Here to share my microsoft interview experience. I read a lot of these posts to gain an understanding of what the interview might feel like and hence contributing toward helping someone else.
4 YOE, SDE2 - backend engineer(java) for a considerably large system.
Recruiter reached out to me on linkedin. Had a 30 min call discussing various technologies I have worked with. Told me theres a chance I'd be invited for an OA.
OA -
- debug a bfs program
- check if x,y pointer makes a square
- buy and sell stock with a slight variation
codility test. cleared and moved to onsite.
1 : writing a better api class based on an underlying api class; and then some threading and completable future discussion here.
2: 3 tree questions, variations of each other
3 : serialization - binary, nary
4: hm - coin change with quite a few variations (~3,4) and some resume discussion
Everybody was nice and welcoming. 4 rounds of an hour each. Each problem had to be compiled and executed. They asked a few behavioral questions which you can prepare for learning from videos on youtube. I was excited about trasnsitioning from using the cloud to building pieces in it. I think i did well in interview 2 and 3. 1 wasn't my best but the approach and thought process was all in the right direction(the 2nd question in this round i didnt get all the way through but explained my ideas). 4th i was worried about - i started with brute force but persisted until i got through to the end.
tip : talk out loud through the entire interview, clarify requirements to uncover problems, practice debugging your program without a debugger
They sent a congratulatory email 2 days from the interview - verbal offer in 10 and formal in 12 days.
It took 40 days from the first contact to offer.
Edit for compensation :
L61, 150k base + 120k/4years stock + 20%bonus. sign on 35k.