Interviewing with Microsoft

[CrashPat]

I'm interviewing with Microsoft for an SDE/T position next week, any advice? I have a BS in CSC and have been out of school for about 6 months.

Two specific questions always make me stumble in interviews, and I'm sure they will be issues again. First is the "any questions" which I never have any. What kind of things should I ask, I spend a lot of time researching ahead of time and I hate asking questions. What works the best? Should I ask things that will fuel the interviewer's ego, or general company related questions? Would asking the interviewer how they got started and how they got started be better, or should I ask about advancement opportunities on the technical and administrative sides are? Or does it not matter, simply asking some questions is good? I went through my entire undergraduate schooling without asking any questions, it has always been a weakness.

Which brings me to the other question I can't answer, the "what is your biggest weakness?" This one always gets me. Should I be completely honest, should I turn it into a positive thing (yuck), or should I mention a minor thing? I see downsides to each thing, first being honest is always a downside because my weaknesses involve things like on the spot oral communication, I struggle sometimes trying to put things together in my head, but I am not a fake person and can't turn it into a positive question because I hate playing that game, and minor things are not "biggest weaknesses."

Living off of poker for a couple of years while going through school and the months since then made me stumble at my last interview, but I've decided that I travelled enough during that time to answer any questions about the past 6 months or so.

If this is going to be a technical interiview I should be ok based on merit, I am good at what I do, and I can almost always work through any technical questions thrown at me. Plus I've been studying this week to be sharp. What I struggle with is the HR crap that doesn't matter that much, "where do you want to be in 5 years?" well, I want to gain 5 year of experience so I can evaluate where I am and start goals that have meaning.

I interviewed with another company and they asked me what "my end all, long term goal was" and I told them that "that is an impossible question, I have no idea where I want to be in 20 or more years, I'm sure that my situation will change so much in the short term that I can't answer that." They seemed to like that answer, the guy that asked it congratulated me for my honesty, but is that what MS wants?

If anybody has interviewed with Microsoft, and especially for a technical (PM, SDE or SDE/T) entry level position, I would love input. I'd also like any general input to strengthen my interview skills.

[_Tank_]

Be prepared for some "thinking outside the box" questions. One that a friend of mine got was, "Why is a manhole cover round?" There is a right answer, but thats not necessarily importnat to come up with. They want to hear how you think and approach problems.

I know they also throw some riddles your way as well so I'd maybe pick up a riddle book (math ones if possible) and toss those around for some practice.
Good Luck

[disjunction]

I interviewed with M$ out of college. I also recall that the questions were mostly algorithm stuff and not language specific. My only advice would be to get a good night's sleep before the interview.

On biggest weakness, I would answer with your biggest weakness, and what you've done to overcome it. If you don't like that, try your second biggest weakness. If you're really not feeling it, try somebody else's weakness. You want the interviewer thinking "Oh he thinks that's a weakness but that's not important to this job -- he'll fit right in here". For example, you hate public speaking so to compensate you rehearse to death before the speech, so it's automatic and nervousness isn't a factor. Or, appropriate to your post, that at college you tried to slog through a task instead of asking the guy down the hall a question he could answer in 2 minutes. But remember to say that you've overcome it.

As for questions, figure out what you want to know and ask. It shouldn't be that difficult to come up with things you want to know. You want to be genuine.

[danzasmack]

For a biggest weakness -

I said my biggest weakness was too much attention to detail. In my first internship I had to check revenues and they basically told me - "we pay $12/hour so stop spending an hour trying to find that last penny". They did say somethign like this but then I pointed out a case where one side was -$1k and another was like +$1000.05 and they were like "ok do your job lol"

But that's something you can use if you don't feel comfortable putting yourself down (obv don't include the end of the story haha). I had the same problem when I was interviewing. I also started with one I USED TO HAVE and how I learned to overcome it. And say "now i find that _______ but my ability to improve myself and make changes is something I really take pride in"

Seriously think out all the answers to these questions before hand. Give detailed answers but don't talk to much (makes you seem nervous). The guy interviewing you has a mental checklist so you want to get through it without making a mistake. give him what he wants to hear and if you think he is satisfied then try and move on.

And good luck.

[DougShrapnel]

[ QUOTE ]
"Why is a manhole cover round?"

[/ QUOTE ] Manhole covers are round because man holes are round, despite what is often heard as the correct answer. When I interviewed with MS the wierdest question I got was "How would you design a car for a dog?"

[iron81]

I would offer advice, but I went on about 30 interviews before I landed my first (and current) real world job, so I probably suck at interviewing.

Any results?

[TimM]

[ QUOTE ]
"How would you design a car for a dog?"

[/ QUOTE ]

Great dane or poodle?

[DougShrapnel]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"How would you design a car for a dog?"

[/ QUOTE ]

Great dane or poodle?

[/ QUOTE ]Both if it matters.

[Suigin406]

i also interviewed with microsoft around 4-5 months ago...for ur weakness, come up with one which u actually overcame because the follow-up question was if u were able to do anything to overcome it and how...i like the "pays attention to too much detail which slows down my progress" (that's the one i actually used!) and i remember i actually got a smile out of one of them...also, be prepared to write pseudo-code or walk them through writing an algorithim orally as i had to do that...but they let u do it in any language u want if they make u write it...

i remember i got one "riddle" question, but to be honest, i forgot what it was...something about liars...but yea, i guess they do test u in that way too...

good luck on ur interview...post away if u have more questions...

[Zurvan]

[ QUOTE ]

i like the "pays attention to too much detail which slows down my progress" (that's the one i actually used!) and i remember i actually got a smile out of one of them

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't use the too much attention to detail line. A lot of HR people that do many interviews here that from everybody that walks through their door. It's cliched now, that's why you got the smile.

Use an actual weakness. Tell them what you're doing to overcome it. That one question, answered honestly, is not going to decide the issue one way or another. Unless your weakness is "I'm always forgetting how to program" or "I masturbate obsessively in my office".