This experience was very unprofessional throughout. I was contacted by one of their "Technical Talent Sourcers" through LinkedIn. Initially, communication was good, and I had some phone interviews. At the time, I was also interviewing for other positions and had reached some final rounds.

The talent sourcer said she wanted me to complete a technical interview or assessment to help her place me in a job. I naively thought this would mean I'd be given a chance to take it and perhaps get an opportunity to work at Microsoft.

So, I decided to withdraw from the other interview processes to pursue the Microsoft opportunity. This was my big mistake, as the talent sourcer turned out to be entirely unreliable, unwilling to answer basic questions, and outright ignored my multiple attempts to email her to find out the next steps for the assessment.

I'll never make the same mistake again with any recruiters or talent sourcers from Microsoft and assume they're about as reliable as a chocolate teapot when it comes to moving through their interview process. It would be one thing if I had completely failed an assessment and missed my shot, but the treatment I received was unprofessional at best.

Usual phone interview questions:

• Why are you looking for a new job?
• Why do you want to work for MS?