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Microsoft Interview Tips
Microsoft Interview Questions and Answers
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Microsoft Interview Tips
While there is a ton of interview advice on the Internet, in books, and on blogs, one of the best ways to gain the right advice is to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. And in this case, we’ve brought the virtual horse to you.
Read below for some interview tips that are specific to Microsoft interviews, yet general enough that they will benefit you in any interview.
Microsoft uses a couple of first screen interviews – you can read more about those here:
Phone interviews (often in conjunction with our Live Meeting tool) or college campus face-to-face interviews give us a chance to assess each candidate’s knowledge and skills. This interview stage is our first opportunity to get to know students beyond their resumes.
If you’re invited to a Microsoft college campus interview, which is often initiated by a Career Center resume drop or from a special recruiting event like a career fair or a “Meet the Company” presentation, there are a few things you can keep in mind while prepping for your interview:
? The interview usually lasts about 30-45 minutes and is always 1:1 (we don’t like panel interviews). ? Always come about 15 minute earlier than your scheduled time slot so you’re not flustered or out of breath.
? Bring a copy of your latest resume in case the dog ate the interviewer’s copy.
? Dress is casual to business casual. We don’t mind seeing you in your new suit; we just want you to be comfortable.
? Depending on which role you’ve selected as the one you’re most interested in (and is hopefully the best match for your current skill set, too!), you should be prepared for:
o Software Developer (SDE): coding, problem solving, and testing (more SDE hints here)
o Software Developer in Test (SDET): testing, coding, and problem solving (more SDET hints here)
o Program Manager (PM): software design and problem solving questions (more PM hints here)
o NOTE: If there is time and you’ve expressed interest in two roles, then you may get a mix of questions from us.
? Come prepared with at least two questions to ask the interviewer at the end of the interview, and make sure you really care about the answer! It’s fair to consider generic questions like, “How do you like Microsoft?” We like to get questions and share what our experiences have been like, too.
? Finally, relax! Believe it or not, the interviewer is not there to stump you on purpose; he or she is hoping you’ll do well and showcase your knowledge and passion so we can recommend that we fly you back to Microsoft for second-round interviews. Don’t get stuck with, “Oh no, I only know JAVA, not C++,” because coding itself is easy and we want to find the “geniuses” with a technical foundation (or non-tech, depending on the role) and the brain power necessary to think and problem solve. Learning the coding will then come naturally.
Lastly, in some cases, if our campus interviewers’ schedule allows them to arrive fairly early the night before the interview, we’ll often host an interview prep session. These sessions are optional, but students tend to like the opportunity to meet their interviewers before the big day.
So what happens after you do well in the first interview? You’ll be flown back to a Microsoft corporate campus or to another selected location for a full interview loop where you’ll have the chance to learn even more about Microsoft and get to know some more of our people.
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