Applying to Microsoft: Your Academic Background Doesn’t Really Matter

For the past month, my team and I have been busy planning and executing Microsoft Canada Aspire #CoastToCoast, which is a series of informational events for students and new grads. We ended up hosting 1.6K+ students from 25 universities across Canada, and had 70+ employees volunteer for the networking breakout sessions!

I was surprised to see so many students ask about whether they could still apply to Microsoft if they had a Non-Software Engineering background. The answer is YES!

Hiring managers at Microsoft seem to care much more about your relevant skillsets, growth mindset, and tangible experiences. I have seen students and new grads from Arts, Science, or Mechanical Engineering backgrounds take on a plethora of roles at Microsoft (both technical and non-technical). At the end of the day, your academic background does not define your chances of success here… your mindset does.

In the past year, I’ve met with 200+ employees across Microsoft and learned about their career paths and experiences. So many of these people came from non-traditional backgrounds:

• Sciences
• Engineering
• Education
• Business
• Arts
• Psychology
• Law/Poli Sci

If you’re someone who is second-guessing your academic background—please don’t! There are many opportunities for you to demonstrate your willingness to learn what it takes to succeed in a role at Microsoft:

• Take a LinkedIn Learning course
• Earn a Microsoft Certification with Microsoft Learning paths
• Attend Microsoft Virtual Training Days (and earn certifications)
• Take tutorials for project based learning on Github
• Network with Microsoft employees and managers
• Join Microsoft events and experiences

Here is to seeing more diversified talent at Microsoft!