Microsoft Interview Experience For Internship 2024

In the competitive realm of campus placements, where dreams are shaped and destinies decided, the journey of securing an internship at Microsoft for the year 2024 was nothing short of a roller coaster for me, a pre-final B.Tech (CSE Core) student from VIT, Vellore.

The Initial Hurdles

As companies flocked to the campus in early August, I found myself facing the challenge of being overlooked by the first few companies due to intense competition in terms of CGPA(I had a CGPA of 8.4 till the completion of 2nd Year, and was very honest I was not shortlisted in the first 3 companies for the OA test because of having a tough competition in terms of CGPA in my college). However, the tide turned when Microsoft entered the scene on August 9th, bringing with it an opportunity I was determined to seize.

The OA Test

The Online Assessment (OA) test brought forth two challenging questions(I remember the date it was 15th August and I was giving my Microsoft’s OA test). The first involved a graph and the implementation of a queue, while the second delved into practical scenarios, requiring the application of Sliding Window and Two-Pointer Techniques. I aced both questions with all test cases passed, securing a spot for the next stage.

The Countdown to Success

On August 16th, a message from a first-year roommate(Nirant) brought the news of my being shortlisted for further interviews. Amidst the excitement and panic, I juggled preparations for the Sparkathon Project Submission and revisiting crucial DSA concepts(I was very happy mixed with panic feeling, I remember that day was the deadline for the Sparkathon Project Submission(By Walmart), and I was revising the Important DSA concepts and writing code for the project at the same time by splitting the screen).

The Interviews

The first interview presented me with a dynamic programming-based DSA question and an unexpected inquiry into operating systems. I navigated these challenges impressively, earning a spot among the final 26 candidates(After 15mins of my First Interviews, I got to know that out of the First 10 Students, 2 got selected for the Final Interview and I was one of them and It will start in next 5 mins). The final interview began with me showcasing the Sparkathon Project, followed by two DSA questions—one linked to LinkedLists(Leetcode Hard) and the other a complex string problem(To be honest that question was the hardest one because It was having 5-6 edge cases and Clicking all the edge cases and explaining it to the interviewer was very hard to me). Despite the intricate nature of the latter, I emerged with a smile, leaving a positive impression.

The Moment of Triumph

After two days of anticipation, the list of selected students for the Microsoft internship was released and My name was at the top. The achievement felt similar to winning the World Cup Trophy for Team India, evoking tears of joy because out of around 16k candidates(VIT, Vellore, and VIT, Chennai), Acknowledgements only 9 candidates got selected and I was one of them(0.06% selection rate).

Acknowledgements

I express gratitude to the YouTube community, citing the following resources as instrumental in their journey:

• Alpha 1.0 Course (Apna College)
• GFG Weekly Contest
• LoveBabbar DSA Playlist
• Kunal Kushwaha DSA Playlist
• Striver Recursion and Backtracking Playlist
• Leetcode Weekly and Bi-Weekly Contest

This journey is a testament to my perseverance, dedication, sacrifices, and the invaluable support of online resources. As I embark on this Microsoft internship, it marks not just a professional milestone but a personal victory forged through hard work and determination.