How to Get Hired by Google, Apple, or Microsoft was originally published on Firsthand.
From software engineers to marketing executives, many career-driven professionals consider tech giants Google, Apple, and Microsoft to be their dream destinations. Google ranks No. 1 in Vault's Most Prestigious Internships and Fortune's 100 Best Companies. Apple ranks No. 1 in Vault's Best Hardware and Equipment Companies to Work For. And Microsoft ranks among the top three in Forbes's Top 2000 Employers, topping other tech giants like Intel and IBM.
So what does it take to become a part of these companies? Below we take a look at four specific actions to take that will improve your chances of landing a job at one of these top employers.
1. Create a Skills-Centered Resume
As with any job, you need to start with your resume. But in the case of Google and Apple, your resume won't look traditional. For instance, the Education section in your resume is not required.
Google and Apple publicly acknowledged that they hire employees without four-year college degrees. Brinleigh Murphy-Reuter, a business recruiter at Google, says that a candidate only needs to add their GPA if they recently graduated high-school.
Instead, according to Brinleigh, all job candidates should give their skills more focus in their resumes. So make sure you include a detailed list of soft and hard skills in your resume. (To find out more about how Google hires, check out this short video featuring Brinleigh and Okwus Ubogagu, a technical recruiter at Google.)
2. Get Noticed
Unlike Google and Microsoft, Apple has a more complicated hiring process, which means that getting hired by this company requires a bit more effort. One of the options that can help you get hired by Apple is applying for internships. Here's how you can do it:
Attend career fairs and events. Apple often visits colleges with presentations, during which company representatives share news about upcoming internships, and give their contact information.
Browse Apple's Internships page. This page contains information about available internship options for students, as well as success stories from former interns.
Apply through every channel. In search of new talent, Apple posts its internship announcements on many websites. The best option is to apply through every website and to give your resume to the Apple representative at the career fair, where the company participates.
Your goal is to get noticed. The interview and the selection process for internships at Apple aren't too nerve-wracking, but because Apple's internships are so competitive, you need to start slow and work there as an intern first.
3. Get Social
You already know the importance of social media during the hiring process. It's inevitable that your future employers will browse through your social media accounts to find out more about you. Microsoft, however, uses social media platforms, LinkedIn, in particular, to search for new talents.
Microsoft bought LinkedIn back in 2016 and made it one of the main channels through which it hires new team members around the world. “LinkedIn structure allows Microsoft to find people with qualifications that suit their requirements,” says Craig Gray, a software engineer at Flatfy and a former intern at Microsoft.
As the influence of LinkedIn has increased, Apple and Google have also become reliant on hiring through the platform. So, if you want to get noticed, work on your LinkedIn account, especially the following sections: Experience, Accomplishments, and Skills and Endorsements.
Education is required only for some of Microsoft's job positions. But what all three companies would like to see on your LinkedIn profile is your professional activity and how well you interact with your network.
4. Stay Connected
All three companies emphasize that, even though they may not hire a job applicant, there is a big chance that they will get back to this applicant in the future. So, lastly, make sure that you stay connected.
You can browse available job announcements, follow all three companies on LinkedIn for updates, or email the HR crew to find out whether there is a job waiting for you. Google, Microsoft, and Apple appreciate when job applicants have a continuous interest in working for them, so do your best to keep up.
Ryan is a passionate writer who likes sharing his thoughts and experiences with the readers. Currently, he works as content editor and internet researcher. He likes everything related to traveling and new countries. You can check out his website here.
