I was contacted by a Microsoft recruiter via LinkedIn who was hiring for Core Cleared positions (requiring a Top Secret/SCI clearance) based in Seattle, WA and Herndon, VA.

I had an initial phone screen with the recruiter, who messaged me asking generic background questions and explaining Microsoft's role in government cloud architecture.

They provide a phone screen with a Data Structures and Algorithms question, which I passed. I was then invited to an on-site interview in Seattle.

The process of scheduling the on-site interview was fairly slow and tedious, which was the most frustrating part. My on-site interview was scheduled for nearly four weeks after my phone screening.

The on-site interview consisted of:

• Five technical interviews (all DS/Algo, no System Design)
• Lunch (which is still considered an interview, so do not let your guard down)

This was also my first time interviewing on-site for a Big 4 company, so I was extremely nervous and wasn't able to perform to the best of my ability on some of the questions I was given.

Despite this, the interviewers were all very nice and tried their best to help me through some parts where I got stuck. Overall, it was a great learning experience interviewing for Microsoft, and I enjoyed talking with everyone involved in the process.

Phone Screen: Easy DS question.

On-site: 5 technical interviews on typical DS/Algo questions. You can find most of these on LeetCode, with some variations on the problems.