How I Got Into Series: Microsoft

The text below is a summary of a video in our How I Got Into Series.

Who is this Mariana?

Mariana Briones is a Mexican native and international student who graduated from the University of Texas and is the co-founder of InternMakers. Mariana’s career as an Electrical Engineer has taken her many places — with a Microsoft Explore internship being just one of the several achievements along her academic and professional journey.

How did Mariana get into Microsoft?

When she was a sophomore, Mariana didn’t get the offer she was hoping for — but that did not stop her. She applied again during her junior year and to her advantage, they weren’t just looking for those with Computer Science studies but those with various hardware skills (mechanical, electrical, and industrial). Here’s how she got the internship the second time around.

Reaching out to recruiters on LinkedIn and having conversations with them is one thing that Mariana did to guarantee that her resume was read and didn’t end up in the trash pile. Applying online can be very hard, so linking up with a recruiter that works for the internship you want will help you build some human interaction and get your foot through the door.

How did she get into that position?

After passing the initial interview, Mariana moved on to the final round where she flew to Redmond, Washington to complete the four interviews that got her the Program Management position. This is a position that requires you to be a problem solver that can come up with solutions when presented with an issue. Mariana’s leadership background and experience with organizing events for InternMakers made her prepared to take on the job. Another skill that this position will demand is knowing how to deal with ambiguity. This means that you need to be well-equipped to adapt to change and be flexible enough to comfortably handle any risk or uncertainty. A Program Manager spends their time planning, organizing, and budgeting therefore these skills are crucial for you to have.

Tips for anyone who wants to join Microsoft?

Mariana suggests picking a position that you are the most qualified for when you are applying for an internship at Microsoft. Choosing the position that correlates the most with your prior experience and skills gives you a higher chance of getting the position. Before your interview, you should also try looking at Microsoft’s mission statement and see if it resonates with you. One question they might ask is “Why do you want to work here?” and the mission statement can certainly help guide you in your answer. Lastly, using LinkedIn to gain access to the company’s updates and events will give you an instant leg-up against any competition. LinkedIn also gives you the opportunity to contact recruiters and be informed about any Microsoft conferences/webinars that will provide you with more information on the company.

Any additional advice?

Mariana suggests gaining more experience and skills during the summertime — this is a crucial time for you to gain any expertise needed to qualify for the position that you’re applying to. Go to the job description of the internship you want to apply to and write down all the qualifications they are looking for in an applicant. After that, research projects/internships on Google where you can learn these skills. This will build up your Spring Resume and help sell yourself to the company.