Software Design Engineer II Interview Experience - Redmond, Washington
Process
My first informational round was with the General Manager for a Lead position, where he asked questions about my profile in lead roles. I had a second informational round with the Development Lead for a technical screening before they put me into the formal interview loop. I was referred for an SDE 2 position for which I interviewed and accepted the offer.
I had to go through 5 rounds in the formal interview process. The interviews included questions on:
- Architecture Design
- Specific to your skill & role you are going for.
- IQ
- Questions on probability
- Scenario questions
- C# Code Writing
- Write code by hand again and again
- Problem Solving
- Use the whiteboard to your advantage.
- Validate the problem you are required to solve.
- Find the information and write your assumptions.
- Write sample data on the whiteboard. Once you look at the numbers, you will get more ideas.
- Thought Process Evaluation
- Break down the problem into parts and provide as detailed an answer as you can.
- Use the SDLC (A, D, B, T, D).
- Personality Questions
- Tell me your weakness.
- How would your colleagues describe you?
- Why do you think you will be a good fit for the role?
- Communication Skills
- Communicate effectively.
- Eye contact is a must.
- Present yourself confidently and dress nicely.
I would suggest looking at the job description very carefully and making sure you cover each and every aspect of the role. Have one of your buddies conduct your interview 2-3 times; this will help you evaluate whether you truly remember things or go blank when you have to demonstrate to someone.
There were 2 more internal candidates who interviewed before the team made me the offer. If you don't make it through, they will tell you in 1-2 days. If there are more candidates in the loop, they will keep you informed.
Overall, the Technical Recruiter was of great help with scheduling, negotiation, and any other information you needed.
Good luck to everyone who is planning for MS interviews.
Questions
General Conditional Probability Questions
String Manipulation Questions
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 1 interview experience for the Microsoft Software Design Engineer II role in Redmond, Washington.
Success Rate
Microsoft's interview process for their Software Design Engineer II roles in Redmond, Washington is incredibly easy as the vast majority of engineers get an offer after going through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Microsoft's Software Design Engineer II interview process in Redmond, Washington.
Microsoft Work Experiences
- 2.0Software Design Engineer IISoftware Design Engineer II • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesDecember 18, 2015Pros: Some Microsoft products are best in market.Cons: In the last few years, they cancelled the Annual Meeting at Safeco Field, the annual company picnic, and the no-copay health insurance, among others. They also got rid of SDETs (QA role).
- 3.0Be surrounded by smart people and led by foolsSoftware Design Engineer II • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesOctober 28, 2008Pros: Smart people are all around.Cons: Organizational bloat stops forward thinking and progress.
- 3.0Still a good place to work if you want work/life balanceSoftware Design Engineer II • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesSeptember 7, 2008Pros: There are some great people technically out there. Great benefits and an ideal place for anyone who wants to have a good work/life balance. A variety of product groups to work in if one wants to have a versatile experience.Cons: Most of the time, we're working on products that are playing catch-up with the competition. The stock has been pretty much flat for about 8 years now, and the bonus you get is not great compared to the competitors. Microsoft is a big company, so rewards per employee are not comparable to other smaller companies.
Microsoft Interview Questions
