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How to get a job at Google, Apple, or Microsoft

Posted on 15 Jan 2010 at 14:59

The official websites might be the front door, but high-flyers are invited round the back – all the giants use headhunters to help them fill specific roles.

Increasingly, the big three are also using social-networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook when searching for fresh talent. Microsoft, for example, occasionally recruits directly through LinkedIn, saving around £5,000 in agency fees each time. “We also have deals in place with LinkedIn and Monster, where we can interrogate their databases for a very specific set of keywords to find suitable candidates for posts,” said a human resources specialist at the company.

It’s therefore imperative that jobseekers, even latent ones, manage their online presence – both by keeping it professional, but also up to date. According to LinkedIn’s Christina Hoole, “users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn than subscribers with patchy details”.

Who are they looking for?

Nobody will be surprised to learn that the tech giants have a huge pool of talent to pick from. Microsoft UK, for example, says it will receive some 2,000 applications for its graduate jobs program, with only 12 or 13 places up for grabs. “We can afford to be picky,” one Microsoft recruitment official told PC Pro. “If you get to an interview stage with Google, you’re doing very well,” added Google’s Parrin.

Yet, it isn’t only technical acumen that the companies are looking for: hiring managers are trying to find candidates that fit the company’s cultural identity. According to Microsoft director Tim Sneath, the cliché of “marry in haste, repent at leisure” works almost as well for job vacancies as it does for romantic partnerships.

A candidate that fits perfectly in one company could be a bad match for another. “Google is generally looking for ‘budding entrepreneurs’,” said HR expert and business consultant, Marc Lawn. “Microsoft is generally looking for solid academics, while Apple tends to look for a balance between the two. If you think about analogous businesses, then Microsoft is very similar to a Barclays, Google is like Innocent Drinks, and Apple like Coca-Cola.”

That might mean buying into the company’s brand ethos and cultural traits, but candidates must also show a willingness to work like a demon. “Obviously, the skills set is a pre-requisite, but there is a lot to be said for the passion that someone has for a company,” said Microsoft product manager and hiring executive Chris Sells. “They want to work here, they are self-motivated, the sort of person who will work on projects that aren’t really their job at the weekend and in the evening. Or it might be that they’ve written books or articles, or are members of open-source groups. It’s about people with passion for what they do.”

Google demands equally high technical ability, but says it’s also looking for extracurricular flair that hints at a more lively mind. “If you’re going to work for Google in a technical role then you’re going to be technically very good,” said Parrin. “But that doesn’t always mean academic skills and qualifications – there are lots of people at Google without a degree.

“We also look at an applicant’s ‘Googliness’, which is what’s cool about them and makes them tick. Is it running, rock-climbing, go-karting, cycling or gaming – what do they do outside work? We test tech skills, but also look for personalities with a passion and how it might apply to what they are applying for at Google.”