Huge company at a crossroads, fighting for relevance
Huge company at a crossroads, fighting for relevance
Work with some great, talented folks. Access to technology that billions of people use every day—now that is something. Lots of teams to move around, so you could have been at the company for 10, 15 years and still feel like there's plenty of new things to do and learn.
Pretty good benefits, although medical isn't as great as it once was (still good, though, or so I hear from folks who used to be at MS). The Connector (private bus service) is one of the hidden gems, unmatched by any company in Seattle. If you commute 20 miles to and fro daily like me, you will know how awesome this one is.
Many folks are entrenched in their areas (read: been here for 10+ years), so becoming a go-to person is harder and harder by the day.
It can get crazy at times, especially since the embracing of the cloud in the last few years.
Forget about formal training, etc.; you are basically on your own. Find a mentor quick. Read/debug code - that's the best way to learn.
Way too many building moves recently; it seems like 1-2 times a year is becoming the norm.
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Microsoft Interview Questions
Microsoft Interview Experiences
Principal Software Engineer
1. Got an initial screening interview over the phone and was rejected simply because I did not speak at a high enough language level (though I have a conversational level). I was very disappointed at being judged by language only, while they totally
Principal Software Engineer
Call with hiring manager to start the process. After that, it went to the final round, which was virtual. * Two coding interviews with standard algorithms questions. * One interview with a product manager on strategy. * Two interviews with en
Principal Software Engineer
Four or five virtual interviews, one after the other. These mostly involved coding in their tool, with the interviewer providing feedback along the way. Some system design and fit questions were also included.
Principal Software Engineer
Tokyo, Tokyo, JapanOctober 1, 20251. Got an initial screening interview over the phone and was rejected simply because I did not speak at a high enough language level (though I have a conversational level). I was very disappointed at being judged by language only, while they totally
Principal Software Engineer
New York, New York, United StatesSeptember 1, 2025Call with hiring manager to start the process. After that, it went to the final round, which was virtual. * Two coding interviews with standard algorithms questions. * One interview with a product manager on strategy. * Two interviews with en
Principal Software Engineer
Reston, Virginia, United StatesJune 7, 2025Four or five virtual interviews, one after the other. These mostly involved coding in their tool, with the interviewer providing feedback along the way. Some system design and fit questions were also included.
