Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) Interview Experience - Redmond, Washington
December 10, 2012
Neutral ExperienceNo Offer
Process
After a career fair, I was invited to an interview on campus. I was given a programming question.
After that, I received an email from Microsoft inviting me to come to Redmond for the final round of interviews. I arrived in Redmond a day before the interviews, and they provided for interviewees very well.
Subsequently, I went through three rounds of interviews.
Questions
How would you build something and test it?
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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
49%
Pass 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
Positive66%
Neutral23%
Negative12%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Microsoft's Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) interview process in Redmond, Washington.
Microsoft Work Experiences
3.0
Not SDET. No chance of upward mobility. Easy work, low pay
Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Former Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
September 11, 2024
Pros: Company name on resume
Nice manager and team (unknown if still true)
Easy work for pay above minimum wage
Good food on campus
On-campus electric vehicle charging
Cons: May not be worth your time if practical skill-building is a priority.
No software engineering skills practice.
Very repetitive work.
Little to no support for side projects that actually develop skills.
Optional "on call" for possibly no extra pay unless actually called.
3.0
All In for Mediocrity!!
Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
September 30, 2014
Pros: Honestly, the main pros for working at Microsoft have to do with the work-life balance and the benefits. There's a good amount of drinking and joking on the job, which can actually be viewed as a good or a bad thing depending on who you ask (mostly good when done responsibly, in my opinion). The people are generally pretty smart and fun to be around, though there are way too many who have become or just are complacent and lack the motivation to be better at their jobs.
Cons: Management is atrocious. Like others have pointed out, there are way too many managers who don't actually even understand or possess the skills to do their jobs and effectively manage a team. The culture is egotistical in the sense that it promotes an "I" sort of mentality. There is very little in terms of collaboration and promoting team success. The infrastructure is archaic and all over the place. Also, there is very little emphasis placed on employee growth and development.
4.0
The Best Experience Ever
Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
March 11, 2011
Pros: It is great to work amongst a huge set of talented people.
Microsoft, as a company, has great products that you can work on.
Challenging work.
Cons: Seattle weather
Pay Scale
You need to be at the company for a couple of years before people take you seriously.
- 3.0Not SDET. No chance of upward mobility. Easy work, low paySoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Former EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesSeptember 11, 2024Pros: Company name on resume Nice manager and team (unknown if still true) Easy work for pay above minimum wage Good food on campus On-campus electric vehicle chargingCons: May not be worth your time if practical skill-building is a priority. No software engineering skills practice. Very repetitive work. Little to no support for side projects that actually develop skills. Optional "on call" for possibly no extra pay unless actually called.
- 3.0All In for Mediocrity!!Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesSeptember 30, 2014Pros: Honestly, the main pros for working at Microsoft have to do with the work-life balance and the benefits. There's a good amount of drinking and joking on the job, which can actually be viewed as a good or a bad thing depending on who you ask (mostly good when done responsibly, in my opinion). The people are generally pretty smart and fun to be around, though there are way too many who have become or just are complacent and lack the motivation to be better at their jobs.Cons: Management is atrocious. Like others have pointed out, there are way too many managers who don't actually even understand or possess the skills to do their jobs and effectively manage a team. The culture is egotistical in the sense that it promotes an "I" sort of mentality. There is very little in terms of collaboration and promoting team success. The infrastructure is archaic and all over the place. Also, there is very little emphasis placed on employee growth and development.
- 4.0The Best Experience EverSoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesMarch 11, 2011Pros: It is great to work amongst a huge set of talented people. Microsoft, as a company, has great products that you can work on. Challenging work.Cons: Seattle weather Pay Scale You need to be at the company for a couple of years before people take you seriously.
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