Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) Interview Experience - Redmond, Washington
January 1, 2008
Positive ExperienceNo Offer
Process
They paid to fly me to Washington and changed the flight last minute at my request; they were very accommodating. The interviews lasted half a day. Mostly, they asked about basic computer science ideas and brain-teaser type programming questions (e.g., how to find a loop in a linked list).
Questions
None of the questions stood out as most difficult or unexpected. However, after a few hours, the last interview proved the hardest, primarily due to fatigue and a lack of sleep from traveling.
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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
4.0
Overall, it is a very good experience
Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
August 1, 2010
Pros: 1. Chance to work with very talented people
2. Some products are really doing great work.
3. Great benefits
4. Very good work-life balance
Cons: 1. Some products lose direction and are suddenly shut down. This is bad for other employees' morale.
2. Lack of transparency.
3.0
Software development engineer in test
Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
July 22, 2014
Pros: Job security, more work-life balance.
Cons: No clear career growth, difficulty in changing jobs within the company, slow pace, and not many top-notch people anymore.
5.0
Best company I've worked at so far
Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
September 20, 2013
Pros: Great compensation compared to other places I have worked. Good support from management chain on work-life balance for employees.
Each person's experience at Microsoft depends greatly on their group and two immediate manager levels. Picking a good team and lead during your interview phase is key to your success here. I was proactive in learning about and choosing the team I joined, and have had my best work years here.
Cons: Large company, everyone's experience differs. Some groups are toxic and detrimental to employee motivation and health. Turnover seems to be high in groups with highly skilled engineers who leave for more interesting/profitable opportunities (good engineers are always headhunted). If you can't handle change well, you'll be perpetually stressed out losing people with whom you built work relationships.
- 4.0Overall, it is a very good experienceSoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesAugust 1, 2010Pros: 1. Chance to work with very talented people 2. Some products are really doing great work. 3. Great benefits 4. Very good work-life balanceCons: 1. Some products lose direction and are suddenly shut down. This is bad for other employees' morale. 2. Lack of transparency.
- 3.0Software development engineer in testSoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesJuly 22, 2014Pros: Job security, more work-life balance.Cons: No clear career growth, difficulty in changing jobs within the company, slow pace, and not many top-notch people anymore.
- 5.0Best company I've worked at so farSoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesSeptember 20, 2013Pros: Great compensation compared to other places I have worked. Good support from management chain on work-life balance for employees. Each person's experience at Microsoft depends greatly on their group and two immediate manager levels. Picking a good team and lead during your interview phase is key to your success here. I was proactive in learning about and choosing the team I joined, and have had my best work years here.Cons: Large company, everyone's experience differs. Some groups are toxic and detrimental to employee motivation and health. Turnover seems to be high in groups with highly skilled engineers who leave for more interesting/profitable opportunities (good engineers are always headhunted). If you can't handle change well, you'll be perpetually stressed out losing people with whom you built work relationships.
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