Now that your resume has a caught a recruiter’s eye, it’s time for the tough part: interviewing. Whether it’s over the phone or face-to-face, many would agree that interviews can be the most nerve-wracking part of the job application process. What should I bring? How should I dress? What if they ask something I don’t know the answer to? Luckily, as recruiters, we've seen it all - and we're happy to help you in this crucial part of starting a career. Visit the links below for some vital interview advice that could help you seal the deal.

Interviewing zen

Take a cue from your interviewer

Question authority

A common interview mistake to avoid

Get a sneak peek into what it's like to interview at our headquarters in the Seattle area ...

My Microsoft Interview Experience

This posting details a candidate´s experience interviewing with Microsoft. Our guest poster, Joe, has further recorded his insights at his blog My Technical Interview Experience, where he offers advice on how to be successful in the programming technical interview/recruiting process. Take it away, Joe...

Much has been made of how generous Microsoft is to its employees and how it´s consistently ranked as one of the best companies to work for. What a lot of people don’t know is how well Microsoft treats its interview candidates. During my programming job search, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to interview with many companies. Below, I’ve listed some ways that Microsoft stood out from the rest with its generosity:

Information Sessions
Microsoft information sessions are very well thought out and usually feature 2-3 employees on hand to sell the company and answer questions. Free food is served and at the end of the presentation, expensive prizes like Zunes and Xboxes are raffled off to the audience.

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Today's guest post is from Microsoft's Student Audience Marketing digital team, a group who reaches out to all students who use and are interested in Microsoft products and technologies - not just those who want to work here. The team manages our student digital outreach efforts such as the Microsoft Student Experience site,  Microsoft Student Lounge site, Microsoft Student Facebook and Twitter sites, and Mobile Student Experience site. They engage students through social causes, videos, and content that spans from career to learning to fun stuff to software and technology.

Hi all,
I’m Amy – I've been with Microsoft over 10 years but have a unique work history here.  About 4 years ago, I left to be a “bigger fish in a smaller pond” (so to speak) but realized that my heart and passion is with Microsoft.  So, after 6 months of being away, I interviewed with Microsoft and was re-hired.  

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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 Matt's answer.

I knew this interview was going to be a memorable one when I picked the candidate up in the lobby and he had his sunglasses (Yes, even in Seattle!)  resting on the top of his head.

I always encourage my candidates to stay comfortable and relaxed, but when we got back to my office his posture in the chair was more appropriate for a day of couch surfing instead of intense interviews.

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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 Lisa's answer.

 I actually had to think hard about this one because I block those crazy memories from my head.  :)

A few years ago, I was interviewing someone onsite for a Software Development Engineer (SDE) role for Messenger.  The last question I asked him was “Why are you interested in working at Microsoft?”  I thought it was a pretty easy question to ask.

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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?"

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Congratulations!  So you’ve made it past the initial resume review and you’re being called in for those important next steps. There are a few days between now and then, and anxiety is building in anticipation. You want to do well in your interview, and in this economy you know that it’s tougher than ever to stand out amongst the crowd. So what do you do? Time to channel that energy into something productive!

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CareerBuilder and CNN recently published the 43 weirdest things said in job interviews. If you've interviewed many people yourself, what are some funny responses you've heard?

We've sure heard our fair share of odd comments around here, too. The JobsBloggers will chime in with our war stories, too. And a few of our favorites from CareerBuilder and CNN's list after the jump.
 

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Now that you’ve seen where I’m coming from in terms of tips and advice, I feel it’s time to introduce my top six pieces of Kenji® branded recruiter advice. Handle with care!

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Dear JobsBlog: I've never done a lunch interview before, but I've heard horror stories about candidates being so nervous they forget basic table manners or get a huge chunk of broccoli stuck in their teeth. How can I enjoy my meal and still impress a hiring manager? Any suggestions on what to order and how to avoid awkwardness?

-Apprehensive Appetite

Dear Apprehensive Appetite: You've probably seen us mention on this blog that answers to many questions we receive vary from recruiter to recruiter. That said, we decided to take some bites of advice from several JobsBloggers on this topic. Put your headphones on and get your elbows off the table for podcasts from Matt, Lisa and Janelle that will help improve your lunch interview techniques!

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As you’ve probably seen in the headlines today, there are changes happening at Microsoft including some job eliminations. 

In case you are wondering … Yes, Microsoft is still hiring with a focus on our most important business priorities and areas of opportunity and growth.  We continually update our careers website to reflect the most current available jobs.

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Understanding that every recruiter conducts initial candidate screens differently, I wanted to share some of the themes that come up with candidates I don’t end up moving forward with. JobsBlog has lots of great tips for ways to improve your phone screen, but here are some things to avoid.

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It’s the night before your interview and being the conscientious candidate that you are, you’re reviewing your check list to be sure you’re prepared for the big day:

• Interview day schedule – check!
• Confidence – check!
• Classy yet casual outfit – question mark?

When you pair a laid-back dress code with the high expectations of a competitive tech company, knowing how to dress to impress can be tough. But now, Softwear might just be your ticket.

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Preparing for an interview can be daunting -- and James McNaul would know. The University of Miami senior came all the way from Florida to Washington for an internship interview at the Microsoft HQ last spring.

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Episode 2 of "Get Hired @ MSFT" is here ... and this time Microsoft Recruiter Theresa de la Osa and Program Manager (and new employee) Tharika Chandrasekhar give you the inside scoop and tips for what to expect when a recruiter contacts you about a job at Microsoft. In case you missed it, check out Episode...

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I can't stress enough that interviewing is a two way street. Team interaction and collaboration are a large part of any position here at Microsoft, just as they are a huge part of our interview process. As Matt mentioned, we like it when candidates ask us questions . Whether it’s to clarify ambiguity...

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This is a great question. In classic recruiter style, I’m going to be very definitive and say: I think that it depends. :-) Startups are great because they force people to wear multiple hats, work in a resource-constrained environment, and think about how what they work on interacts with other pieces...

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Want to know a secret? When you’re in my office during an interview, I’m *rooting* for you to succeed. That’s right, I want you to do well, and I’m hoping you’ll impress me. It’s also why I, like many other interviewers, will provide hints that can really enhance your interview performance - if you catch...

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While Tweetscanning for 'Microsoft interview' , I ran across the most detailed blog post I've ever read about the Microsoft interview experience: My Microsoft Interview Experience , by Ben Watson. If you're wondering what it's really like to interview at Microsoft - from application all the way to an...

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This ERE article - A Recruiter's Guide to Candidate Interview Prep - has some interesting insight into the candidate - recruiter - hiring manager relationship and offers up some sample questions you can ask interviewers on the big day, like ... Candidate Positioning Question 1: Defining their Skill Sets...

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All recruiters have different theories on how much to “prepare” their candidates the morning of the interview. There’s only one tip I like to give candidates when they come in, and it’s really more common sense than inside information: Question us . As Kenji pointed out , most of those pesky Microsoft...

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