Microsoft Engage Program

What is Microsoft Engage Program?

The Microsoft Engage Program is a virtual program that provides participants an exceptional opportunity to connect with seasoned Microsoft employees and gain valuable hands-on experience with Microsoft’s latest technologies and tools. The participants get to interact with Microsoft mentors, leaders, and interns throughout the course of the program, and get an opportunity to interview and intern with Microsoft India based on performance during the program.

Microsoft Engage Program

What happens in mentorship?

Students selected for the program will be paired with a Microsoft mentor who will guide them through a variety of tasks and challenges. Over the course of the 4 weeks, the mentee will have the chance to develop new skills, refine existing ones, and receive feedback and guidance on their progress. They will have the chance to work on real-world projects that help them develop their skills and gain practical experience. In addition to the mentorship sessions, the program may also include workshops, seminars, and other learning opportunities designed to enhance the mentee’s experience and knowledge. 

Eligibility Criteria:

• Graduation year: 2nd year
  * In some previous years, the program was also conducted for 3rd-year students, so it’s worth checking if that will be the case again in the future.
• CGPA: 6 and above(can vary)
• Course: B.Tech/B.E/M.Tech/Dual Degree/Related Degrees are eligible
• Branch: Any
• No pending backlogs

This program is conducted only once per year, so if you are late/not selected this year, you won’t be eligible next year.

Duration of program:

Mentorship will last for a period of 4 weeks(usually June-July).

Application Process: 

The application process for the Microsoft Engage Program is a 3-step process. Registration for the program usually starts in the month of April.

• Resume Shortlisting phase (referrals are not applicable). Students who are shortlisted based on their resumes then move on to the Online Assessment phase, which consists of two online tests. If you fulfill the criteria, you will receive a link for Online Test 1. 
• Online Assessment 1 consisted of 10 MCQ questions to be solved in 30 minutes. There are multiple question sets and scores are normalized accordingly. Mainly there will be some Multiple Choice Questions based on Computer Science and Basic DSA – Stack, Queue, Trees(mainly traversal algorithms), Sorting, Binary Search, Priority Queues, etc
• Online Assessment 2 will be more of a puzzle round where you may be asked to provide a solution to an algorithmic puzzle or analyze short blocks of #programming language/pseudo code. Time complexity analysis is the main topic here. You will be required to provide a typed explanation for the questions.

Prerequisites:

• Basic knowledge of basic computer science fundamentals, data structures, and algorithms would be beneficial for the Microsoft Engage Programme. 
• There are no specific courses or qualifications required to apply for the program although familiarity with concepts such as arrays, stack, queue, searching, sorting, trees, priority queues, etc, and time complexity analysis are useful to know.  
• Additionally, knowledge of computer science fundamentals, as well as the analytical skills to analyze code blocks or pseudo codes, can be of great help during online tests.

Suggestions to increase the chance of getting selected:

Nothing can actually guarantee your selection but you can keep a check on a few points:

• Try to create a good resume- add some projects, and highlight your achievements and skills.
• For online assessments, you should be clear with the basics of CS and DSA. Read previous experiences to get an idea of what type of questions are being asked.
• A good knowledge base of Data Structures & algorithms and fluency in at least one programming language can definitely make an impact.

Outcome:

Based on your performance in the project building, and mentor feedback, there might be:

• Direct SWE internship at Microsoft.
• Interview opportunity for SWE intern role.
• No internship/interview opportunity.