I applied through college or university. I interviewed at Microsoft (Kolkata) in Aug 2014
Interview
Was amazing but difficult. They look for the perfect fit technically and culture wise.
It was 5 rounds with two technical, two HR and one as appropriate.
The interview is simple provided you have strong grasp on C++ and a good data structure background.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Write down prime numbers unto 20. Write the most efficient code that you know of.
I applied online. I interviewed at Microsoft (Melbourne)
Interview
After submitting an online application, I received a HackerRank assessment after passing the resume screening stage, then I was rejected after completing the assessment and did not proceed to further interview rounds.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
The assessment consisted of two LeetCode-medium-level coding questions to be completed within 75 minutes.
45 mins technical interview with a member of their San fran team. Very relaxed and informal but questions were focused and lots of follow ups. Easy to schedule as was over video conferencing platform
Straightforward technical loop overall, with strong interviewers at every stage. I genuinely enjoyed the in-depth conversations around technical challenges and algorithmic problem-solving — the entire process felt well-structured and genuinely engaging.