My name is Anne Cheng and I’m a Program Manager within the Microsoft Global Talent Labs team.
A little about me: my parents are from Taiwan and I was born in Amman, Jordan. I spent some time in Antigua prior to moving to the US. I graduated with an International Business degree, so traveling the world and learning about the local European job market truly is my dream job.
Looking forward to providing more context to the complicated world of recruiting!
As they say: if you want to understand the present, you've gotta learn about the past.
Check out this Channel 9 video about Microsoft in 1975 - the year it all began. It's pretty crazy to see how today's cutting-edge technology is built on the vision of a few plucky entrepreneurs who scratched out a combined grand total of just $16,005 their first year.
Tagged as: editors-corner, bill-gates, paul-allen, channel-9, microsoft, working-at-msft, computer-history
For the third consecutive year, Microsoft was voted as Number One on the Top 100 List of Europe’s Best Workplaces. This year, 1,300 European companies participated in the Great Place to Work® Institute’s annual Trust Index© Survey, the largest annual workplace survey in the world. The companies taking part in the study represented 1,619,076 employees.
Microsoft was recognized for great, consistent results in Austria (#3 and Best Workplace for females), Belgium (#2 and Best Inspirational Leadership), Denmark (#8 and Best IT Workplace), Finland (#4 and Best Recruiting Practice), France (#1), Germany (#3), Ireland (#1), Italy (#1), Netherlands (#1), Norway (#2), Portugal (#1), Spain (#2), Sweden (#3), Switzerland (#5) and the UK.
Tagged as: anne, recruiter, working-at-msft, europe, great-places-to-work
Try a new approach to finding out more about a company and their open positions with... online career events. Regardless of if the event is with Microsoft, other companies or hosted by a third-party recruiting company, online career events are a great way to network and find out more about open opportunities.
If you are in the job market, it is worth checking out these events since a company will likely host or participate only if they have a larger number of openings within a team or across their company. Online events are still limited in frequency since employers are trying to see if the events a good way to reach talent – but they are definitely gaining in popularity.
Hi everyone - It's been a while since I've given you an update about our international recruiting efforts so I wanted to let you know the latest.
For candidates interested in positions outside of the US, we have offices, development centers, product groups, and innovation centers around the world working on exciting projects. This includes internships for university students and entry level sales, marketing, and development roles for recent graduates, all the way up to senior level opportunities in many different roles.
Right now, I’m recruiting for or will be recruiting very soon for Development Managers, Test Managers, Developers, Developers in Test, and Program Manager positions across Europe in locations such as Copenhagen, London, Oslo, Dublin, and Paris. My counterparts on the International Recruiting team are also looking for top talent from around the world.
Tagged as: anne, job-hunting, recruiter
The Washington Post's recent article Tiny Typos Can Add Up To a Big X On Your Résumé details a few suggestions on how to avoid typos on your resume.
Tagged as: anne, resume-building, recruiter
Many candidates find it difficult to capture their experience on their resume, so what ends up happening is a pretty generic explanation of their role and responsibility with little detail on their impact and contribution.
Lifehacker had a great simple tip to create compelling resumes by avoiding 6 commonly used words on a resume - ditch these six words from the fold.
Tagged as: anne, resume-building
CNN and CareerBuilder recently published a list of the 43 weirdest things said in job interviews, and we asked for your stories. We also asked our JobsBloggers. Here is Anne's answer.
My best stories are from the students I interviewed for our high school internship program a few years back. The stories still make me smile to this day!
1. During an interview, I asked the candidate, "What is your favorite Microsoft product?"
Tagged as: anne, interviewing
Looking for a new job can be overwhelming – especially if you haven't been in the job market, or even updated your resume, in years. With more folks looking and opportunities seemingly shrinking, I thought it was a good time to list the places where I start my search for candidates in the hopes of giving you a few ideas. Of course, the most important factors remain a well-written resume and effective leveraging of your networking opportunities. But as for where you want to start, here's where I look:
Tagged as: anne, job-hunting
For international candidates, moving to a new country for a job opportunity can be daunting. The good news is that Microsoft takes care of most of the details such as relocation, temporary housing, filing for a work visa -- and now, helping your spouse/partner to assimilate. Microsoft recently created...
Tagged as: anne, working-at-msft
Here’s a quick shout out to college candidates looking to change the world. Imagine Cup , a global student technology competition focused on finding solutions for real-world issues, is diving into its seventh year. This year’s theme is "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems...
Tagged as: anne, job-hunting, working-at-msft
Did you know Microsoft has some great development opportunities located around the world? My team is taking a world tour this fall, winter and spring to locate top engineers for these software development roles that will help define and shape the next version of just about everything Microsoft is working...
Tagged as: anne, job-hunting
In May, Microsoft added new routes on their free Wi-Fi Connector shuttles since they have been so popular with their employees. I’ve been riding them daily when I’m in town, so I wanted to let you know my initial thoughts. Riding 5 days a week on the connector: I’ve gained 7+ hours in my commute to catch...
Tagged as: anne, working-at-msft
The best resume advice I ever received was in college: your resume is not one size fits all! When you apply, you should always tailor your resume to the position or company. Research the company, think about their strengths, read the job description carefully, and just get as much information as you...
Tagged as: anne, resume-building
Dear JobsBlog: I am a senior in Russia and will be getting my bachelor’s degree in June with the option to go one more year for a Masters. I sent a resume for a summer internship a month ago but would I also be eligible for a full-time position? Which would you advise that I pursue? Answer: Tough question...
Tagged as: anne, job-hunting
Dear JobsBlog: I'm just one year from graduating with my bachelor's degree in computer engineering. I want to apply to Microsoft when I graduate, so I'd like to know what technical qualifications you're looking for in college grads. C#? C++? Answer: Good question! Yes, it's definitely important for new...
Tagged as: anne, job-hunting
My best interview tip would be that when you prepare for your interviews, try not to memorize your answers. Instead, it’s better to prepare and think in bullet points. Then when asked the question, you know what you want to highlight. The answers will be more genuine and seem less rehearsed. Anne...
Tagged as: anne, interviewing
Dear JobsBlog: I just read the blog article Anne posted about the Connector in Seattle . I am going to be a new hire with a start date at the end of August 2008. I'm starting to figure out moving/living situations, and was wondering where I could find out more about the Connector and their stops/commute...
Tagged as: anne, working-at-msft
Free soft drinks, while still nice, are a bit ordinary considering how creative companies have become with their benefits packages. Microsoft has great benefits and our HR teams are constantly evaluating our packages to see where we can innovate and improve. What are the benefits you wish the company...
Tagged as: anne, working-at-msft
This year’s event will draw thousands of students together from around the world. More than 100,000 students from 100 different countries participated in Imagine Cup 2007. Each year the competition focuses on a global issue which allows bright student innovators to push themselves in devising breakthrough...
Tagged as: anne
Sorry for the hiatus from Jobsblog! I just came back from some international recruiting events where I was able to meet some smarties from around the world. I’m excited to say many will be joining us in Redmond/Vancouver/our other Development Centers this spring. We still have great opportunities, so...
Tagged as: anne, interviewing