Principal AI Scientist Interview Experience - Mountain View, California
Process
I applied online.
I interviewed for a Principal AI Scientist role at Microsoft through a five-round process. Scheduling was prompt, but recruiter support was limited, with only a two-line overview of the interview topics and no preparation materials. The hiring manager discussion was engaging. However, a partner-team manager repeatedly interrupted and came across as confrontational. The remaining three rounds involved interesting discussions and business problems, which I enjoyed. After one week, the recruiter said the team was still calibrating. My follow-up the following week went unanswered, and I have received no further updates. Overall, the experience was mixed, with strong technical discussions undermined by inconsistent interviewer conduct and poor follow-through.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 1 interview experience for the Microsoft Principal AI Scientist role in Mountain View, California.
Success Rate
Microsoft's interview process for their Principal AI Scientist roles in Mountain View, California is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very negative feelings for Microsoft's Principal AI Scientist interview process in Mountain View, California.
Microsoft Work Experiences
- 2.0Smart Colleagues, Toxic PoliticsPrincipal Software Development Engineer • Former EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesOctober 4, 2013Pros: You get to work with smart people on interesting problems. It is hard to get hired, and if you make it through the review process, that gives you a feeling of satisfaction.Cons: Stack ranking means you are in a continuous cage match with your colleagues; it is a zero-sum game. Product decisions (or non-decisions) are based more on intramural politics than external market opportunities. There's also a tendency towards analysis paralysis.
- 2.0Please hire smart guys to really focus on smart thingsSoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesJune 21, 2011Pros: Good benefits Great individual contributors around you Solid processCons: Too many processes. Health benefit is changing. People get pushed to show visibility, and that dips into your time and effort in assuring product quality.
- 4.0Great potential, time will tellSenior Design Verification Engineer • Current EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesAugust 20, 2022Pros: Management has thus far shown commitment. Heavily invested in technical infrastructure. TC got boosted. Work is not as stressful as other companies.Cons: Upper management is heavy ex-Intel, all over the stack. That itself may not be a bad thing. However, it seems nepotism is at play. People non-Intel are getting sidelined at upper management, as observed from the bottom. Long-time Microsoft employees are leaving in mass for one reason or another. New hires are not the cream of the crop, so only time will tell. Need to play some level of politics even at IC level to grow. This might be the case in other similarly sized companies, so take with a grain of salt. TC is still lower than other top industries.
Microsoft Interview Questions
