Microsoft Interview Day

"The purpose of the Microsoft Interview Day is to give Year 11 students an understanding of a real life interview process."

"For me, this day taught me how to act and present myself in interviews; it taught me how to be prepared for unexpected questions, how to gain the trust and respect of the interviewers, and what I should ask in return to benefit the most. I found the preparation for the interview the most challening compared to the actual interview itself.
For starters, I had to create both a CV and application letter, tailoring them to the job that I wanted to apply for. Doing this took a lot of thought and time, because I knew that my CV and application letter would be the first things that the interviewer would see. I also had to prepare what I was going to wear on the day, I spent many hours going through countless shops in order to find the best clothes that would suit me and create the best impression."

"On the day of the interview, I waited for my allotted time and then, 10 minutes before, walked over to the Community Zone and waited outside the Main Hall where there were seats lining the walls, each one with a number behind it. When it was time for my interview, the interviewer came out to meet me and I nervously shook his hand. The interview lasted around 15 minutes and wasn’t half as bad as what I was expecting!
At 14:30pm, after everyone had completed their interviews we went to a concluding assembly, where the most impressionable Year 11 students were chosen by the interviewers for giving the best interviews,  and will be rewarded by visiting Microsoft HQ on 23rd March."

Owain- Year 11 Student

“I found the day interesting and exciting, it was a brand new experience and something I had never done before. I liked how we dressed up formally and were treated like young adults. Although I was a bit nervous before the interview, and the interviewers asked challenging questions, they were very friendly and made everyone feel welcome.”

Emily- Year 11 Student

“I think Microsoft Interview Day was an important new experience, as it has now given me an insight to what interviewing for a real job is like and has given me confidence in talking to new people in a more professional manner. This experience has allowed me to think through what my good and bad qualities are, and ultimately made me consider what jobs I would be interested in, in the future.”

Tamsin- Year 11 Student