The video provides timely and actionable advice for a highly sought-after internship, focusing on a less obvious but crucial aspect (timing) and offering practical tips. The creator's community-driven approach of sharing insider information also builds trust and encourages engagement.
Summary
The video discusses the Microsoft Explore SWE internship, emphasizing that application timing is crucial, not just skills. It highlights that the program targets freshmen and sophomores, focusing on coachability and behavioral aspects over advanced technical skills. The application process involves behavioral and technical interviews, with the key to success being likability, coachability, and a strong resume submitted quickly.
Structure
1Introduction to Microsoft Explore SWE Internship
2Importance of application timing over skills
3Target audience and program focus (freshmen/sophomores)
4Interview process (behavioral and technical)
5Key to success: likability, coachability, and prompt application
6Call to action: follow for updates and share information
Product placement
The video is about the Microsoft Explore SWE Internship program.
Call to action
Follow along for updates and turn on notifications.
More from @zero2sudo
Their other posts in the index, biggest breakout first.
On-screen text
Microsoft Explore SWE Internship: Nov 19, 2025
SO MICROSOFT OPENED
A VERY IMPORTANT
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INTERNSHIP TO
PROBABLY DON'T KNOW
IS THAT MOST
MICROSOFT EXPLORE REJECTION
AREN'T ABOUT SKILLS.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY ABOUT
TIMING WHEN YOU APPLY.
NOW, HISTORICALLY,
MICROSOFT HAS REJECTED
TO EXPLORE IN JANUARY
EVEN THOUGH THE
APP CLOSES IN FEBRUARY,
BECAUSE THEY ONLY
TAKE ABOUT 300 APPLICANTS.
THAT FOR THE
PAST COUPLE OF YEARS,
MY FOLLOWERS WHO
STORY NOTIFICATIONS TURNED ON
TO APPLY WITHIN
A FEW MINUTES
OF THIS APPLICATION OPENING,
ARE GETTING A
REALLY BIG EDGE.
ADVANTAGE,
LANDING THIS MICROSOFT INTERNSHIP
EVEN THOUGH IT'S
SINGLE FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE
BECAUSE MICROSOFT ALREADY
HAS THE CANDIDATE
POOL THAT THEY NEED
THIS APPLICATION OPENS.
NOW, MICROSOFT EXPLORE IS
SPECIAL BECAUSE IT'S
TARGETED FOR FRESHMAN
AND SOPHOMORE
JUST DON'T HAVE
COMPUTER SCIENCE SKILLS YET
EXPECTING YOU TO
HAVE A TON
OF TECHNICAL SKILLS,
TECHNICAL ABILITY.
THEY'RE REALLY ONLY
GONNA BE TESTING, LIKE,
INTRO LEVEL SKILLS.
SO WE'RE TALKING
THINGS LIKE HASH MAPS,
THINGS LIKE STRINGS,
ARRAY PROBLEMS,
ANYTHING THAT YOU
ABLE TO TAKE
IN CS ONE
OR CS TWO CLASS.
AND SOMETIMES YOU
JUST GET BEHAVIORAL
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS LIKE,
WHY DO YOU
AT MICROSOFT?
WHAT IS YOUR
FAVORITE TECHNOLOGY?
OR WHY WERE
YOU INTERESTED IN
STUDYING COMPUTER SCIENCE?
NOW, THE INTERVIEWS
ALSO PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD
BUT THERE'S TWO
45 MINUTE INTERVIEWS
THAT ARE EITHER
TECHNICAL OR KIND
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT BASED,
AND THEY SOMETIMES
COME AFTER
MINUTE RECRUITER PHONE
SCREEN THAT CAN
BE ENTIRELY BEHAVIORAL.
DON'T HAVE TO
STRESS ABOUT THE
TECHNICAL INTERVIEWS
FOR MICROSOFT EXPLORE
BECAUSE THE POINT
MORE ABOUT DISCOVERING
YOUR GROWTH MINDSET,
SCOVERING YOUR COACHABILITY.
MICROSOFT WANTS TO
TEACH YOU WHAT
TO BE A
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INTERN
UP FOR SUCCESS
IN YOUR SOPHOMORE YEAR,
OR FOR YOUR
JUNIOR YEAR.
SO THE INTERVIEWS
WILL FEEL COLLABORATIVE
AND PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD
THE MOST IMPORTANT
PART OF THIS
ENTIRE PROCESS
IS REALLY BEING
A LIKABLE PERSON,
BEING A COACHABLE
HAVING GOOD BEHAVIORAL
QUESTION ANSWERS USING
THINGS LIKE THE
STAR FORMAT,
APPLYING FAST AND
APPLYING FAST WITH
A GOOD RESUME.
PICK YOU IN
THE FIRST PLACE.
BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE
BE TENS OF THOUSANDS,
IF NOT HUNDREDS
OF STUDENTS TRYING
TO APPLY FOR
THE MICROSOFT EXPLORE INTERNSHIP
PUT YOUR BEST
SOON AS POSSIBLE
FOR THIS INTERNSHIP.
KEEP BREAKING MICROSOFT
EXPLORER UPDATES
AS MY FOLLOWERS
SEND THEM TO ME.
OF MY FOLLOWERS
WHO INTERNED IN
MICROSOFT EXPLORER LAST
YEAR AND THE
ARE GONNA BE
TIPS THAT I
CAN SHARE WITH
ON HOW TO
PASS THESE INTERVIEWS
SO BE SURE TO
REAL AND TIKTOK
NOTIFICATIONS TO GET THESE.
UPDATE AND LEAVE
A COMMENT BECAUSE THAT'S THE
OF VIDEOS ON
YOUR FEED.
COMPANIES DON'T ANNOUNCE
ALL THIS STUFF PUBLICLY,
BUT MY COMMUNITY
IT WITH ME
IT BACK WITH
SO FOLLOW ALONG
THE KNOW.
Transcript
Microsoft opened a very important software engineering internship today. But what you probably don't know is that most Microsoft Explore rejection aren't about skills. They're actually about timing when you apply. Now, historically, Microsoft has rejected people who apply to Explore in January, even though the app closes in February, because they only take about 300 applicants. And this means that for the past couple of years, my followers who have their Instagram story notifications turned on to apply within a few minutes of this application opening are getting a really big edge. Advantage. They're landing this Microsoft internship even though it's for single freshman and sophomore, because Microsoft already has the candidate pool that they need the second that this application opens. Now, Microsoft Explore is special because it's targeted for freshman and sophomore, people who just don't have computer science skills yet. They're not expecting you to have a ton of technical skills, technical ability. They're really only gonna be testing, like, intro level skills. So we're talking things like hash maps, things like strings, array problems, anything that you'd be able to take in CS one or CS two class. And sometimes you just get behavioral interview questions like, why do you want to work at Microsoft? What is your favorite technology? Or why were you interested in studying computer science? Now, the interviews are also pretty straightforward, but there's two 45 minute interviews that are either technical or kind of product management based, and they sometimes come after a 30 minute recruiter phone screen that can be entirely behavioral. You don't have to stress about the technical interviews for Microsoft Explore because the point of it is more about discovering your growth mindset, discovering your coachability. Microsoft wants to teach you what to be a software engineering intern, set you up for success in your sophomore year, since this is for the freshman app, or for your junior year. So the interviews will feel collaborative and pretty straightforward, which means that the most important part of this entire process is really being a likable person, being a coachable person, having good behavioral question answers using things like the STAR format, applying fast and applying fast with a good resume, that way they pick you in the first place. Because again, there'll be tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of students trying to apply for the Microsoft Explore internship. So you need to put your best foot forward as soon as possible for this internship. I'm gonna keep breaking Microsoft Explorer updates as my followers send them to me. And a bunch of my followers who interned in Microsoft Explorer last year and the year prior are gonna be sending me helpful tips that I can share with you guys on how to pass these interviews. So be sure to turn on your Instagram story notifications and TikTok notifications to get these updates and leave a comment because that's the of videos on your feed. Companies don't announce all this stuff publicly, but my community, it with me and I share it back with you guys. So follow along the know.
