Placement Student

Joshua De Leeuw

Finance

Placement (10 Months+)

Microsoft

What was the application process like?

The recruitment team were extremely helpful and informative throughout which made me feel at ease. I also messaged a current intern on LinkedIn who was very happy to help and instruct me. Overall, it was very intuitive, relaxed, and enjoyable.

What was the interview process like?

I first had a casual skype interview and then an assessment centre, which was long, yet incredibly well planned, and gave me the opportunity to speak to many interns and hiring managers to understand the role and the culture at Microsoft.

What advice would you give to students applying for your role?

Message current interns on LinkedIn and ask for guidance with the application process. It’s great to demonstrate your ability to meet the responsibilities, but they recruit based on your potential, passion for Microsoft technology, and who you are.

How much responsibility do you have?

My managers trusted me with projects that were essential for making vital decisions. They also sought out opportunities for me to take risks and collaborate with different areas of the business, so the generous responsibility they gave me was tremendous!

What do you most enjoy about your role?

I enjoy the ability to collaborate with an incredibly large and diverse range of skilled professionals, who are heavily invested in seeing you grow and progress. I also enjoy learning about new technologies and getting certifications to demonstrate this.

What has been your biggest challenge?

This isn’t a negative, but as there are countless opportunities here and every day is a new day, it can be hard to focus on one area and become a subject matter expect in it. There are so many technologies, business, and solution areas to get involved in.

How has this experience exceeded your expectations?

Everything has been exceptional, for example: the intern community experience, my professional development and involvement in many exciting projects. I’m so glad I joined Microsoft; It’s definitely one of the best internships available right now!

What is the ofﬁce atmosphere like?

The atmosphere at TVP is amazing; very friendly, open, creative, and fun. I felt comfortable approaching people regardless of their authority or position. They prioritise diversity & inclusion and facilitate a good work life balance with many facilities.

What activities are there outside of work?

Microsoft has numerous ERGs (Employee Resource Groups), with many interest groups, especially in sports, but also in other hobbies such as photography etc.

How promising are the graduate prospects?

They are extremely bright, especially with their extensive graduate scheme, which focuses on technical positions. The 'University Recruitment' and 'HR' teams are also very helpful in teaching us about how we should approach the application process.