Dec
30
Microsoft Interview Process - cont’
Filed Under Business & Career
Here are a few steps I took to prepare for the Microsoft interview.
Seek Expert Advice
I prepared myself for the interview through voracious reading. I set aside two to four hours daily to study every book, magazine, and article about the Microsoft Corporation and the search marketing industry. After reading the books, I contacted each author by email and asked to meet them in person or by phone. Make sure to prepare a list of questions and be mindful of the other person’s time. I was surprised to acquire so much expert advice about the search marketing industry from these published authors. And make sure to keep in touch. Many are friends and colleagues to this day.
A special thanks to:
- Zak Asani, Director of Search at The Found Agency
- Aaron Wall, author of SEO Book. (Important book on Search Engine Optimization)
- Catherine Seda of sedacommunication.com, author of “Search Engine Advertising“
- Andrew Goodman of pagezero.com, Author of “Winning Results with Google Adwords“
- Francis Ablola, of ablola.com (thanks for the portfolio idea below)
Practice Your Interviewing Skills:
If you were like me and a bit rusty at the interview process ask your friends and family to interview and provide feedback. This helped me tremendously to quickly formulate my thoughts and ideas. If you have time, apply to different companies in order to practice your interviewing skills.
Bring a Portfolio of Your Work:
Since my background is in web development, I provided the interviewers with printed copies of my work. Each portfolio included high resolution color photos and was professionally bound and printed on resume paper. This gave me talking points to reference to during the interview process. Make sure to bring enough copies for everyone including you. It may be a bit pricey, but worth the extra edge.
Start Building Testimonials of Your Work:
Ask previous employers, clients, and professors for a testimonial in writing. Place these testimonials in the front of your portfolio. This adds credibility to your work and provides the interviewer with references.
Helpful links:
My friend Tejas’s blog about his Microsoft Interview experience. And a link to Microsoft Careers for MBA’s:
I hope this helps. To a great year. See you in 2007!
Bernard R. Ablola
P.S. A few photos of Life at Microsoft
Bernard Ablola Business & Career Microsoft Interview