Mixed Experience at MS as FTE and Contractor
Mixed Experience at MS as FTE and Contractor
People at MS are great to work with and talented. Benefits are top-tier as an FTE (but as a contractor, you pay for your own health insurance). You will learn and grow a lot working with senior engineers at Microsoft, no matter which team you end up on.
Blue badge FTE and orange badge contractor positions live differently.
Old school big tech means contractors are second-class citizens. Converting to FTE is a carrot on a stick that isn’t a straightforward path or process. Often, you will just wait the six months between jobs to get rehired for the same position, even at the same place (this happened to me in a games studio).
Systemic issues across MS teams are siloed communication and difficulty working across teams and orgs.
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Microsoft Interview Questions
Microsoft Interview Experiences
Software Engineer
First round OA with two questions, about LeetCode medium. Final round: three technical interviews, with coding questions. Since the JD mentioned language C, the coding question was done with C.
Software Engineer
I had a 45-minute phone call with a recruiter regarding an engineering position. They discussed the specific team I was applying to join, as well as Microsoft's workplace culture in general.
Software Engineer
The interview was easy. Most of the questions they asked were LeetCode easy. Unfortunately, I haven't been selected even after answering everything perfectly. I think they rejected me because of the ongoing visa issues.
Software Engineer
Redmond, Washington, United StatesOctober 1, 2025First round OA with two questions, about LeetCode medium. Final round: three technical interviews, with coding questions. Since the JD mentioned language C, the coding question was done with C.
Software Engineer
Redmond, Washington, United StatesSeptember 11, 2025I had a 45-minute phone call with a recruiter regarding an engineering position. They discussed the specific team I was applying to join, as well as Microsoft's workplace culture in general.
Software Engineer
Redmond, Washington, United StatesSeptember 1, 2025The interview was easy. Most of the questions they asked were LeetCode easy. Unfortunately, I haven't been selected even after answering everything perfectly. I think they rejected me because of the ongoing visa issues.
