Getting hired as a Microsoft MACH

In my first post I want to share with you my experience during the hiring process for a MACH position at Microsoft Switzerland.

After studying and working in Asia for the past two year, I decided to return to Europe and work in sales for a global corporation in the tech/software industry. One of the companies on my list was Microsoft, since I liked the MACH program and the challenging transition the company is going through.

With a little research I found an excellent position in the Swiss subsidiary as a Partner Sales Executive for Value Added Reseller (VARs). I applied through the company website and was contacted shortly thereafter by the HR to schedule a phone (Lync) interview.

The interview lasted for one hour, conducted with an HR consultant and my future division manager. The conversation included straight forward behavioral questions, questions regarding Microsoft`s cloud offerings and how I would sell Office 365 to reluctant prospects. I deliberately say “conversation” as much time was left to my answer any of my questions.

Shortly after my interview I got invited to a second round interview at the office in Wallisellen. Here I was interviewed by the HR manager, the VAR team lead and another division manager who focused on behavioral patterns, case questions and personality.

All in all the entire process took 1 month from handing in my application to receiving my offer. From what I have experienced with other companies, this was by far the quickest process and the HR was super responsive to any inquiries.

In the end there was one factor that made Microsoft standout in particular to me. During my interviews I could sense that the company has a strong sense of collaboration, a culture based on team spirit and trust. Oh and did I mention the office … its awesome!

To round this post off, I would like to give some personal advice to any applicant: First, read and know as much as you can about the products you will be working with. Second, think about yourself and how you could make a valuable contribution to the specific team. Last and most important, ask ask and ask again. Preparing good questions is key to being able to challenge your interviewer and turn it into a high quality conversation.

In my next post I will be sharing some of my experiences I made during my first weeks as Partner Sales Executive (PSE). Feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn or Xing should you have any questions regarding the process or my role! I am happy to give advice!

Picture of the Swiss art in the Microsoft Office

Entrance to the Microsoft office