Microsoft Internships

Microsoft hires about 550 summer internships. The internship application process is intense. All Microsoft internships are paid and most are in the following business categories: software development, user experience, finance, legal, human resources, IT, marketing, sales, and consulting. 80% of interns receive entry level job offers upon graduation.  

Microsoft summer internship benefits include:

• Paid travel to Microsoft
• Subsidized car rental or bike purchase plan
• Health club membership (dues paid by Microsoft, but taxed as income for you)
• Shipping reimbursement
• Free bus pass
• Parties and special events
• Free training
• Software discounts

As an intern at Microsoft, you’ll have real responsibility, real work, and real opportunities to jumpstart your career. (You’ll get paid, too!) It’s an experience you’ll never find in a classroom. You’ll be given manageable assignments that you can complete while you’re here, and your efforts will likely take shape in Microsoft products—or be used by Microsoft teams—long after you return to school. You could help create a Web application, a marketing plan, a prototype, a user guide—the possibilities are endless. And just imagine millions of customers, not to mention your classmates, seeing your work! Some interns even parlay their experience into a job offer.*

Microsoft student and graduate site: here.
Microsoft student lounge: here.

Microsoft hires about 550 summer internships. The internship application process is intense. All Microsoft internships are paid and most are in the following business categories: software development, user experience, finance, legal, human resources, IT, marketing, sales, and consulting. 80% of interns receive entry level job offers upon graduation.  

Microsoft summer internship benefits include:

• Paid travel to Microsoft
• Subsidized car rental or bike purchase plan
• Health club membership (dues paid by Microsoft, but taxed as income for you)
• Shipping reimbursement
• Free bus pass
• Parties and special events
• Free training
• Software discounts

As an intern at Microsoft, you’ll have real responsibility, real work, and real opportunities to jumpstart your career. (You’ll get paid, too!) It’s an experience you’ll never find in a classroom. You’ll be given manageable assignments that you can complete while you’re here, and your efforts will likely take shape in Microsoft products—or be used by Microsoft teams—long after you return to school. You could help create a Web application, a marketing plan, a prototype, a user guide—the possibilities are endless. And just imagine millions of customers, not to mention your classmates, seeing your work! Some interns even parlay their experience into a job offer.*

Microsoft student and graduate site: here.
Microsoft student lounge: here.

"Best summer of my life" Position: Development Intern Location: Seattle, WA Pay: $$5,400/month Duration: 12 weeks Review posted on 2/24/2011

I gained real world experience: 1 2 3 4 5 Agree My boss treated me with respect: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree I enjoyed my fellow co-workers: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree The work I performed was interesting: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree I feel better positioned to gain a fulltime job: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree Overall, I was satisfied with my internship: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree

Pros: Best summer of my life. Advice for other students: Huge volume of intern applications. Try to find somebody that works there that can give your resume to the college recruiting team.

"Smart technology students and great pay" Position: Programming Intern Location: Seattle, WA Pay: $$6,000/month Duration: 12 weeks Review posted on 2/28/2011

I gained real world experience: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree My boss treated me with respect: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree I enjoyed my fellow co-workers: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree The work I performed was interesting: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree I feel better positioned to gain a fulltime job: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree Overall, I was satisfied with my internship: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree

Pros: When I showed up to work in a button-down shirt, I actually felt a little overdressed. Here is a cool story – on one Saturday all of the interns were invited in, were given free pizza and shirts, and then spent the day running around Microsoft’s campus solving logic puzzles, word puzzles and indescribably weird puzzles. Cons: none. Advice for other students: Here is my interview experience. In one interview, I had to design an algorithm to analyze a set of words to find anagrams. In another, the interviewer and I discussed the architecture of a database for an educational game. They test you with specific tasks, so be prepared and take your time.

"Worked on exciting research on computer interaction and research" Position: Microsoft Research Worldwide Ph.D Intern Location: Redmond, WA Pay: $$6,800/month Duration: 12 weeks Review posted on 3/10/2011

I gained real world experience: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree My boss treated me with respect: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree I enjoyed my fellow co-workers: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree The work I performed was interesting: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree I feel better positioned to gain a fulltime job: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree Overall, I was satisfied with my internship: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree

Pros: - I interact with professional researchers on a daily basis, and the interactions are very frank, honest, and productive. - Coworkers were intelligent and motivated. - Worked on exciting research on computer interaction and research. Cons: Nothing, great program. I'm from Asia, so I thought it would be tough, but great global presence at Microsoft. Advice for other students: Amazing summer.

"awesome place to intern" Position: Innovation Intern Location: Mountain View, CA Pay: $25/hour Duration: 12 weeks Review posted on 3/29/2011

I gained real world experience: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree My boss treated me with respect: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree I enjoyed my fellow co-workers: 1 2 3 4 5 Agree The work I performed was interesting: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree I feel better positioned to gain a fulltime job: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree Overall, I was satisfied with my internship: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree

Pros: -employees treat you with respect -my manager had the same expectations of me that she had of her full-time employees -lots to learn, lots of resources Cons: -there were a couple days i had to work long hours to get something done - but it was well worth it Advice for other students: this is a great place to intern, definitely apply!

"Lync projects at Mircosoft - great internship experience" Position: Program Manager Intern Location: Seattle, WA Pay: $$32/hour Duration: 12 weeks Review posted on 1/21/2012

I gained real world experience: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree My boss treated me with respect: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree I enjoyed my fellow co-workers: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree The work I performed was interesting: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree I feel better positioned to gain a fulltime job: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree Overall, I was satisfied with my internship: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree

Pros: - Worked on Microsoft Lync. - Intern events, speakers, etc. It's a well organized program. - Campus. - IM extension experience. - Good fulltime hire conversion. Cons: n/a Advice for other students: Find a technology company and a product within that company that you're passionate about - then go intern there.

"Business Online Services at Microsoft over the summer" Position: Software Engineering Intern Location: Seattle, WA Pay: $$34/hour Duration: 12 weeks Review posted on 1/22/2012

I gained real world experience: 1 2 3 4 5 Agree My boss treated me with respect: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree I enjoyed my fellow co-workers: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree The work I performed was interesting: 1 2 3 4 5 Agree I feel better positioned to gain a fulltime job: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree Overall, I was satisfied with my internship: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree

Pros: - Enjoyed getting to know the other students. - Microsoft does a good job offering fulltime positions to interns (I got an offer). - I worked on the Business Online Services Team. Cons: - Huge company. - Some work wasn't that interesting to me, but I might be picky. Advice for other students: Get involved in all the contests, outreach that the technology companies do to reach engineering students. This way, you can develop relationships with the University Recruiting teams and some hiring managers.

"Able to work with a product team at Microsoft" Position: Program Manager Intern Location: Seattle, WA Pay: $$30/hour Duration: 12 weeks Review posted on 1/29/2012

I gained real world experience: 1 2 3 4 5 Agree My boss treated me with respect: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree I enjoyed my fellow co-workers: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree The work I performed was interesting: 1 2 3 4 5 Agree I feel better positioned to gain a fulltime job: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree Overall, I was satisfied with my internship: 1 2 3 4 5 Agree

Pros: I was able to dive deep into a specific product at Micorosoft during my internship. I worked with developers and designs on photo sharing with email clients. I performed research, testing, and requirement production. Furthermore, Microsoft does a great job with mentorship, events, learning seminars, and showing you full-time positions. Cons: Like any large company, I wish MSFT moved faster. Advice for other students: - High GPA. - Microsoft immediately makes your resume pop. - Go to on campus events if they come to your school.

"Microsoft is still the top place to gain technology and business experience" Position: Product Management Intern Location: Redmond, WA Pay: $$30/hour Duration: 12 weeks Review posted on 1/29/2012

I gained real world experience: 1 2 3 4 5 Agree My boss treated me with respect: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree I enjoyed my fellow co-workers: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree The work I performed was interesting: 1 2 3 4 5 Neutral "OK" I feel better positioned to gain a fulltime job: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree Overall, I was satisfied with my internship: 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree

Pros: During my internship at Microsoft, I developed a product plan for the new version of internet explorer targeting the higher education market. The internship was very well put together and I learned a ton. Microsoft also does a good job providing lots of intern perks. Cons: none really. Advice for other students: Microsoft is very campus recruiting driven, so try to meet one of their college recruiters.