How to Write a Microsoft Resume?

Hey there! Priyansha here, an SDE at Microsoft.

I've been in your shoes - applying for tech roles and hoping my resume would stand out from the pile.

But let's be real, a lot of talented people get their resumes rejected in the initial screening phase itself. It's a tough world out there!

That's why in this article, I have discussed everything on how to write a Microsoft resume. The same formula and points can be applied to any role, be it MAANG or any other company. ✅

We’ll cover:

🌟 How to create an attention-grabbing header and highlight your skills

🌟 The right way to showcase your education and work experience

🌟 Strategies for quantifying your achievements and using powerful language

🌟 Best practices for formatting, naming conventions, and file types

🌟 And finally, I'll share an ideal, ATS-friendly resume template that's proven successful for many FAANG candidates!

Let’s dive right in!

Resume Structure - How to Write the Sections of Your Resume

▶️ Header

At Microsoft, we look for resumes that are well-organised and easy to navigate, starting with a clear and concise header.

Since this is the first thing a recruiter will see, make sure it's eye-catching and informative. Think of it as the gateway to your resume – it needs to be inviting and make the recruiter want to keep reading.

First things first, your name should be front and center, and a little larger and bolder than the rest of the text.

Underneath your name, you'll want to include all the important details that a recruiter might need to get in touch with you or learn a little more about you.

This includes your email address, phone number, city and country, and links to your professional profiles like LinkedIn and GitHub.

📌 For example:

[email protected] | (123) 456-7890 | Delhi, India

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rahulkumar | GitHub: github.com/rahulkumar

A GitHub profile is optional but LinkedIn is mandatory.

Your one-page resume might not have enough space to cover everything, so your LinkedIn profile gives the recruiter a chance to dive deeper and get a better understanding of your experience and skills.

▶️ Objective

An objective or summary statement is like a sneak peek into your professional goals and what you bring to the table.

Now, this section is optional, so don't sweat it if you're running out of space on your resume. But if you do decide to include it, make sure it's brief and to the point – think two or three lines max.

The key here is to highlight your career aspirations and the skills or experience you can offer the employer.

You want to show them that you're a perfect fit for the role you're applying for.

📌 For example, let's say you're a UX Researcher with a few years of experience under your belt. Your objective could look something like this:

"Experienced UX Researcher with 3+ years of expertise in user research methodologies, usability testing, and data analysis, seeking a full-time role to contribute to user-centric product design."

▶️ Education

When listing your educational background, be sure to include the degree you obtained, the institution you attended, your graduation date (or expected graduation date if you're still a student), and your GPA – but only if it's a strong one, of course.

📌 For example:

"Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

University of XYZ, Graduation: May 2022, GPA: 3.8/4.0"

If you're fresh out of college or a recent graduate, it's a good idea to place this section near the top of your resume.

That way, your academic achievements are front and centre for the recruiter to see.

And for all you freshers out there, don't hesitate to include relevant coursework that showcases your knowledge in areas like DSA, OOP, or OS.

This can help fill in the gaps if you don't have much professional experience yet.

▶️ Skills

To make this section really pop, consider breaking it down into subsections like "Programming Languages," "Tools," and "Languages."

This makes it way easier for the recruiter to quickly scan and understand your skillset.

Now, when it comes to listing your skills, it's important to match them to the job requirements. No need to include irrelevant skills that won't contribute to the role you're applying for.

📌 And here's a pro tip: instead of using phrases like "proficient with" or "familiar with," try ordering your skills from highest to lowest proficiency within each subsection.

For example, if Python is your strongest programming language and R is your weakest, list Python first and R last.

This way, the recruiter can easily see where your true strengths lie without having to decipher any fluff.

So, let's say you're applying for a role that requires expertise in Java, Python, and SQL. Your skills section could look something like this: 👇

Programming Languages: Java, Python, SQL, C++

Tools: Git, Docker, Kubernetes

▶️ Work Experience

Alright, let's talk about the star of the show – your work experience section.

This is where you get to showcase your skills, achievements, and the impact you've made in the real world.

When listing your work experience, it's important to follow a reverse chronological order. That means you start with your most recent job first and work your way backwards.

As you're detailing each role, make sure to focus on the accomplishments and responsibilities that are directly relevant to the job you're applying for.

No need to include irrelevant tasks or projects that won't contribute to your candidacy.

📌 Here's how you can structure each work experience entry:

Company Name, Job Title, Location, Employment Dates

📌 For example:

"X Inc., Software Engineer, Bangalore (June 2019 - Present)"

Now, instead of writing long paragraphs describing your role, opt for concise bullet points.

Not only does this make your resume more skimmable, but it also allows you to highlight your key contributions more effectively.

When crafting these bullet points, start each one with a strong action verb.

Words like "developed," "implemented," "optimised," or "achieved" pack a punch and immediately capture the recruiter's attention.

But don't just stop there.

Use a variety of unique and active verbs to keep things interesting. Think "created," "established," "improved," "increased," "launched," "managed," and "resolved."

This makes your resume more engaging to read.

💡 Pro tip: Use the CAR (Challenge, Action, Result) method to structure your bullet points. First, describe the challenge or problem you faced. Then, outline the actions you took to address it.

Finally, quantify the positive results you achieved.

📌 For example:

"Reduced response latency of the e-commerce application by 30% by implementing caching through the integration of Redis."

See how that bullet point flows?

It starts with a strong action verb ("reduced"), describes the challenge (response latency), outlines your action (implementing caching with Redis), and quantifies the result (30% reduction in latency).

And speaking of quantifying results, that's a key element that can really make your achievements stand out.

Whenever possible, use numbers, percentages, or other measurable metrics to showcase the impact of your work.

Instead of saying, "Improved code efficiency," try something like, "Increased code efficiency by 20%."

Now, I know what you're thinking – "But what if I don't have specific numbers to share?"

Don't worry; you can still quantify your impact by providing reasonable estimates or ranges. Just make sure you can justify them if asked.

📌 For example:

"Implemented caching with Redis, reducing response latency from approximately 200ms to 50ms."

See how that still paints a vivid picture of your accomplishment, even without precise numbers?

▶️ Projects

If you've worked on any significant projects, whether personal or academic, make sure to include them on your resume.

When listing your projects, describe your specific role and the project's purpose or objective. This helps the recruiter understand the context and the challenges you tackled.

📌 For example:

"Developed a mobile app for meal planning and grocery list management. Implemented user authentication, recipe database integration, and barcode scanning functionality."

See how that gives a clear picture of the project and the various technologies or features you worked with.

But don't stop there – highlight the outcomes you achieved.

👉 Did your app gain a certain number of users?

👉 Did it receive positive reviews or recognition?

Quantify the impact wherever possible, as this adds credibility to your accomplishments.

▶️ Awards and Achievements

Now, let's talk about awards and achievements.

While extracurricular activities can be nice to include, showcasing your technical achievements is generally better when applying for tech roles.

If you're a second or third-year student and don't have many technical achievements to highlight yet, it's perfectly okay to include some non-technical accomplishments to fill the space. But try to keep them relevant and impressive.

📌 For example, if you organised a successful coding workshop or hackathon, that's definitely worth mentioning, as it shows your leadership skills and passion for technology.

Now, tell me which one’s better.

👉 "Wrote a Research paper on <Topic> and Accepted by IEEE".

👉 "Published a research paper on <Topic>, enhancing <system> performance by {percentage}, The work received prestigious recognition and acceptance from the IEEE, highlighting its significant impact on the field."

The second option is definitely more impactful and compelling. Here's why: 👇

✅ It quantifies the impact of your research by mentioning the performance enhancement percentage.

✅ It emphasises the prestigious recognition from IEEE, which adds credibility.

✅ It highlights the broader significance of your work by mentioning its impact on the field.

The first option, while still noteworthy, lacks the specificity and measurable impact that the second option provides.

So, when showcasing your achievements, always strive to provide context, quantify the outcomes, and emphasise any prestigious recognition or impact you received.

This not only makes your accomplishments more impressive but also shows your ability to communicate your value effectively.

Additional Tips to Perfect Your Resume

📌 Get feedback from trusted colleagues, and mentors to improve the quality and impact of your resume.

📌 To get a score for your resume for free, use: Resumeworded

📌 Maintain a master resume and update it frequently. Then, when it's time to apply for a specific role, you can cherry-pick the most relevant details from your master resume and create a tailored version.

📌 Maintain consistent formatting throughout your resume. Use the same fonts, bullet styles, headings, spacing, and styles, date format should be consistent.

Resume Red Flags to Avoid

Let's talk about some resume red flags to steer clear of:

📌 Phrases like "references available upon request" – Trust me, the recruiter already knows that.

📌 Repeating the same information multiple times – Redundancy is a big no-no.

📌 Using personal pronouns like "I" or "my" – Your resume should be all about your achievements, not personal narratives.

📌 Excessive white space – While some breathing room is good, too much empty space can make your resume look sparse.

📌 Filler words like "responsible for" or "duties included" – Cut straight to the chase and showcase your accomplishments.

📌 And one final tip: stick to a font size of 10 or larger. You don't want the recruiter squinting to read your resume.

How to Write Keywords?

One of the key factors in getting your resume past the initial screening process (often done by Applicant Tracking Systems or ATS) is the strategic use of keywords.

These are typically relevant skills, technologies, or phrases from the job description.

So, make sure to analyse the job posting carefully and sprinkle those keywords throughout your resume.

To check if your resume is matching with job profile: Jobscan

Resume Template

This is the template that I recommend.

A few interesting points about the template are:-

✅ It is ATS compliant.

✅ Structured to fit a lot of information in a single page.

✅ The font size is 12 which is ideal to accommodate a lot of info without making it look clumsy.

✅ It is a latex template which is machine-readable format.

Naming Convention and File Format

When it comes to naming your resume file, keep it professional and straightforward.

Which one is the best?

▶️ Priyansha’s_Resume (1)

▶️ Priyansha_Resume_final

▶️ My_Resume

▶️ Resume_SDE2

▶️ Priyansha_Sharma_Resume

If your answer is 5, you are correct. "Priyansha_Sharma_Resume" is perfect – it clearly identifies you and the document type.

Avoid generic names like "My_Resume" or confusing additions like version numbers (e.g., "Resume (1)"). The goal is to make it easy for the recruiter to identify your resume at a glance.

Last but not least, always circulate your resume as a PDF file.

PDFs are platform-independent and maintain their formatting and alignment, no matter where they're viewed.

Wrapping it Up

Let's quickly go over the key takeaways:

✨ Your header sets the tone, so make it clear, concise, and attention-grabbing with your name, contact info, and professional links.

✨ An objective/summary statement is optional but can be powerful if done right – keep it focused and aligned with the role.

✨ Highlight your education, skills, and relevant coursework, especially if you're a recent grad.

✨ In your work experience section, use the CAR method, action verbs, and quantified achievements to showcase your impact.

✨ Don't forget to include impressive projects, awards, and achievements – focus on the technical ones.

✨ Maintain consistent formatting, avoid red flags, leverage keywords, and use an ATS-friendly template (like the one I've shared!).

✨ Pay attention to naming conventions and file formats – keep it professional and PDF-friendly.

Phew, that's a lot to remember, right? But don't worry, I've got your back!

If you're feeling overwhelmed or need any help with your resume, interview prep, or overall career goals, feel free to reach out to me on a 1:1 free call.

I'm always happy to lend a hand, offer advice, or just be a friendly ear to bounce ideas off of. ✅

After all, we're in this together, and a little support can go a long way in achieving our dreams.

So, what are you waiting for? Update that resume, polish those skills, and get ready to impress those Microsoft (or any other company) recruiters!

You've got this!