Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) Interview Experience - Redmond, Washington
Process
I interviewed with Microsoft when I was in college. I went through two phone interviews, after which they asked me to fly down to Redmond for more technical interviews.
The phone interviews were a combination of both behavioral as well as technical questions. I felt the technical questions on the phone were a lot simpler than the ones on their campus.
The level of difficulty for on-campus interviews varied a lot. My first interview, with a Test Manager, was the most difficult one, while the other interviews (with Test Leads and SDET 2) seemed significantly easier.
Questions
Given a matrix of n x n dimensions, write an algorithm such that each number (from 1 to n) appears only once in a column and a row. (Look up magic square for an example.)
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 128 interview experiences for the Microsoft Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) role in Redmond, Washington.
Success Rate
Microsoft's interview process for their Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) roles in Redmond, Washington is fairly selective, failing a large portion of engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Microsoft's Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) interview process in Redmond, Washington.
Microsoft Work Experiences
- 5.0Microsoft was a great learning experienceSoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Former EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesNovember 30, 2013Pros: Good work-life balance if you can get housing nearby. Opportunity to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds. With Balmer's departure, things can only get better.Cons: Salary is so-so. Middle management culture. Traffic in greater Seattle is a nightmare.
- 4.0Great place to work if you're twenty-something and single with no lifeSoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Former EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesJune 11, 2008Pros: Being on the inside of one of the most successful software companies ever.Cons: As an American engineer with 20 years of experience, and a family with 3 kids, I simply could not compete with all the young talent imported from other countries, making half my salary and working 80 hours a week. At my level, I was expected to put in more hours and consistently got bad reviews, not because of anything I did, but by comparison to my peers. Unsustainable.
- 2.0Great peers, so-so managers, and a stifling bureaucratic culture that eats its young gleefullySoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesJune 26, 2011Pros: Gold-plated health care Decent initial pay Good benefits all-aroundCons: Pitiful raises. Poor management feedback and awareness of individuals' contributions. Ten percent of employees get thrown under the bus every annual review. The review system encourages back-stabbing and discourages teamwork. Poor work-life balance. Some groups have sweat-shop hours. The company seems to regard most employees as liabilities rather than assets.
Microsoft Interview Questions
