Updated August 2025
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Did you know that Microsoft gets 1M+ job applications every month?
Getting a job at Microsoft seems to be a popular topic in my conversations with dozens of students, friends, and peers. Today, I am sharing how I would personally approach job hunting if I wanted to work at Microsoft one day.
Here is my crazy and incredible journey to Microsoft in case you’re curious ❤️ 💚 💙 💛
⚠️ Disclaimer: These are my personal tips, thoughts, and resources based on hundreds of conversations with employees and executives at the company. This is not a formal guide that is endorsed by Microsoft in any way so please refer to careers.microsoft.com for official details and information.
Research the company 🔍
- Visit the Microsoft website and check out our products, reports (e.g. work trend index), blogs, etc… to determine which areas of the business you are interested in.
- Read Microsoft News and stories to learn more about the company’s impact. Get inspired because Microsoft is a really cool company!
- Check out the social media channels (pssst…check out my feature on the @MicrosoftLife Instagram).
- Do additional research via third-party sites like Glassdoor or Blind to hear candid feedback from others.
Browse the Microsoft Careers site or channels 👀
- Visit careers.microsoft.com to see what job postings are available (note: sometimes the job descriptions don’t truly reflect the actual jobs, so make sure to network and learn more about the day-to-day responsibilities).
- Review the details, tips, and guidance available. There is lots of content out there from current and former employees. All of my Microsoft-related content is here.
- Learn about different programs (I was part of Aspire) and upcoming recruiting events.
Update your job hunting assets ✅
- Follow my Resume Rescue tips and/or get help and feedback from me (or get someone else to review it).
- Update your LinkedIn profile with a good headshot, bio, skills, and experiences. Ask for endorsements or recommendations from past peers and colleagues.
- Don’t make these LinkedIn mistakes.
- Work on your digital branding and online presence.
- Create a career walking deck to stand out in coffee chats and interviews (this is a VERY popular asset at Microsoft). I’ve share templates, examples, and resources here for you to get started.
Network, network, network 🤝
- Follow these LinkedIn networking tips and get good at virtual networking.
- Join ~6K people who follow my Now Hiring LinkedIn page to see job postings shared directly by hiring managers, recruiters, or other team members. This is the PERFECT opportunity to network!
- Reach out to the people who are sharing job alert posts and don’t be afraid to ask for coffee chats (keep following up because people are busy and may not reply the first time).
- If you can’t get a meeting, then ask people to answer 3-5 questions via chat or email. Make sure your questions are thoughtful and not easily answered via Google.
- Ask who else they would recommend you meet to learn more (and if they’d be willing to do an e-introduction).
- Ask for a referral only if it seems appropriate and nurture your network over time.
- Read about cool people who made career transitions into big tech despite coming from non-traditional tech backgrounds like teaching, finance, fashion, or the military. Follow the tips they share!
Engage with the Microsoft ecosystem 💡
- Register to attend events like Microsoft Inspire, Microsoft Build, or Microsoft Ignite to hear senior executives talk about what is top of mind for the company and what is coming up in the future. Find ways to network!
- Upskill with a Microsoft certification (my free study guides are here) and learn more about our products and solutions. This can also help you stand out or get ahead since some roles (e.g. sales or customer success) require you to get certified anyways.
- Join a partner company that works with Microsoft customers, products, and solutions. This gives you exposure and opportunities to build rapport with Microsoft stakeholders and get referred into the company if you do great work.
Find inspiration to keep you going 💭
- Rejection can be tough, but learn to embrace “failure” with a growth mindset. I share some of my biggest failures here.
- Read these Monday Morning Motivational Minutes from Amit Panchal, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft. Check out other cool Microsoft employee creators on LinkedIn!
- Learn cool tips and tricks about using Microsoft products like Outlook or OneNote from Principal Group Product Manager Mike Tholfsen who has 1M+ followers on TikTok.
Every journey is unique ✨
Now you have 25 tips that you can try out when you are interested in working at Microsoft. You could even apply these tactics to other companies that you want to work at.
Take your time and be thoughtful about every action you take… preparation is your best friend! Hopefully, you will find many other resources on this blog and my quick tips helpful. If not, I am always open to feedback and ideas so feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. Best of luck!!
Luck favours the prepared.
richard hamming
👋🏼 Hi, I’m Karen! Thanks for checking out my blog!
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