Please welcome guest blogger Scott Simmons, a staffing consultant for Microsoft in Denmark.

Did you know that Microsoft is investing around the globe and has career opportunities world-wide, too? Currently, some of our hotter spots for hiring are in Europe, Russia, China and India.

As an employee, I’m also enjoying the benefits of Microsoft’s worldwide career opportunities. After 3 years working at our headquarters in Redmond, WA, I recently relocated to Europe to help hire at the Microsoft Development Center in Copenhagen. I’ve become aware that many people don’t realize international opportunities are open to them, regardless of where they live now - so I wanted to debunk a few myths I’ve heard. (Because I’m located in Denmark, this post will be about Europe, but the same advice can be applied more broadly, like in Russia, China, and India.)

I’m not authorized to work in another country!
If you live outside the US and have not been able to obtain a visa for a US opportunity, it may behoove you to consider an opportunity at one of our international locations. (One of the great things about Europe is that the immigration policies are different than America; each county has different requirements but the restrictions are much different than they are in the US.) You still get the same great Microsoft experience and interesting projects that you would find in our US locations, and you start seniority in the company which can later help you with an internal transfer to an American opportunity if your ultimate goal is to live and work in the U.S.

I don’t speak the local language!
One of the misconceptions I have noticed since being in Denmark is that people are nervous if they do not speak the local language. In Europe we do business in English. This means the day to day operations are run in English, both written and verbal. It is always to your advantage to learn the local language, from a cultural experience, but it is often not a requirement to gain employment. In fact in Denmark, I prefer people submit their resumes in English as it shows they have a good grasp of the language. And in Denmark virtually every local person knows English fluently so getting around and functioning outside the office is not a problem at all.

So while you’re at the careers page, take some time to investigate some of our other sites / locations. You, like me, may just find that your ideal position is located in a country you never dreamed of or thought was possible for you!

- Scott