Microsoft & HBCU Connect Launch New Online Technical Challenge to offer jobs to African Americans. (65712 hits)
HBCUConnect.com, in partnership with Microsoft, recently announced a contest to promote opportunities for minority professionals with experience in the IT industry, to compete for prizes, recognition and possibly interview with Microsoft for a career within the Cloud & Enterprise, Microsoft IT business or Global Foundation Service divisions.
The contest, called the Microsoft Technical Challenge, offers the chance to win recognition and prizes for demonstrating knowledgeable skills in fundamental computer science, problem solving, networking, IT infrastructure and coding.
“It’s really a new and exciting way for talented minority techs to show off their skills in what’s traditionally a minority-challenged industry,” explains Will Moss, founder and CEO of HBCUConnect.com. “Contests like this let talented programmers and techies really shine in their field, and puts them in a direct line of vision with the hiring departments that can make their dream job come true.”
There are a number of prizes available, including: a trip to Washington D.C. to attend an event for African American tech professionals, scheduled for May 29th, 2014; a trip to Microsoft's headquarters, including a tour of the campus, meetings with other talented African American software engineers at Microsoft and one-on-one interviews with Microsoft's hiring managers; a new XBOX ONE gaming system; and recognition in HBCU Connect magazine.
“The prizes are great, but I think the real reward is the opportunity to be recognized based on sheer talent,” explains Moss, who started HBCUConnect.com in an effort to make diversity recruitment from Historically Black Colleges and Universities more accessible to companies across the country.
Microsoft maintains a number of relationships with schools and professional organizations such as the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, Society of Women Engineers, National Black MBAs, American Indian Science and Engineer Society, and many more. The software company also offers scholarships at the college and graduate level for promising students, technology programs for elementary students, high school internships and a number of other diversity initiatives.
The Microsoft African American Tech Challenge is only one of several diversity recruitment strategies undertaken by Microsoft in partnership with HBCUConnect.com.
Questions or inquiries related to this, or other similar campaigns targeting African American professionals should be directed to Will Moss at wrmoss@hbcuconnect.com
