Software Development Engineer II Interview Experience - Redmond, Washington
September 1, 2016
Positive ExperienceNo Offer
Process
I was contacted by a recruiter.
I had to take an online test consisting of three questions. After it was evaluated, I received an onsite call.
Before that, I got feedback on my performance in the online test, and the entire procedure for the onsite interview was explained.
There were 30 candidates being interviewed for the position.
On the interview day, the position and the role were explained, followed by four technical interview rounds of 45 minutes each. Each round consisted of one or two data structures and algorithm questions.
The interviewers made sure we were working on the most efficient solution. If we were not on the right track, they helped us find one.
Two days after the interview, I received another call from the recruiter, who gave me feedback on the interviews and asked for my feedback on the interview process.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience. The best thing I liked was the prompt feedback on my performance.
Questions
Generally covers all data structure and algorithm question types.
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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
It can hit you hard, but it can also reward you hard
Software Development Engineer II • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
June 1, 2015
Pros: - Compensation is amazing.
- Lots of up-and-coming technologies are within reach.
- Allows you to search for your passion.
Cons: - Big Company. A manager can make or break you. It is sometimes hard to find a manager that gives you full honest feedback instead of tampering it.
- Changes can hit you hard. People can get really affected by the constant reorgs due to a new CEO and changes in direction.
- New review system is hazy. "It's all about impact," but at the end of the day, you have a budget to distribute.
3.0
Great place to start a career
Software Development Engineer II • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
June 12, 2008
Pros: For people just starting their careers, Microsoft is an amazing place to gain experience. You will be involved with decision-making and building products with huge reach. The workplace is highly energetic, where everyone is focused on one thing primarily: how to ship great software and products. You will learn as much about the business of software as you will about actually building it.
To thrive in this environment, you really need to be passionate about your work and the products you'll help build. You will be working with some of the highest-caliber people in the industry and can expect to be challenged in ways you have never been challenged before. You will start with little responsibility and will need to prove yourself to take on bigger pieces.
In my opinion, the people you will collaborate with and learn from is one of the most valuable things you will gain by working at Microsoft.
Cons: The environment is filled with an unnatural distribution of highly intelligent and passionate people and is very charged. It's not uncommon to hear full-on yelling when there are disagreements. In fact, this is almost part of the Microsoft culture. This certainly varies from team to team, with the older, more established teams following this pattern more closely.
This can take a little getting used to, depending on where you're coming from.
Every team has its own culture for how they reward their employees and how they're centered. Dev-centered organizations place the most value around the output of developers writing the product code. Other orgs are more equally balanced between value placed on dev, test, and PM.
4.0
Worth a try as a software engineer
Software Development Engineer II • Former Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
March 30, 2021
Pros: Work-life balance is good if you have a family to take care of.
Cons: Not using a popular technical stack.
- 4.0It can hit you hard, but it can also reward you hardSoftware Development Engineer II • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesJune 1, 2015Pros: - Compensation is amazing. - Lots of up-and-coming technologies are within reach. - Allows you to search for your passion.Cons: - Big Company. A manager can make or break you. It is sometimes hard to find a manager that gives you full honest feedback instead of tampering it. - Changes can hit you hard. People can get really affected by the constant reorgs due to a new CEO and changes in direction. - New review system is hazy. "It's all about impact," but at the end of the day, you have a budget to distribute.
- 3.0Great place to start a careerSoftware Development Engineer II • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesJune 12, 2008Pros: For people just starting their careers, Microsoft is an amazing place to gain experience. You will be involved with decision-making and building products with huge reach. The workplace is highly energetic, where everyone is focused on one thing primarily: how to ship great software and products. You will learn as much about the business of software as you will about actually building it. To thrive in this environment, you really need to be passionate about your work and the products you'll help build. You will be working with some of the highest-caliber people in the industry and can expect to be challenged in ways you have never been challenged before. You will start with little responsibility and will need to prove yourself to take on bigger pieces. In my opinion, the people you will collaborate with and learn from is one of the most valuable things you will gain by working at Microsoft.Cons: The environment is filled with an unnatural distribution of highly intelligent and passionate people and is very charged. It's not uncommon to hear full-on yelling when there are disagreements. In fact, this is almost part of the Microsoft culture. This certainly varies from team to team, with the older, more established teams following this pattern more closely. This can take a little getting used to, depending on where you're coming from. Every team has its own culture for how they reward their employees and how they're centered. Dev-centered organizations place the most value around the output of developers writing the product code. Other orgs are more equally balanced between value placed on dev, test, and PM.
- 4.0Worth a try as a software engineerSoftware Development Engineer II • Former EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesMarch 30, 2021Pros: Work-life balance is good if you have a family to take care of.Cons: Not using a popular technical stack.
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