Is it a lot harder to get hired at Microsoft nowadays? (Seattle: 2015, rent)

[KonaldDuth]

I know people who've worked there for years as an outside "IT consultant" and can't manage to get hired as a real employee. I worked as an outsider for a while and quit because it sucked. I've applied for over 10 real positions, some of which were an exact match with my experience based on the job listing, and have never got a single call back. It's amazing how many people I know who supposedly "work at Microsoft" and when I check out their LinkedIn profiles I see that they're not real employees.

[Bolo99]

The industry is flooded with "contract positions" these days. So many people are hired as contractors. Companies then avoid having to pay for health benefits, 401k, no PTO, no paid holidays, no sick days. The list goes on and on. It sucks so much.

[LS35a]

If you're an American, forget it. They like to own their employees and with the H1B visa program they do.

[MDude25]

Depends on your race, Microsoft has a preference for white male candidates with substantial qualifications and experience.

[CrazyDonkey]

And they've been laying off regular employees as they restructure.

Microsoft layoffs: 7,800 jobs cut, takes $7.6 billion charge - Fortune

Microsoft lays off 1,000 employees - Business Insider

[Flavia84]

So why is rent in Redmond keeps on skyrocketing if Microsoft is laying off their employees?

[Polymorphist]

Originally Posted by KonaldDuth

It's amazing how many people I know who supposedly "work at Microsoft" and when I check out their LinkedIn profiles I see that they're not real employees.

Is this really an issue? If you're there, you're there. I've spent about 8 years total at Microsoft, all on contract status. One thing I liked about it is that I was outside of the politics and other issues on the inside. I knew quite a few people whom didn't like being full-time employees there, particularly as things change quickly and teams get re-organized. I've known many people whom ended up in re-orgs under different managers and went from doing very well to barely functioning. As a contractor you can somewhat avoid these issues and at the end of the day you can just go on to another contract. I've also been around different parts of the company as a contractor, more so than the average full-time employee.

And I still made excellent money. I'd go back there in a minute as a contractor.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Flavia84

So why is rent in Redmond keeps on skyrocketing if Microsoft is laying off their employees?

A lot live in North Seattle, riding over on the Connector. Rents look to be moderating there, perhaps because of all the supply being added there, but also possibly because of Microsoft and Boeing either laying off or not hiring as much. Amazon added 10,000 temps to handle the holiday rush, but might have slacked off on permanent hires.

Like it or not, what kept Seattle affordable in the past was the busts that followed the booms.

[Flavia84]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

A lot live in North Seattle, riding over on the Connector. Rents look to be moderating there, perhaps because of all the supply being added there, but also possibly because of Microsoft and Boeing either laying off or not hiring as much. Amazon added 10,000 temps to handle the holiday rush, but might have slacked off on permanent hires.

Like it or not, what kept Seattle affordable in the past was the busts that followed the booms.

So are you saying another bust is on its way?

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Flavia84

So are you saying another bust is on its way?

Another bust is always on its way. It is only a matter of when.