Software Development Engineer Interview Experience - Sydney, Australia
May 1, 2014
Positive ExperienceGot Offer
Process
First contact from a career event on campus and apply through email week later. Two weeks after receive an email asking for first round interview on campus two weeks later. That was two 30-minute interviews, with one technical interview and one behavioral interview.
Four weeks later got invitation for second round interview. This time there are three to four interviews depending on the situation, each lasts 45 minutes. There are 15 minutes between interviews so interviewees (there are five of us) can meet and talk to each other, there was also a coordinator sitting in the room trying to calm us down, giving tips and answering questions.
Questions
Tell me what happens when you click the power button on a PC.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 13 interview experiences for the Microsoft Software Development Engineer role in Sydney, Australia.
Success Rate
46%
Pass Rate
Microsoft's interview process for their Software Development Engineer roles in Sydney, Australia is fairly selective, failing a large portion of engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive85%
Neutral15%
Negative0%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Microsoft's Software Development Engineer interview process in Sydney, Australia.
Microsoft Work Experiences
4.0
A good company to relax when you want to get settled in life
Software Development Engineer • Former Employee
Hyderābād, Telangana, India
November 10, 2012
Pros: Good salary.
Good work culture.
Less work pressure.
Great colleagues to work with.
Cons: Less ownership,
fewer opportunities to innovate,
more or less flat learning curve.
5.0
Flexible Work, Uneven Pay
Software Development Engineer • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
January 21, 2017
Pros: Good health insurance.
Bonus and stock options are good in the long term.
You can plan your office schedule; it's not like a 9-5 job. It is flexible, and the only thing they care about is the work being done on time.
Cons: The lesser middle management will make things more transparent between employees and the leadership team.
Salaries and benefits are not equal among employees at the same level.
4.0
A lifetime of experiences at one company
Software Development Engineer • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
June 16, 2008
Pros: Career advancement is a huge plus. It is very simple to move between groups at Microsoft. They also actively encourage you to move if you feel you aren't getting what you need from your current group. Being able to move between groups allows you to try out different areas. Windows, Office, Internet, developer tools, and even mobile are all within reach if you are smart enough and driven enough.
Benefits are hands down the best I've seen. Also, with offices in Bellevue, Seattle, and Redmond, you have many different places to work.
Microsoft also has open work areas in some locations, so you can easily go spend a day at another location. This is extremely helpful when working cross-group.
The Connector commuter service is incredibly useful as well: WiFi on the bus with nice comfortable seats.
Cons: Groups tend to reinvent the wheel a lot because they don't want to be tied to another group's development schedule. This is commonly known as "Not Invented Here" syndrome.
Working on open source software in your spare time is a gray area that many developers just tend to ignore instead of trying to navigate it.
Compared to a startup, things move very, very slowly at Microsoft (depending on the group).
Also, not a week goes by that some kind of survey isn't sent out asking how they are doing. The review process is like 20 different forms (I only slightly exaggerate). It can take a week or more of concerted effort to do your review. Couple that with your normal work week, and that week is very stressful.
- 4.0A good company to relax when you want to get settled in lifeSoftware Development Engineer • Former EmployeeHyderābād, Telangana, IndiaNovember 10, 2012Pros: Good salary. Good work culture. Less work pressure. Great colleagues to work with.Cons: Less ownership, fewer opportunities to innovate, more or less flat learning curve.
- 5.0Flexible Work, Uneven PaySoftware Development Engineer • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesJanuary 21, 2017Pros: Good health insurance. Bonus and stock options are good in the long term. You can plan your office schedule; it's not like a 9-5 job. It is flexible, and the only thing they care about is the work being done on time.Cons: The lesser middle management will make things more transparent between employees and the leadership team. Salaries and benefits are not equal among employees at the same level.
- 4.0A lifetime of experiences at one companySoftware Development Engineer • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesJune 16, 2008Pros: Career advancement is a huge plus. It is very simple to move between groups at Microsoft. They also actively encourage you to move if you feel you aren't getting what you need from your current group. Being able to move between groups allows you to try out different areas. Windows, Office, Internet, developer tools, and even mobile are all within reach if you are smart enough and driven enough. Benefits are hands down the best I've seen. Also, with offices in Bellevue, Seattle, and Redmond, you have many different places to work. Microsoft also has open work areas in some locations, so you can easily go spend a day at another location. This is extremely helpful when working cross-group. The Connector commuter service is incredibly useful as well: WiFi on the bus with nice comfortable seats.Cons: Groups tend to reinvent the wheel a lot because they don't want to be tied to another group's development schedule. This is commonly known as "Not Invented Here" syndrome. Working on open source software in your spare time is a gray area that many developers just tend to ignore instead of trying to navigate it. Compared to a startup, things move very, very slowly at Microsoft (depending on the group). Also, not a week goes by that some kind of survey isn't sent out asking how they are doing. The review process is like 20 different forms (I only slightly exaggerate). It can take a week or more of concerted effort to do your review. Couple that with your normal work week, and that week is very stressful.
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