No matter where you want to specialize, there’s a wide variety of jobs waiting for you across Microsoft Cloud. However, as with any transition into a new career, getting started can be tricky.
Where do you get enough experience to be able to demonstrate your value to potential employers, how do you find those opportunities, and how do you impress once you get your foot in the door?
For anyone new to job hunting within the world of cloud technology, the good news is that there are a number of ways to get started and land a position in Microsoft Cloud quite quickly.
As a Microsoft Learning Partner ourselves, we know what it takes to launch a successful digital career. So, we’ve compiled some tips and advice to help you find your own dream role.
First things first: You need experience
As with a lot of jobs, most employers want to see tangible evidence of you having done what you say you can.
Let’s be honest, that can be the most difficult stage of any career transition – you have the ability and skills in your armory to do the job, but not the experience to convince an employer to sign you up.
There are two potential solutions to this. The first would be to use training providers like us (we have multiple Microsoft training pathways). The big benefit to this is it will cut your time finding a job from six months down to immediate.
The moment you join us we’ll pay you a salary, meaning you’re earning money right away, and throughout your work placements with our world-leading clients as you build up your portfolio.
If you don’t want to join us, finding a non-profit organization with its own Microsoft implementation is another way of gaining that invaluable experience.
Quite often, an NPO or charity will have some sort of digital platform, but will lack the people they need to really harness its power or customize it the way they’d like.
That means anyone with the time and skills to help is usually welcome to contribute. It can be a time-consuming process finding those organizations, but once you do then you’ll be able to get your fingers dirty with the platform in a real working environment.
While sandboxes are a great way to try things and experiment, there’s nothing like the pressure of a live implementation, where things can go wrong and solutions need to be made that go beyond just hypothetical.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking volunteer work doesn’t count, either. Not only is it a legitimate way of showcasing your ability, but it also demonstrates some incredibly valuable soft skills by putting the work in under your own steam. If you’re lacking tangible work experience, it’s an amazing thing to have in your armory to help you stand out.
Start job hunting
Okay, so if you’re just after some pro tips for finding your dream Microsoft role, then let’s condense it down into this short section. Ready?
It all begins with a solid resume. Realistically, an initial sift through applications will involve a hiring manager or recruiter going through a bunch of resumes and matching them with what the job requires.
And while you’d think that’s unlikely to be successful in reducing the number of applicants, you’d be amazed by how many resumes slip through the crack at this early stage. Even if you’ve listed decades of experience that would suggest you have all the prerequisite skills, if they’re listed on the job spec but not your application, nobody’s going to call you back to check.
So, rather than having an exhaustive list that contains every single one of your accomplishments, tailor your resume to each job you apply for. Marry up any relevant industry experience or projects they may mention, as well as cross-referencing the skills you have with what’s required.
Never try and wing your way through this either – you’ll be found out during a competency test, which can be a major source of frustration if it’s clear you’ve lied during the application phase.
There’s rarely such thing as a blacklist, but it’s a small world, so it’s not worth standing out for the wrong reasons as you never know when you’ll come to regret it.
Once you get through that and into an interview, there’s a good chance it’ll be held virtually. While there was previously a sense of panic amongst candidates at the prospect, the reality has been that it can be leveraged in your favor.
For example, run an equipment check in the days leading up to it and all you’re left doing on the day is to make sure you’re logged in on time with a coffee in hand. That’s way more relaxing than battling traffic or trains!
During the interview itself, feel free to pin notes around your monitor with any pertinent points you’d be looking to raise, or information you’ve learned about the company during your research. It makes it easier to maintain eye contact with your screen while having any prompts you need right in front of you!
Get on the networking train
One of the great things about the cloud community is that it’s full of evangelists who are keen to pass on knowledge and help their peers to find solutions.
And, whilst those answers are primarily within the technical sphere, it goes without saying that if you’re struggling to get your foot in the door, there are people working hands-on within organizations who will be able to give you further pointers and advice.
Plus, taking an active part in the community will get your name out there as well as build your understanding of the ecosystem on a more microscopic level, so take part in conversations that are happening online.
And don’t just keep it to the Microsoft Learning environment. Join LinkedIn and Facebook groups, offer help where you can add genuine value to discussions, and connect with your peers, both digitally and in person. Whether that’s attending huge events such as Microsoft Inspire, or more local groups of other Microsoft professionals, there are a number of gatherings you can attend across the globe.
This list will give you a good idea of some of the user groups that take place, but joining social media groups related to the area of Microsoft you’re looking to specialize in will also likely land you an invite, too.
Talk to recruiters and training providers
All of the above information may be great, but it’s not much use if you aren’t comfortable handling salary negotiations, don’t have time to attend events, or seek out all of the incredible opportunities available and marry them up to your own circumstances.
There are a number of other reasons people use recruiters to find them their dream roles as well, of course, but the end result is the same – you’re having someone do the hard work for you. All you need to do is to turn up to an interview, impress people, then let your recruiter conduct negotiations and everything else on your behalf. Perfect!
It’d probably be remiss of us to mention that if you’re at the beginning of your journey with Microsoft Cloud, we can also help you find your dream job here at Revolent.
We’ll fund at least three Microsoft certifications during the training program and find you a work placement with one of our market-leading clients, in order to give you hands-on experience you’ll need to land an incredible job in Microsoft Cloud.
Even better, we pay you a salary from the moment you join us, meaning you’ll earn while you learn! Why not check out the different options available to you on our Microsoft careers page?
