👀 Microsoft PM Internship: Application to Offer – iykyk

NYU Stern & Merging Business + Tech

Hi there 👋 — Who are you and what’s your background?

Hi everyone! I'm Isaiah Gomez. I was born and raised in New York and am currently a sophomore at NYU Stern School of Business. I'm majoring in the newly established Business, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (BTE) degree-granting program.

During the college application process, I knew I wanted to study the intersection between business and technology. I heard about product management during my senior year of high school, and it sounded like an exciting role, but the stigma around it being a difficult career to obtain was daunting. I just wasn't sure where to start! Gratefully, I discovered NYU Stern had released a new program that no one had been through before, so I knew this was the opportunity for me. Fast forwarding to now, I've done many cohort competitions and projects such as design sprints, data sprints, and design-thinking projects centered on customer discovery and creating a product idea that delivers the maximum value.

A fun fact: I recently studied abroad at NYU's satellite campus in Abu Dhabi last semester! I utilized this experience to immerse myself in the UAE culture and took a bunch of electives such as Music Theory and Ethics, Business, and Technology. (I also saw Bill Gates on campus!)

Outside of work and academics, I sing and engage in spoken word!

PM Intern Responsibilities

For those who are unfamiliar, what is the function of a PM intern at a large company?

The responsibilities of a PM intern differ by the company and by teams within it as well. A PM Intern at the Microsoft Xbox team will have a different project than another intern in the Azure team.

Generally, PM interns are in charge of defining the vision and product direction and interacting with software engineers, technical product managers, and others to deliver the product. However, since the internship only runs for 12 weeks, many interns tend to miss the production or delivery stage (which is okay!). What matters most is demonstrating your ability to:

1. Work cross-functionally with various teams (Engineering, UX, Sales, Business, etc.)

2. Define user needs and product vision

3. Manage stakeholders

4. Prioritize product features

PM interns give a final presentation at the conclusion of their internship to higher-ups within the organization. This stage visually and verbally shares your reasonings for product decisions and demonstrates your learning process throughout the internship.

Landing the Interview

How did you prepare yourself to get this internship? Is there any recruiting hack that helped you land the interviews?

Compiling experiences applicable to product management and redefining my resume were my focuses during my freshman and sophomore years. The BTE program helped immensely with exposing me to the product world and the professionals within it. So I knew what companies would be looking for on my resume.

Having prior internships was helpful for my resume! I was able to describe any responsibility or impact related to product management and point it out by using buzzwords.

Landing an interview for a product management internship is difficult, especially for big companies such as Microsoft. I recommend anyone who wants to score an interview have internships beforehand, even if they aren't directly related to product management. Oftentimes, there are tasks that you complete that relate to product management. For example, working cross-functionality, interpreting data, managing stakeholders, conducting customer discovery interviews, and acquiring market knowledge are just a few!

If you don't complete prior internships, I recommend joining clubs, gaining leadership experience, or designing projects that relate to any competencies of a product manager. Product managers should know how to interpret data and identify trends, communicate efficiently, have a technical background (PMs don't need to code, but having a programming background is helpful), and prototype efficiently.

The Recruiting Process & Prep

What did the interview process look like? Can you tell us in detail about the number of rounds, topics, and how you prepped?

There are three stages to the interview process for the PM internship at Microsoft:

1. Recruiter phone screen

2. On-site (final round) interviews

3. Offer stage

The application for Microsoft opened in late August, so I applied in early September (apply as early as possible!). Two weeks after submitting my resume, I got an email for an invite to a 30-minute recruiter phone screen. Here, you can expect behavioral, problem-solving, and technical questions.

I recommend knowing your resume thoroughly since the recruiter will ask you behavioral questions based on your experiences. Preparing a pitch for yourself is essential as well! Since most companies will ask why you're interested in their company, make sure to read up on the values of that company and reminisce about the experiences where you reinforced those company values.

About three weeks after the phone screen, I got invited for the final round of interviews! This round consists of 3-4, 50-minute back-to-back interviews with PMs of any seniority level. These interviews normally entail the applicant flying out to Washington to the Microsoft Headquarters to interview but were held virtually due to covid circumstances.

Another recruiter I was assigned to told me this round would be more technical. Cracking the PM Interview was a book they recommended and a couple of videos Microsoft made about the PM interview. Since I had a month to prepare, I read the entire book, watch YouTube videos on the product design framework, and practice methods such as CIRCLES in mock interviews.

In total, I did five interviews (including the recruiter screen and final round). Two weeks after the final round, I received a congratulations email from Microsoft and was ecstatic!

Standing Out & Recruitment Strategy

What do you think made you stand out as an applicant and is there a recruitment strategy that nobody is doing right now, but should be?

Firstly, I believe my degree program was intriguing to the recruiters. I'm not strictly a CS major or a business major, but I have my hands in both concentrations with a final touch of entrepreneurship. Business, Technology, and Entrepreneurship encapsulate the three areas product managers focus on: business, tech, and UX.

I also had two prior internships: one as a business consulting intern at a Big 4 consulting firm and another as a product management intern at a tech startup.

As for recruitment strategy, I recommend applying as early as possible. Positions for PM internships are limited and filled with thousands of applicants, so you want to make sure you are one of the first!

Considering the climate in the tech industry currently, the headcount for interns has been reduced, so competition is more fierce. I did not receive a referral (nor is it necessary to have one), so don't stress out! But, receiving a referral will only increase the chances of your resume appearing on top of the pile. You must tailor your resume to the job description that the company posts so your resume has a higher likelihood of appearing to the recruiter.

Salary Expectations & Progression

What is the average salary for Microsoft PM Interns and what does the salary progression look like once you join fulltime?

PM interns make around $50 an hour, which adds up to $8000 per month for the 3 months duration. Microsoft provides corporate housing, but you could decide to find your own housing with a $10k stipend. If you're a returning intern, there is usually a signing bonus and a slight salary increase.

Salary progression for full-time product managers depends on the leveling system at Microsoft (starting from L59 to L68). Most interns to full-time PMs start at L59, starting at $120k base, with the signing bonus and stocks negotiable. From L59 onwards, your performance defines how fast you'll get promoted and your salary progression.

After the Internship

What’s your next play after graduating?

I hope to join Microsoft with a return offer! However, since I'm a sophomore, my return offer would be for another internship next year. If I get another return offer next year, that would mean I join as a full-time PM! I'm sure my goals will continue to develop as the years go by, whether it's reaching a seniority level or developing a startup.

As for college, I plan to apply for deferred-admission MBA programs during my senior year! As I'm sure my time at Microsoft will be extraordinary, I hope to leverage my experience and use it for my MBA applications.