Software Development Engineer Interview Experience - Redmond, Washington
June 1, 2009
Positive ExperienceGot Offer
Process
I interviewed at Microsoft a few years ago for a role in the OS group.
The interviewers asked many open-ended questions probing my knowledge of OS. There were no puzzle or coding questions.
Questions
Design a traffic stop and explain why you will choose a specific kind of design.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 214 interview experiences for the Microsoft Software Development Engineer role in Redmond, Washington.
Success Rate
45%
Pass Rate
Microsoft's interview process for their Software Development Engineer roles in Redmond, Washington is fairly selective, failing a large portion of engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive75%
Neutral17%
Negative8%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Microsoft's Software Development Engineer interview process in Redmond, Washington.
Microsoft Work Experiences
2.0
Good Pay, Bad Management
Software Development Engineer • Former Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
June 23, 2015
Pros: 1. Compensation is relatively good.
2. Work-life balance.
3. Private office.
Cons: 1. Unhealthy manager-to-engineer proportion.
2. Many managers lack technical backgrounds.
3. Micromanagement.
4. Slow business processes.
5. Microsoft's technology stack, featuring many outdated approaches.
5.0
Working at Microsoft is better than any of my other past jobs
Software Development Engineer • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
August 12, 2014
Pros: Microsoft is a great place to work.
It is not only a great working environment, but it has also helped me expand my knowledge of coding incredibly.
Cons: I had to move to Seattle, and before that I had lived in Maryland. All of my family is located in Maryland, so it was a tough change.
4.0
Overall Good Experience
Software Development Engineer • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
October 28, 2022
Pros: Teams were filled with nice and helpful individuals.
Work was interesting.
Not too many meetings.
Cons: Big company, so communication between teams can be slow and tedious.
Many employees are in different locations around the world, causing odd times for meetings and communication.
- 2.0Good Pay, Bad ManagementSoftware Development Engineer • Former EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesJune 23, 2015Pros: 1. Compensation is relatively good. 2. Work-life balance. 3. Private office.Cons: 1. Unhealthy manager-to-engineer proportion. 2. Many managers lack technical backgrounds. 3. Micromanagement. 4. Slow business processes. 5. Microsoft's technology stack, featuring many outdated approaches.
- 5.0Working at Microsoft is better than any of my other past jobsSoftware Development Engineer • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesAugust 12, 2014Pros: Microsoft is a great place to work. It is not only a great working environment, but it has also helped me expand my knowledge of coding incredibly.Cons: I had to move to Seattle, and before that I had lived in Maryland. All of my family is located in Maryland, so it was a tough change.
- 4.0Overall Good ExperienceSoftware Development Engineer • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesOctober 28, 2022Pros: Teams were filled with nice and helpful individuals. Work was interesting. Not too many meetings.Cons: Big company, so communication between teams can be slow and tedious. Many employees are in different locations around the world, causing odd times for meetings and communication.
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