Are you the next Microsoftie?

Thought folks on here might be interested ... or might know others who are. Spread the word.

Read more at JobsBlog: http://blogs.msdn.com/jobsblog/archive/2005/08/11/Microsoft_Applicant.aspx
Want to work at Microsoft but having a hard time getting noticed?  Here’s a chance to make your mark!

Send me your best digital representation of yourself, your skills, your passion for technology, your desire to work at Microsoft, what you hate and would love to change . . . anything to show why you stand-out as the ideal Microsoft Applicant.  Potential creations could include a flash animation, a video, or a song.  The more entertaining, the better!  

How do I get it to you?
Send me a link to a file hosted on your own website or email me a copy of your creation.  (No hard copies such as VHS tapes accepted.)

What’s in it for me?
Lots!

• Get real eyes on your creation.  All submissions will be uploaded to an internal website so any Microsoft recruiter or hiring manager can review it.  Who knows what that could lead to . . . Maybe even BillG will be watching!
• Get free stuff.  US residents will receive one complimentary copy of Visual Studio 2003, Office XP, Windows XP, or various Xbox/PC games (while my supplies last) and a Microsoft Rubik’s cube.  (Free stuff is only available to US residents due to international laws and regulations. However, non-US residents are still welcome to submit their creations!)
• Get noticed.  If you grant permission, I will also post your creation on JobsBlog for others to oooh and ahhh.  And Microsoft recruiters aren’t the only recruiters who read JobsBlog.  A little competition is always healthy!

Anything to keep in mind?

• Submit a written copy of your written resume (.doc, .pdf, .txt, etc) along with your creation.
• Keep your content under 2 minutes.
• No profanity, nudity, or vile humor.

When is this due?
You are always welcome to create and send this type of “resume” to me . . .  but the deadline for this particular offer is Thursday, September 15 at 11:59 pm Redmond time (GMT -8 hours)

Feel free to post other questions below or email me directly.

Have fun!!  I can't wait to see what you produce!!

gretchen

Honestly?  Probably not.  There are certain groups who look for advanced degrees (masters and PhD) - but most groups just want smart, passionate people.  So in most cases, while a Masters degree might be nice, I don't necessarily think it would give any one the edge.  Just my 2cents though.  Others are free to disagree.  It varies from team to team.

Orbit86 wrote:

This might be a idiotic question but would a candidate with a Masters Degree get more attention\better chance than a Candidate with just a Bachelors?

because
1) to obtain a Masters Degree is more harder than obtain a Bachelors,
2) Masters is like C++, and Bachelors is like .Net

Gretchen,

Today I watched the debut video of Channel 9, where the 5 guys from Redmond talk about their goals for Channel 9.  It's been over a year, and I think the original team members ought to "re-view" the video if they haven't seen it in awhile.  In many ways, they have gone beyond the vision, I think.

Yare definitely doing this in the spirit of Channel 9.  This is a fantastic "contest".

The lure of easy swag may persuade me to give up my petty rules about knowing what job I'm applying for, or knowing I'll survive the housing and cost of living challenges of a new location.  Your idea is that good.  I even checked out the jobsblog, and that is even better.

As for the other comments about the Masters Degree.  It was fun doing the graduate studies thing, but I've met some brilliant folks that don't even have college degrees.  Don't sweat it.  Just prove you can still learn.

Walt Lounsbery, MS in Aerospace Engineering
"If it takes a Rocket Scientist, call me!" 

Gretchen wrote:

Honestly?  Probably not.  There are certain groups who look for advanced degrees (masters and PhD) - but most groups just want smart, passionate people.  So in most cases, while a Masters degree might be nice, I don't necessarily think it would give any one the edge.  Just my 2cents though.  Others are free to disagree.  It varies from team to team.

the Wrong Direction(.Net)                                You                                            the Correct Direction(C++)
|_______________________________________|________________________________________________|
-1                                                                  0                                                                              1

(passion + times) *  Direction = target


if chioce the Wrong Direction(-1) , got more Passion,then got failure soon.

knowledge decide the Direction, so knowledge base is more important the Passion.

leighsword,
Its not the technologies you use to solve the problem, but the problem you are trying to solve.  Writing a piece of software that prints hello world to the screen in C++ does not make you better than an engineer who solves complex problems using .NET.

What it comes down to is that a good engineer will know as many technologies as he/she can.

Its all about being open to new ideas, learning, and having fun.

nightski wrote:

leighsword,
Its not the technologies you use to solve the problem, but the problem you are trying to solve.  Writing a piece of software that prints hello world to the screen in C++ does not make you better than an engineer who solves complex problems using .NET.

What it comes down to is that a good engineer will know as many technologies as he/she can.

Its all about being open to new ideas, learning, and having fun.

normally , it 's correct.
a student from high school is able to solve the complex problem, and another student from college unable to solve the complex problem.
is it means a high school better a college.
what ever the student from high school can do,we all know the fact that college(C++) is better than high school(.net).

A Microsoft Rubik's cube?  Hmm, I wonder what that looks like!

Orbit86 wrote:

just because a language is complex doesnt make it better, you can write a database app in VB.NET with more ease,faster than C++ and do the same thing

i never used to VB, but i know VC + ADO have no any problems with us, we have a ton of Reuseable Class Library, light and faster and robust.

you can write a database app in VB.NET with more ease,faster than C++ and do the same thing

In the embedded world, we're moving towards model based design. On some of our programs we don't have to write any code to make software.

leighsword wrote:

knowledge decide the Direction, so knowledge base is more important the Passion.

What's the point of knowing anything if it doesn't mean something to you?

Without passion, it doesn't matter which direction you go.  Where you begin is nowhere special, and where you end up isn't anywhere special either.

Without passion, there are no decisions, because all the choices are meaningless.

Everything in this world is subject to change.  Everything.

Thanks, Walt!  And thanks for checking out JobsBlog!!

JChung -  Kinda like it sounds like.  A real Rubik's cube with the Office logo on one side, Windows on the another, etc.  Pretty nifty.  
 

JChung2006 wrote:

leighsword wrote:knowledge decide the Direction, so knowledge base is more important the Passion.

What's the point of knowing anything if it doesn't mean something to you?

Without passion, it doesn't matter which direction you go.  Where you begin is nowhere special, and where you end up isn't anywhere special either.

Without passion, there are no decisions, because all the choices are meaningless.

Everything in this world is subject to change.  Everything.

frist, we both agree with the passion is important.

but i said , knowledge is more important , becuase the accumulated knowledge needs a Long term times, may be one year, may be Ten years, but there are lots of Motive for increse your passtion in second time, such as Money.
you won't master English in one day, i don't know this is a good example.

Now, I'm 15. Could I submit an app of mine I've been writing for the last eight months to the contest? I know I'm not old enough to win something from the contest and I'm too young to actually work at Microsoft, but it'd be cool to at least participate.

And as for the discussion about .NET vs C++, I think it depends entirely on the platform you're targetting. If, for example, I wrote an application specifically for Windows Vista in .NET, Vista already comes with .NET Framework 2.0 installed. To the end-user, since they don't have to install the frameworks, the application isn't really discernable from a C++ application.

However, if my application is going to be released on Linux and Mac OS X, the better choice is C/C++ or other cross-platform language using something like QT 4.

If it's up to you, though, it's a preference. I prefer to code in .NET when possible, but I can write in C/C++ if the need arises.

My two, possibly incorrect, cents
-Eric

Orbit86 wrote:

well the question is not if your using a cross platform which .NET is (mono). it's a poster saying that if you code in .Net your going in the wrong direction

yes,the wrong direction as i mentioned, the same times, 1 year, you spent it with .Net, and i spent it with C++, 1 year after, i am only need spend 1 week or less time to study .Net, then i am better than you, because most of people unable to master C++ in 1 week, but they are able to master .Net in 1 week.

What does the time spent to learn a language count for anything? It was easier for me to go from C# to C++ than just start with C++. So, really, after learning .NET and C#, a year with C++ would be more productive than a year of C++ without that C# knowledge.

And for your information, I learned C++ in less than a week. Lots and lots of free time in a car.. ugh. I am not as good in the language as I would like to be at the moment, but its a place to start from.

-Eric

ricodued wrote:

Now, I'm 15. Could I submit an app of mine I've been writing for the last eight months to the contest? I know I'm not old enough to win something from the contest and I'm too young to actually work at Microsoft, but it'd be cool to at least participate.

 

Hi Eric - It's not a "contest" or a competition.  Everyone is winner.   I just wanted a way to showcase other creations besides just a resume.  But sure - you are welcome to send me your app if it's in the spirit of showcasing creative passion around wanting to work for Microsoft.

Lol, The Alexandre Flash Animation Resume rocks!