How to get and ACE your next

Technical Interview

. . . And Make the Most out of your

Summer Internship

M I C R O S O F T S O F T W A R E R O A D M A P

What We’re Hiring For

microsoft.com/collegeSoftware Developer Engineer: hardcore codingSoftware Developer Engineer in Test: you build it to break itProgram Manager: Design new featuresTAM/AC: problem solve and plan for MS IT customersSE/PFE: work on and offsite with customers providing either proactive or reactive support

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Resume TipsStand out from your peers

Lots of students have similar resumes, same classes, same class projects, make yours unique

No experience? Fill it up with other great stuff

Build an application or game just for fun, create iphone and zune apps, participate in contests like ImagineCup and TopCoder

Three areas Microsoft recruiters assess resumes on:

Academic RecordRelevant Project/Work ExperienceLeadership skills

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Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a short statement which will tell a concise and clear story about you in a very short space of timeChoose 2 or 3 key things that you believe are your key selling pointsMake sure your pitch is relevant What do you want them to remember?How could you describe your unique potential value to the companyWhat is the goal of your pitchAsk for the desired outcome

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Before the InterviewResearch

  Do your homework about the company, read their website

Do your homework about the position…at the very least by the night before.

Check out blogs, facebook groups, wikipedia, ask friends, former interns, alums, professors and your career center

Have well-thought out questions for each interviewer…write them down. Asking questions shows you’re passionate/interested in the position

PracticeUtilize your career center. Go through mock interviews & have them review your resume.

Be able to talk about your past projects…this is key. Be clear and talk about what you did, not what the team did.

Practice answering standard questions but don’t have too much of a ‘canned’ response. Practice answering out loud

Use interviews to your advantage... In the end, even if you don’t get the job, it’s a great learning experience for the next one!

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During the InterviewFour Main Things

We’re looking for:Smart and DrivenPassionProblem Solving SkillsTechnical Skills

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Smart & DrivenWe don’t want one without the

other

How do you show you’re smart?

Ability to apply your knowledge to make things betterAbility to comprehend complex ideasCan learn quickly

Ways to show driveGo above and beyond, ask for more workBe a self starter, work hardDo projects outside of the classroom

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Passion

Passion for the Specific Company

Have a great answer for, “Why do you want to work for Microsoft?”

Passion for the position“Why do you want to be a software developer?”

Passion for the general concept

“Why do you want to work in the field of technology?”“Why did you choose CS/CE/EE as your major?”

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Problem Solving Skills

This is one of the most important areas, but it’s also the toughest area to give tips on

Sometimes they seem like trick questions but they’re notClarify the problem, Ask questionsTake your time to think about itAnalyze/approach it from different angles, show creativityThink out loud…if you get stuck, we’ll know and can give hintsDon’t give up

Sample question:Tell me about the most difficult problem that you had to solve in the last year

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Technical SkillsPractice implementing code

Teach yourself new languages

Really know C and C++…very impressive

The words of one of our top hiring managers:

What I noticed that separated the better candidates was that they:

1. Diagrammed the problem2. Asked tons of questions before writing a line of code3. Considered the consequences of every line4. ***Checked their work*** without being prompted <-- this was the big one5. Proved that their code was correct by trying a few different inputs6. Knew how to self-test their code (OK, 4, 5, and 6 are all the same thing, sort of, but so few people did it that it really stands out)

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Practice QuestionsTell me about the project you’re the most proud of

Give me an example of when you had to show good leadership skills.  How did the situation turn out?

Describe a situation where you disagreed with a decision your group made.  What happened, and what did you do?

Describe a situation where you were not able to meet a deadline. 

What have you done to improve your knowledge in the past year?

Is there anything I’ve missed? (Tell them about a big accomplishment)http://interview.heygenius.com/

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1. Write the question on the board. Verify assumptions and ask questions

2. Write a few samples inputs and what you would expect the outputs to be

3. Pseudo-code4. Code!

Coding Questions: Four Steps

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Testing Question

1. Clarify the question/need?2. Clarify assumptions3. Prioritize test cases 4. Understand the customer5. Be creative, and don’t stop6. Say what you are thinking7. Example- Mock Interview with testers

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Design Question

1. Clarify the problem you are trying to solve, this involves understanding your audience

2. Identify the goals3. Run through some scenarios4. Gather the requirements5. State the detailed design6. Evaluate whether your detailed design

fulfilled the requirements to enable scenarios that meet your goals to solve the problem (phew!)

Example- Mock Interview with PM

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Top 10 reasons you won’t get the job:

You didn’t prepare You don’t get sleep You show up late (duh!) You give the ever dreaded one word answers You lack details (give them the how) You lie You give up You don’t ask questions You don’t apply what you’ve learned

during the day You make assumptions

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Some final thoughts…

“Programming Interviews Exposed”Relax and have fun (easier said than done)

Keep trying! Sometimes it takes more than one time to get an offer!

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Make the Most From an Employer’s

Perspective1.) IMPRESS them2.) Exceed your goals3.) Ask Questions4.) To us an Internship = One Long Interview5) Know where you ‘rank’6.) Remember this is your ONE

chance

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Make the Most out of your Summer Internship,

from a Student’s PerspectiveLearn Something New, Broaden your

skill setMeet with your manager to set clear goalsNetwork, Network, NetworkParticipate in all the eventsGet to know the hiring manager & recruiterExplore the area…think long termHave fun...its a new experience

Think long term

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What If I don’t get a summer internship??Projects, Projects, Projects

Create an app…notepad, iphone app, mobile apps, open source projects like codeplex.com, ask your profs have projects they need completed

Participate in Competitions: Imaginecup, Topcoder

Volunteer: IT at a non-profit, lead a drive or project

Take Classes: learn a new tech skill, or something unrelated to broaden your perspective…marketing, finance

Learn Something New: experience.com, S2B: http://www.microsoft.com/studentstobusiness

Use free software and become an expertFind Industry Certified Solutions online: StackOverFlow.com, MSDN.com, etc.

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Questions?