Placement Student

Ariba Surani

Business

Placement (10 Months+)

Microsoft

What was the application process like?

I completed an application form which comprised of some basic details about myself. Along with that application form I submitted my CV. I was then short listed and invited for a skype interview and after succeeding I was invited for an assessment center.

What was the interview process like?

The skype interview was about my soft skills and what aspires me in life. The assessment center was where I did some group exercises with other candidates and went through a interview with different managers which were more about my soft skills.

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

Understanding the stream you are applying for is important. If apply for a sales stream you might be in a more customer facing role and if you apply for operation stream your role might be more internal facing so it’s important to understand the stream.

How much responsibility do you have?

I really appreciate the trust my team has put into me and the responsibility I am given. I have been given 3 projects of my own which I do on a day to day basis and besides that I do volunteering at Microsoft and some extracurricular activities.

What do you most enjoy about your role?

I really enjoy how I have shaped my role according to my needs. Even though my role was internal facing I managed to start a few projects of my own to gain customer facing experience responsibility and interacting with my global team.

What has been your biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge I faced was to understand the company culture and the expectations of me. I learnt that you can’t always say Yes to the responsibility you can’t fulfill so rather than putting yourself and your team in trouble it’s better to say No.

How has this experience exceeded your expectations?

This experience has exceeded my expectation in every way. I am very satisfied that besides my work I can participate in extra curricular activities and continue to give back to the community which I have always been very passionate about.

What is the ofﬁce atmosphere like?

The office environment is very relaxed and welcoming there are various buildings and depending on your team you sit in particular buildings however, its totally up to you where you would like to work from and what makes you more productive.

What activities are there outside of work?

You can get involved in sports and volunteering opportunities at Microsoft and give back to the community. You can choose a stretch project which would go hand in hand with your internship and will allow you to really explore yourself develop your skills.

How promising are the graduate prospects?

Depending on the overall impact you had on the company and the overall personal development the graduate role is quite promising. In the end we must not forget that the internship experience in itself is very valuable.