Software Development Engineer II Interview Experience - Redmond, Washington
July 1, 2012
Positive ExperienceGot Offer
Process
I was scheduled for three interviews, but I ended up with five.
Every interviewer was extremely nice.
The interview questions were mostly technical and not too difficult. It was important to know your CS basics, and also to handle corner and test cases.
In cases of ambiguity, I asked questions to ensure I understood the problem. This is important.
Questions
I take NDAs seriously, so I'm not going to state it.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 38 interview experiences for the Microsoft Software Development Engineer II role in Redmond, Washington.
Success Rate
61%
Pass Rate
Microsoft's interview process for their Software Development Engineer II roles in Redmond, Washington is on the easier side as most engineers get an offer after going through it.
Experience Rating
Positive63%
Neutral24%
Negative13%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Microsoft's Software Development Engineer II interview process in Redmond, Washington.
Microsoft Work Experiences
4.0
One of the best large places to work in the Seattle area
Software Development Engineer II • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
February 8, 2010
Pros: Opportunities to move to other projects inside the company (not easy, but possible).
A good health plan, especially for people with families.
Gaining experience of shipping software used by many around the world.
Decent cafeterias and a pro sports club.
Cons: Hierarchical structure of the company, stack ranking practices, pay level awareness, micromanagement, doubts about long-term prospects of the company, layoffs, limited freedom to select ways to do stuff, and the high cost of errors leading to an abundance of processes and procedures in many projects.
4.0
Great Company, bad people
Software Development Engineer II • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
October 28, 2013
Pros: Great Company, Great Benefits, and Big Problems to Solve
Cons: Incompetent middle management.
Bad review model.
5.0
Looking back: Seven years at Microsoft
Software Development Engineer II • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
April 29, 2013
Pros: The people you work with every day make for an incredible workplace experience. There are lots of smart people to learn from and to challenge you.
There are a lot of diverse technologies and domains to pick from as a software engineer. Find something that challenges and excites you without leaving the company.
The benefits are great, though they used to be better. Some great updates were made this year, and that makes me optimistic about the future.
Cons: Sometimes suffers from typical big company problems. Changes are slow and bureaucratic at times. Many teams still manage to find ways around that and remain extremely agile.
It's easy to get lost in the crowd and hard to stand out. There are a lot of very smart and talented individuals here.
- 4.0One of the best large places to work in the Seattle areaSoftware Development Engineer II • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesFebruary 8, 2010Pros: Opportunities to move to other projects inside the company (not easy, but possible). A good health plan, especially for people with families. Gaining experience of shipping software used by many around the world. Decent cafeterias and a pro sports club.Cons: Hierarchical structure of the company, stack ranking practices, pay level awareness, micromanagement, doubts about long-term prospects of the company, layoffs, limited freedom to select ways to do stuff, and the high cost of errors leading to an abundance of processes and procedures in many projects.
- 4.0Great Company, bad peopleSoftware Development Engineer II • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesOctober 28, 2013Pros: Great Company, Great Benefits, and Big Problems to SolveCons: Incompetent middle management. Bad review model.
- 5.0Looking back: Seven years at MicrosoftSoftware Development Engineer II • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesApril 29, 2013Pros: The people you work with every day make for an incredible workplace experience. There are lots of smart people to learn from and to challenge you. There are a lot of diverse technologies and domains to pick from as a software engineer. Find something that challenges and excites you without leaving the company. The benefits are great, though they used to be better. Some great updates were made this year, and that makes me optimistic about the future.Cons: Sometimes suffers from typical big company problems. Changes are slow and bureaucratic at times. Many teams still manage to find ways around that and remain extremely agile. It's easy to get lost in the crowd and hard to stand out. There are a lot of very smart and talented individuals here.
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