Table of Contents
Introduction
Want to know the steps to join as an intern at Microsoft? Here is your Microsoft Interview Preparation guide if want to join as an employee. Are you anxious about the kind of interview question that would be asked?. Worried if you would be able to crack all interview rounds even if you don’t have a computer science background?
Then this blog is just for you. This blog contains all answers to your concerns that might arise if you are aspiring to get into Microsoft. We have an intern and an employee working at Microsoft to share their experience and Microsoft Interview Preparation guide with us.
Recruitment Process
To join as an employee, the recruiter may approach you through networking sites such as LinkedIn or you can apply for a job directly to the Microsoft website. To join as an intern, attend an online coding test after completion of the second year of under graduation.
The various stages of recruitment are online, technical, and technical cum HR. The coding test contains five or six questions mostly related to database, data structure, and OOPs concept which has a time limit of almost one or two hours.
How and when to start Microsoft interview preparation?
Microsoft interview preparation guide can be started from college days itself, by participating and being active in competitive programming contests and attending coding competitions such as ICPC (International Collegiate Programming Contest). You should have a thorough understanding of database concepts and data structure and algorithm concepts.
Understanding these concepts is a very important step in cracking Microsoft interviews especially if you are not from a Computer Science background. Do rigorous practice to improve coding skills and try out various problem-solving questions. Try to do more projects that could improve your resume. Be familiar with the possible questions that would be asked based on the project you have done.
Stages of Interview
Given below are the various stages of the interview for both employment and internship. Along with it, for example, questions that are expected to be asked in each stage of the interview are given that would help you during your Microsoft Interview Preparation guide. It also gives insight on which topic should be given more importance in different stages.
- For Employment
A recruiter would inform you about various interview drives through sites like LinkedIn. About 15-20 candidates would be called to attend the drive.
- The first two rounds: The first two rounds are direct interview rounds. It mostly consists of problem-solving. The question of the first two rounds mostly deals with the data structure base.
- The third round: The third round mostly deals with the system design part.
- After completing the three rounds you might receive a call from the recruiter within three to four days. If all three rounds are completed successfully then the next round is the HR round. It is the round where questions will be asked to reveal your personality and also to ensure you would be a good fit in their organisation. They make sure that you will suit well in their work culture.
- For internship
The first step is to clear an online coding test. After succeeding in the online coding test, there will be three interviews that will be mostly held on the same day.
- The first round: In the first round, one question would be given and the candidate should code it in Notepad. Apart from coding, questions related to other topics on computers would also be asked, for example, questions on OOPS.
- The second round: In the second round, two problems are given to the candidate which might be related to the skills mentioned in the resume. Along with these questions related to skills, high-level questions would also be asked for which the exact answer to those questions is not necessary, the interviewer is more concerned with how the candidate approaches the given problem.
- The last round: In the last round, an interview is conducted by HR. Questions related to the project mentioned in the resume will be asked in this round. Along with that general question would be also asked, for example, what are the technologies that might grow in the next five to 10 years etc.
After successful completion of all these rounds results would be announced after a few hours.
Microsoft interview questions asked in a coding interview
Microsoft, like other companies, asks questions from data structures and algorithms for coding interviews. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions by Microsoft. You can practise all these questions as well as other questions asked by Microsoft from CodeStudio.
These questions will surely help you with your Microsoft Interview Preparation guide.
- Find the shortest path in an unweighted graph
- Convert a binary tree into a Doubly Linked List
- Find the total number of BST using array elements as root
- Swap Numbers without using temporary variables
- Find the maximum sum of two non-overlapping subarrays of a given size
- Finding the nth element of the modified Fibonacci series
- Add two numbers as a Linked List
- Finding maximum path sum between two leaves
- Find maximum width in a Binary tree
- Finding maximum subarray sum
- Find the 4th largest element in an array
- Reverse the first K elements of a queue
- Find pair sum in a BST
Would it be difficult to crack a Microsoft interview without a Computer Science background?
The ratio of people recruited from the computer science branch and other branches stands in favour of people with a computer science background, but it is still possible to become an intern or employee at Microsoft even without having a computer science background by following the tips given below.
Make sure to include them during your Microsoft interview preparation guide. A candidate with an electronics background or branches similar to it can crack this interview if they have enough knowledge and willingness to explore through Computer Science related concepts.
Some tips that can help you are as follows:
- Such candidates must improve their skills and knowledge in Computer Science-related concepts such as data structure and algorithm, database environment, system design, and OOP during their Microsoft interview preparation guide.
- Questions related to design patterns and system designs may be used for the interview.
- Knowing just coding is not enough to crack through all the interviews, concepts related to computer science may also be asked and you should be able to give a prompt answer.
- Confidence is the key.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most levels of the Microsoft interview are about asking questions related to data structure and algorithms which are to be solved in whiteboards or notepads. They might also ask questions to understand your view and behaviour, coding skills, other topics related to computers, and also about skills mentioned in the resume.
Microsoft interviews are difficult and highly competitive. A candidate with a computer science background is more likely to get employed, but candidates from other backgrounds such as Electronics can also get recruited if they have enough knowledge and coding skills.
Preparation for Microsoft interviews should ideally be started from college days by participating in competitive programming and attending coding competitions. You should have good knowledge and skills in topics such as data structures and algorithms. You should also create a good LinkedIn profile.
There are mainly three rounds for both joining as an employee and joining as an intern. For joining as an employee the first two rounds are about problem-solving. The third round deals with the design part. The last round has an interview conducted by HR.
The average pay is $124,653 per year. For positions like senior project manager, senior leader, solutions architect etc more pay can be expected.
The five stages of an interview are mentioned below:
1. Introduction
2. Portfolio brief
3. Technical round
4. Past projects
5. HR round
Key Takeaways
Getting a job in Microsoft both as an intern or as an employee deals with cracking through various stages of the interview process which mostly is about problem-solving related to database and OOPs concept. It is not always a person with a computer science background who gets in. With good interview preparation and with the willingness to explore new concepts it would be easy to ace all the interviews.
By Ranjul Arumadi
