previously predatory nature, or their current lack of a cohesive approach to the web). Given that Microsoft is a well-known entity in the developer world (and frankly the larger US-culture), I will assume that you fall into on of those categories, in which case Microsoft will need much more than perks and salary (of which they apparently have many - I am not affiliated nor have I ever been affiliated with them) to sway you.

On the other hand, there are plenty of folks out there who may not have the same negative experiences with MS and, based on everything I said above, would consider the company an excellent place to work.

Re: How to Land a Job at Microsoft

#19
post #16
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The windows and office company still has the worlds greatest minds? There's no working web office, they threw their mobile efforts away. They disbanded their browser team. What makes you think they're smart?

Occams razor and statistical reasoning. The likelihood that the population contains a (normal) distribution with a not smart mean while also containing enough technical sophistication to create the products they do seems low. no business skill Implies no intelligence is false since Intelligence => Business Skill is false. Business Skill is not necessary for intelligence.

Microsoft's last major revenue making product was ms office.

People want to work for successful companies, Microsoft, despite residual income from previous successes, is no longer successful. Not successful at mobile, not succesful at search, not successful for web development. Occam's razor, people don't want to work for Microsoft.

Re: How to Land a Job at Microsoft

#20
post #19
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Occams razor and statistical reasoning. The likelihood that the population contains a (normal) distribution with a not smart mean while also containing enough technical sophistication to create the products they do seems low. no business skill Implies no intelligence is false since Intelligence => Business Skill is false. Business Skill is not necessary for intelligence.

Microsoft's last major revenue making product was ms office. People want to work for successful companies, Microsoft, despite residual income from previous successes, is no longer successful. Not successful at mobile, not succesful at search, not successful for web development. Occam's razor, people don't want to work for Microsoft.

Not really true at all. All of their Server and Tools Division grew to a multi-billion dollar business long after MS Office attained dominance. SharePoint, a $1 billion+ product is just one example.
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