Wednesday, February 8, 2012

How to get a job with Microsoft, Apple or Google

I recently read a very interesting article about how to get yourself noticed in the “Major Leagues” . The article is by Gayle Laakmann McDowell, who herself has worked at four of today’s big tech companies the likes of Apple, Google and Microsoft.
Here is a short version of the 9 Reasons.
  • Go to an elite school (or associate with one).
  • Intern early, and relevant to your career (knowing how to flip burgers doesn’t make you a better coder).
  • Major in something relevant.
  • Community service means: do Tech work for free, not in a soup kitchen.
  • Learn how to write (oops, that is why I could never land one of those Winking smile).
  • Be a teacher’s pet. They write good recommendation letters.
  • Be a generalist.
  • Be an entrepreneur, innovate or deliver results.
  • no one cares if you have a 4.0 GPA.
At the end of the day, make sure that whatever you do is transferable to the next step/job in your career.