Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) Interview Experience - Redmond, Washington
May 1, 2010
Positive ExperienceNo Offer
Process
On-campus interview that involved very little programming, mostly discussion. Asked about how to implement a function which prints 1-10 and then prints it backwards, using both recursion and then iteratively.
On-site interviews were tougher. Full day of interviews, with various questions on C++, Data Structures, UI development, and a ton of testing questions. Recommended background reading was critical for these interviews. Overall, very difficult and very competitive.
Questions
How do you know if three points make a triangle?
Write a function that takes another function as an argument and then defines a third function which calls the first and second functions recursively.
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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
5.0
Huge company, large opportunities
Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
March 3, 2013
Pros: - Many cooperating teams and plenty of career opportunities.
- Competitive salary and benefits.
- Ability to work on projects that affect millions of people.
Cons: It's a large company with all its cons. Decisions can take weeks to make. Some dependencies on other teams might be difficult to get done on time. That's one of the biggest strengths of the company, and it can sometimes be its weakness.
2.0
Good for a recent graduate; bad for someone with experience
Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Former Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
March 9, 2010
Pros: Very good benefit package: medical insurance is great, membership in the sport club, Microsoft transportation, etc.
Training classes are frequently given by book authors and other famous people.
Cons: There always should be a certain percentage of "bad" performers. I was leaving the company a month before the review. My manager suggested (probably it was advice from the GM) that I take a vacation, otherwise, they would not be able to pay me a bonus. So I did. Instead, they gave me the worst performance review possible, which assumed no bonus at all.
I found it difficult to switch to another group as a developer from a developer in test.
Too many managers who are Microsoft-bred. Most of them worked only at Microsoft in North America.
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.
- 5.0Huge company, large opportunitiesSoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesMarch 3, 2013Pros: - Many cooperating teams and plenty of career opportunities. - Competitive salary and benefits. - Ability to work on projects that affect millions of people.Cons: It's a large company with all its cons. Decisions can take weeks to make. Some dependencies on other teams might be difficult to get done on time. That's one of the biggest strengths of the company, and it can sometimes be its weakness.
- 2.0Good for a recent graduate; bad for someone with experienceSoftware Development Engineer In Test (SDET) • Former EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesMarch 9, 2010Pros: Very good benefit package: medical insurance is great, membership in the sport club, Microsoft transportation, etc. Training classes are frequently given by book authors and other famous people.Cons: There always should be a certain percentage of "bad" performers. I was leaving the company a month before the review. My manager suggested (probably it was advice from the GM) that I take a vacation, otherwise, they would not be able to pay me a bonus. So I did. Instead, they gave me the worst performance review possible, which assumed no bonus at all. I found it difficult to switch to another group as a developer from a developer in test. Too many managers who are Microsoft-bred. Most of them worked only at Microsoft in North America.
- 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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