Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) Interview Experience - Fargo, North Dakota
Process
I had a 60-minute screening phone interview with a recruiter on one day. This interview consisted of basic HR-type questions (legal resident status, brief resume review, etc.).
The next day, I had a 60-minute technical phone interview with the hiring manager. This interview was more involved, focusing on C# experience, application experience, and past projects that required software testing.
Approximately two weeks after the phone interviews, I traveled to Fargo for an all-day in-person interview. On this day, I met with 7 or 8 people, including the recruiter, position peers, the hiring manager, and finally the product manager. In total, the interviews lasted 7 hours, including a working lunch.
Peers were focused on C# knowledge – a lot of C# knowledge. There were many programming examples requiring me to hand-code on a whiteboard.
The managers were more focused on past application experience, how much I had worked with their specific product, and how much I had worked on other similar products.
Questions
How would you test Excel?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 3 interview experiences for the Microsoft Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) role in Fargo, North Dakota.
Success Rate
Microsoft's interview process for their Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) roles in Fargo, North Dakota 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 Development Engineer In Test (SDET) interview process in Fargo, North Dakota.
Microsoft Work Experiences
- 3.0Lots of hoursSoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Former EmployeeFargo, North Dakota, United StatesJanuary 28, 2010Pros: Lots of hours and hard work, but the pay is good for Fargo, ND. Benefits are excellent. Most people are good to work with and friendly.Cons: Staff is over-booked on their workloads. Job coordination between sites or locations is stressed. Communication between sites and locations is lacking.
- 4.0In general, Microsoft is a great place to work, especially if you already have a family and need a stable jobSoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current EmployeeFargo, North Dakota, United StatesJuly 26, 2009Pros: One of the best reasons for working at Microsoft is that you get to use the latest Microsoft technologies. As an SDET, you will have the responsibility to build testing frameworks, which at some cases means you will write more code than your developer peers. Health benefits are awesome. I haven't paid a dime for my health.Cons: The compensation is not the greatest in the world. If you have a family, the health benefit will compensate for it. Otherwise, for sure, you will find that your peer at another company is making more money than you. Sometimes at work, we have way too many meetings, which makes it hard to get anything done. Some of the more senior testers are just plain not competent.
- 1.0Oh, how I wasted my timeSoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Former EmployeeAtlanta, Georgia, United StatesOctober 23, 2025Pros: Absolutely nothing to mention whatsoever, except maybe the 401k match at 50%.Cons: Toxic culture, dishonest leadership, and constant backstabbing. Management makes even the simplest tasks a battle. Easily the worst company I’ve ever worked for.
Microsoft Interview Questions
