Pakistani student reveals how she landed a Microsoft London internship worth 90 lakh!

A Pakistani student currently completing a placement year at Microsoft's London office has attracted attention online after sharing details of her career journey. In an Instagram video, she spoke about the internships that helped her stand out, the three interviews she completed, and the salary offered through the program.

The conversation was shared by Hamza Chishtie, a content creator and Director of Cloud & AI at Microsoft, according to his Instagram profile. He was joined by Aliza Uppal.

The experience she built before applying

While many people focus on the final result, Aliza's story highlights the work that happened before she ever submitted an application.

Speaking about her journey, she explained that she spent time building practical experience through internships before applying for Microsoft's placement program.

“Right now, I'm doing a placement here at Microsoft, which is a 12-month program. Before I was about to apply for my placement here, what I did was I did several different internships in the past, so I really stand out. I did around four or five internships in different places,” she said.

She also shared that she studied business analytics during her degree, a field that helped her develop skills relevant to her current role.

What she does at Microsoft's London office

Aliza said her role focuses on helping scale AI across the UK while also supporting people in learning how to effectively adopt and use artificial intelligence.

As AI continues to be a major focus for organizations, jobs connected to its implementation and adoption are drawing increasing interest from students and professionals.

Three interviews before getting selected

One of the questions many viewers wanted answered was how difficult the hiring process was.

Aliza explained that recruitment processes vary depending on the role. For her position, she went through three back-to-back interviews before being selected.

The salary range that started a debate

Along with the hiring process, the conversation also touched on compensation.

Aliza said placement students at Microsoft in the UK can earn between £18,000 and £24,000 annually, depending on the team and role. That translates to roughly PKR 67.5 lakh to PKR 90 lakh per year.

The salary figures quickly became one of the most discussed aspects of the video, prompting mixed reactions from viewers.

Social media users found her story inspiring

Several people in the comments section praised Aliza for sharing her experience and offering a realistic look at her career journey.

“Amazing work! Very inspiring to see talented women excelling in AI,” one user wrote.

Another commented, “Hearing how real people found their way into a company like Microsoft gives so much hope to everyone still on their journey. Keep sharing these!”

Many viewers said her journey highlighted the value of gaining experience early and consistently building skills over time.

Others questioned the pay in London's context

Not everyone focused solely on the achievement. Some users turned their attention to London's cost of living and whether the salary would be sufficient.

“That’s not a lot of money for London. Placement students easily make £24k, which is equivalent to the minimum wage, really. Microsoft should do better, I guess,” one user wrote.

Another added, “£18k to £24k is not a lot of money in London. It depends on her lifestyle…she could easily be spending most of that money on rent in London.”

Disclaimer: This article is based on information shared on social media and publicly available sources. The views and opinions expressed by individuals quoted in the article are their own.Thumb image: Instagram