September 26, 2024

‍

The best way to learn how to succeed in the tech internship process is to get advice from older students who have already been through it. In that spirit, we've started a series called Tech Trajectories to tap into the knowledge of former interns, and provide their expertise to current/future interns.

Our first former intern is Crystal Chong, who is currently a SWE at Microsoft, working on the M365 Search Copilot platform. Crystal began her internship journey at Farmers Insurance in 2021, before moving to Microsoft in 2022. She was born and raised in Seattle and attended Bowdoin College in Maine, later moving back to Seattle to start her career. She enjoys traveling, playing golf and pickleball, and spending time on the water!

A big thanks to Crystal for taking the time to answer some questions! If you'd like to nominate former interns to appear on Tech Trajectories in the future, share their contact info with us at internship.playbook@gmail.com!

Our Questions + Crystal's Answers

‍

1. How did you build connections over the summer?

Being in-person facilitated quick introductions, leading to more organic connections. I met new faces at the coffee machine and strengthened relationships with my team and partner teams during lunch. For those who worked remotely, I made sure to schedule 1:1s with them as well. Lastly, I maximized my participation in company-organized events to meet other interns and FTEs, engaging with as many people as possible.

‍

2. What values and qualities do Microsoft interviewers seek in internship candidates?

While internship candidates are not expected to have industry experience, interviewers seek candidates who demonstrate a strong ability to learn quickly, an eagerness to grow, receptiveness to feedback, and effective problem solving and communication skills.

‍

3. How did you prepare for the technical interview?

Memorize and practice your elevator pitch—keep it to 1 minute, with no filler words. A polished intro makes a great first impression. 🙂 Treat LeetCode like a daily homework assignment—one a day goes a long way! Tip: as you work through these problems, get into a habit of verbalizing your thought process, just like you would in a real interview. The more clearly and confidently you can communicate your approach and solution, the more prepared and competent you'll appear to your interviewer.

‍

4. What’s your top resource recommendation for students preparing for internships?

Use your network! Reach out to those who have gone through the interview process and ask about their experiences, strategies, and the types of questions they have encountered. If your peers are also preparing for interviews, set up mock interviews together and give each other constructive feedback. This will help you sharpen your skills, build confidence, and gain insight into different interview styles/strategies.

‍

5. Can you share more about the project you worked on as an intern at Microsoft?

My intern project entailed building a data storage solution to enable stress testing in a local, end-to-end environment that simulates production. I dedicated 5 weeks towards compiling a comprehensive design spec, documenting architectural and database design proposals, implementation details, and UML diagrams. The following 5 weeks were focused on integrating an abstraction layer into the existing platform and bringing my design into a functional end-to-end state. In the final 2 weeks, I polished and showcased my project in a demo.

‍

6. Did your work feel impactful, even within such a large company?

Although my project was not impactful from a customer-facing perspective, it still felt rewarding knowing the internal value it brought, significantly reducing costs and improving dev efficiency. It’s all about perspective – within a large company, even small contributions can have a significant impact. Every improvement, no matter how behind-the-scenes, helps drive progress on a larger scale.

‍

7. What are your best tips for turning an internship into a return offer?

Being proactive, embracing failure, and regularly seeking feedback demonstrates your commitment to the growth and success of your team. Building strong, trusting relationships with your manager/team will help position yourself as a future asset to the company. Don’t shy away from taking risks—failure is a stepping stone to success, and learning from it will accelerate your growth.

‍

8. What are some unexpected aspects of working at Microsoft?

Microsoft fosters a strong growth mindset culture, so managers are most often very supportive in your personal and professional growth and actively want to help you achieve your career aspirations. This makes it easy to explore new opportunities and transfer internally if you're looking to make an impact in a different area of the company.

‍

9. Are there any mistakes you made as an intern that you'd advise students to avoid?

One mistake I made was not setting a time limit for how long I stayed stuck on a problem. While it's important to challenge yourself and troubleshoot, it’s equally important to balance giving yourself time to debug and knowing when to ask for help. I recommend setting a reasonable time limit, and if you're still stuck, don’t hesitate to seek guidance. Asking the right questions early can save you hours and help you learn more efficiently.

‍

10. What is your #1 piece of advice for students trying to break into tech?

Be persistent and stay curious! The tech industry is constantly evolving—continuously explore new technologies, ask questions, and seek out projects that challenge your skills. Lastly, don’t be discouraged by setbacks—use them as learning opportunities.