Microsoft Interview Experience for SWE Intern (Microsoft Engage)

Introduction: It all started with my selection to the Microsoft Intern Engage Program for 2022. I submitted my final project 10 minutes before the deadline (Yup, I’m strict with deadlines…LOL!!!) and had no hope of even getting the interview call (that last-moment panic you know, it will never let you think positive). After around 20 days of submitting the project, I got an email from Microsoft saying that I had been selected for an interview for SWE Role at Microsoft and that the number of rounds will vary for each candidate.

For me, the first round that was scheduled was the technical one. It was of 45 minutes.

Since I received my final interview mail just one day before the interview was scheduled, I didn’t have much time to revise everything. I did all that I considered important. That was it and the next day I had my interview.

The Interview: The interview started with a little introduction round, first I gave a brief introduction of myself and then the interviewer started introducing himself. 

After that without wasting much time he shared the link to Codility Platform on which I had to code my solution. The question was also provided there. I was asked only one DSA question and 3 questions related to the OOPs concept.

The DSA question was of the tree (having duplicate elements) in which I had to output the node which appeared the maximum number of times. The question was fairly easy but my panic mode didn’t let me complete it nicely [ps:  it was my first technical interview experience 🙁 ]. I managed to come up with the correct and optimized approach to solve the question but I ran out of time to code it completely. Afterward, the interviewer finished my partially completed code.

Then the interviewer asked me 3 questions from OOPs, which were also not very hard. I managed to answer two of the correctly but messed up on the third one. Then, after 4 days of the interview, I received the most expected mail of not getting selected. 

What I did wrong (advise for you to improve upon)

• First thing first, be confident with whatever you know. Be ready to give your 100%.
• My biggest shortcoming was the lack of practice, this was the reason I couldn’t complete the question in the provided time; so my advice would be to practice as much as you can so that you know the variety of questions related to every topic.
• Most importantly, have a conversation with your interviewer, ask follow-up questions and clarify everything related to the question; know that the interviewers are more like friends, they provide us with hints too and help us wherever we need it. That I understood after my interview 🙁

And last but not the least, if you are here reading other’s experiences then you too must be having your interview soon.

Best of luck and give it your best shot. Even if you don’t clear it, you’ll add some valuable experience to your learning and improve yourself in the process 😉