Ever wanted to get on the inside track with a big technology company? Be a part of some of the stuff that we do? Get access to things before other students, get exclusive training, attend invite-only events, become an ambassador to other students, and gain invalueble experience for your CV in the process?
If any of that sounds like you, then you're in luck! The Microsoft Student Partner programme offers all that and more! But what is it? And how can you apply to be an MSP for the upcoming academic year?
What is a Microsoft Student Partner
We're looking for passionate and tenacious students studying something that's either technical/design focussed or marketing/business focussed to help us become more awesome. We need people who love presenting. We need people who love technology.We need people who aren't afraid of trying new things, meeting new people, and having a lot of fun in the process.
As a Microsoft Student Partner, you'll get access to a brilliant community of likeminded students. You’ll spend some of your time planning campus events, blogging and tweeting your experiences with technology, demonstrating the latest technologies wherever you go, and working with your peers and students on campus, clubs and your department.
You’ll get to work with the latest and greatest cutting edge technology, talk to inspirational and aspirational people within the technology industry and gain exclusive access to events, and resources.
There are three different streams of the programme that you can apply to: Technical, Senior Technical, and Business. Check out this document (http://www.slideshare.net/msukstudents/msp-2012-summary-terms) for more information on what we're looking for, and the differences between the three schemes.
What do you get in return?
First and foremost, being an MSP looks great on your CV. You'll also get some great opportunities to build unique skills and get involved in projects that'll give you a lot to talk about when you're showing off your experience in a job interview!
As with many things in the world of technology, the more you put in the more you'll get out - and the more active MSPs will get things like a full MSDN subscription to download our entire library of software, and much more.
Every MSP will be invited along to our UK MSP summit, too - it'll be happening some time in early 2012 and is a chance to get together with other MSPs for a tonne of great sessions, learning, social, and employability stuff. Just chat to some of last year's MSPs to find out how awesome the 2011 summit was!
How do I apply?
Here's the fun part! We want to hear from you, in your own words, why you you want to be an MSP. To that end, we've made the application process very different - and ultimately more fun - this time around!
Using your computer's webcam (no webcam? get in touch!) and an internet connection, we want you to record or upload to YouTube a short video explaining why you want to be an MSP. It needs to be no longer than three minutes, and we encourage you to be as creative as you can be! This means you can either use YouTube's built in webcam capture tool in-browser, or you can do something else and then upload the video.
When you upload, mark the video as 'unlisted' - that way your friends won't get hold of it before we do - and copy and paste the link to the video into the application form below. Fill out all of the other bits of the form, and drop it in an email to ukmsp@microsoft.com.
There you have it! We want you to join us for what looks to be an amazing year! Now, applications will remain open for some time, but we'll announce the first wave of MSPs in early September - so get your application in fast and beat the crowds!
Click here to view the MSP 2012 Terms & Guidance: http://www.slideshare.net/msukstudents/msp-2012-summary-terms