Entries tagged 'resume-building'

  • Thu July 21, 2011

    Your resume questions answered!

    A few weeks ago we asked you to submit your resume questions to us on Facebook and Twitter. We were going to try a new feature where we took a selection of those questions and then provided you with quick video responses from some of our staffing experts here at Microsoft. Due to some unforeseen logistical issues it took us a little bit longer to post this then we hoped, but here it is!

    Kenji Yamaguchi (Windows Live) and Jason Pankow (Xbox) both Staffing Consultants, took a time out to answer a few queries. Let us know what topics you’d like for us to cover in the future!
     

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  • Wed June 15, 2011

    Searching for a job while happily employed

    Dear JobsBlog: I’m pretty happily with my current job, but I’m ready to take the next step in my career. How do I negotiate a job search while I am still employed? I am nervous about my current employer finding out that I am interested in looking at other companies.  Is there a way for me to do this tactfully?

    -Happily Employed

    Jobsblogger EugeniaDear Happy: Though it might be scary, one of the best things you can do for yourself while you are content in your current job is to keep yourself marketable. This means that you have to take the initiative and step out of your comfort zone a bit. Trying a few of these things below can really keep your skills fresh. And who knows? It may also lead you exactly to that next step in your career. 

    1. “Finding out what you’re worth” – Someone I know recently coined this phrase. It had been 14 years since he had last interviewed outside of his company and it was an eye opening experience for him. To keep yourself marketable, you should interview outside of your company at least once every two years to keep your interview skills strong, see how employers in your field are evaluating candidates, and to “see what you’re worth” as far as any potential offers might receive. This is invaluable because you are forced to go through preparation, perform industry research, and see what it takes to get to the next step or into the top company for your field.  If you can’t even get out of the gate (i.e. land an interview) you know that you have a lot of work to do. And that is a whole other blog topic!

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  • Wed September 15, 2010

    Does Microsoft accept online degrees?

    Dear JobsBlog:
    I am interested in applying to Microsoft, but am worried that I am not eligible because I have a degree from an online university.

    I would have liked to attend a traditional university, but did not grow up with many opportunities. Are degrees from accredited online universities accepted at Microsoft? If so, how can I showcase my skills to Microsoft so that my resume is not eliminated in the first round (when it gets compared to others who have attended schools with fancier names but may have less actual programming experience than me)?
    - Confused Online Grad

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  • Mon August 23, 2010

    The Top Three hottest new majors for a career in technology

    Have you ever wondered what fields of study are hot right now in the world of technology?  Or maybe you’re starting to think about declaring your major and you’re looking for some real world guidance?

    It is worth thinking beyond a traditional Computer Science degree or even an Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (EECS) program. Microsoft is hiring people with unique backgrounds, some that are new with the inception of the Cloud, web services and the amazing scale at which the industry is operating (Exabyte anyone?).

    The following is my list of the Top Three hottest academic areas for a future career in tech:

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  • Tue July 27, 2010

    Resume review & advice: what I look for in a resume

    Resume review & advice. Part II of II. (read Part I)

    Resume review actually consists of several different “layers” of consideration.

    There are multiple factors that I consider simultaneously and all need to be accounted for before I make the decision to contact a candidate for a phone interview. What I’m looking for is a resume that “pops out" at me on multiple layers. 

    The first thing that I look for when reviewing a resume, are the basics: does this candidate meet the minimum requirements for the position? Keep in mind, for many positions there are two sets of requirements – the bare minimum required – and the bonus qualifications that I’m ideally hoping to find. In this layer, I’m only looking for the former – but I’m militant in my resolve. If I need a year of experience, and you have six months – sorry, I just clicked “NEXT”.

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