Career Advice About Microsoft

Throughout my career, I’ve noticed a pattern of underperformance regarding working independently. This shows up in several different forms, like occasionally needing too much guidance on pull requests, not being able to drive oncall issues to their conclusion independently, some guidance on design docs, delivering large features with rough execution, etc.

What is the answer to this? I’m happy to put in 45-50 hours at my job. Others around me appear to be able to do it, so I wonder what they’re doing differently to achieve the level of independence required to operate at senior+ roles.

I’m a bit alarmed/worried since this seems like fundamental incompetence that must be addressed immediately to avoid losing any tech jobs.

All advice is welcome here 😊

Hi Taro Community,

I've recently embarked on a new journey where I'm currently the sole team member based outside the US. The team here in India is still in the process of being established. My mentor, recognizing my unique position, has assigned me some smaller, initial tasks to get started. However, I'm aware that the project I'm ultimately supposed to contribute to is still in its nascent stages, with the codebase likely not fully available/developed yet.

This situation leads me to a couple of questions:

1. How can I proactively learn about and understand the codebase more closely aligned with my future work, especially when it might not be fully available or developed at this stage?
2. How will working on these initial, potentially unrelated tasks benefit me in the long run, especially if they don't directly tie into the main project I'll be working on?

I'm keen to make the most out of this initial phase and ensure a smooth transition into my core project once it's fully underway. Any insights, experiences, or advice on how to navigate this scenario would be greatly appreciated.

Looking forward to your valuable suggestions.

I am currently employed as a Software Engineer 2 at Microsoft India, where I have been working for nearly three years since graduating from college. I had been considering pursuing a master’s degree in the United States, but given the current global circumstances, including the political climate, I am uncertain if this is the right time to pursue such a move

I’ve been working as an Android developer for four years and have contributed to two major Microsoft apps with 10M and 1B+ downloads. I also published a small app on the Play Store in just a week and have invested in improving my skills by reading Android-related books and taking courses. With this background, I felt confident about my expertise and began applying for Android roles.

However, I faced multiple rejections during interviews. The interviewers focused heavily on the internal workings of Android APIs—details beyond my practical usage, like understanding the mechanics behind coroutines rather than just knowing how to use them.

Recently, I came across a course by a highly experienced Android instructor (10+ years) who has transitioned to full-time teaching. His demo session stood out because of its focus on internal details, experiments, and case studies. It resonated with me, and I believe it could help me not only crack interviews but also become part of the top 1% of Android developers globally.

The challenge is the cost: ₹40,000 upfront (25% of my monthly salary) and ₹2 lakhs (10% of my annual salary) after securing a new job. It’s a significant investment, and I’m wondering:

• Is it worth taking this course given my situation and goals?
• Are there more cost-effective alternatives to achieve the same level of expertise and confidence for interviews?

Hi Taro Community,

I’ve often come across the term ‘Pair Programming’ within discussions here and in the broader tech community. However, I realize that I may not fully grasp the various contexts in which this practice is applied. Could anyone shed light on what Pair Programming entails and how it might differ across different settings or scenarios?

Specifically, I’m curious about:

• The essential elements that define Pair Programming
• Variations in approach when it comes to Pair Programming in a remote vs. in-person environment
• The benefits and potential drawbacks of this method from your personal experiences
• Situations or types of tasks where Pair Programming is particularly effective or, conversely, not recommended.

Understanding this could greatly influence how I collaborate with my team and contribute to our projects. Any insights or personal anecdotes on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your help.

Hi Taro Community,

I joined Microsoft in February, and interestingly, my manager started just a month later in March. As we’re both relatively new and navigating uncharted areas, I felt the need for more structured technical guidance. During a recent one-on-one, I suggested the idea of having a mentor or a designated technical point of contact. Initially, my manager acknowledged this need and planned to discuss it further up the chain.

However, the feedback I received later was that since we are in the process of building a new team here in India, we should first attempt to resolve issues internally. Subsequently, for additional insights, I’m advised to engage with the chat group, which includes around 100 members.

Here’s where I find myself in a predicament:

• My manager, being new himself, sometimes faces similar uncertainties, which complicates our internal resolution approach.
• Posting in a large group specific guidance doesn’t always yield practical advice due to its broad focus.

Any insights on managing these dynamics or personal experiences would be incredibly helpful as I look to establish myself and contribute effectively in my new role.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences.

Hi there Taro people!

I want to mentor an intern, but in order to get one my manager asked me to come up with a few project proposals.

I’m finding that hard to do because I have no idea what could be good intern-level tasks, and to be honest I don’t have many ideas coming to me at all.

Have you ever been through that and could give me some advice?

Currently I am working as Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft for the past 2 years and looking for change. I have close to 10 years of work experience.
In that period I have worked in 5 companies (including Microsoft).

In the resume, should I mention my entire work experience of 5 years or should I mention only my latest work experience of last 5-6 years (last 2-3 companies) since only the latest experience might be relevant to the companies?

Hi Taro Community,

I’ve recently embarked on a new role as an SDE-II with a company where I’m currently the only team member based in India, with the rest of my team located in the US. The company has plans to expand the team here in India, which could potentially include hiring someone at a senior level.

My current mentor, who is based on the East Coast in the US, has been a great source of guidance and support, despite the limited overlap in our working hours due to the time zone difference. However, I’m concerned about the possibility of being reassigned to a new mentor who might be very new to the codebase and potentially less equipped to provide effective mentorship, simply due to their proximity.

In this scenario, how would you suggest I navigate the situation? I value the mentorship I’m currently receiving and am apprehensive about the impact a change might have, especially if the new mentor is still familiarizing themselves with the codebase.

Should I express my concerns to my manager now, or wait to see how the team expansion unfolds? Any advice on maintaining the quality of mentorship during this transition period would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your insights.

I am a Computer Science bachelor degree holder who graduated in 2014. My overall work experience has been in BigTech or Fortune 500 companies. I had an opportunity to become Manager at Expedia back in 2022 but chose to go to BigTech as an IC due to a much better pay back then.

My main goal is to become EM. I have close to 11 years of work experience and might take atmost 2 years to become EM. Is it a little late to become a manager? My concern is that if I become EM a little later in the career, my whole career progression (to EM1, EM2, Director, VP etc) would be delayed since average work experience before becoming an EM these days is generally 10 years.

Morever I have received feedback to become an A player in current role before getting considered for EM path? How can I fastrack my transition to EM path?

I was very fortunate to have received internship offers from both Meta and Microsoft for summer 2025.

Would it be better to:

• try asking the recruiter to move Microsoft intern offer to spring 2025
• send a very polite email reneging Microsoft internship opportunity

Based on what I've seen, Microsoft historically has very rarely offered to move a summer internship to another season. I was wondering if it would still be worth asking the recruiter.