Microsoft Internship Interview Experience for Software Engineer

Hello everyone! I am thrilled to share my experience of the interview rounds that led to my securing an on-campus internship at Microsoft as a Software Engineer Intern. The process was both challenging and enlightening, giving me a deeper insight into the technical and professional expectations of such a prestigious company. Here’s a detailed account of my assessment and interviews.

The first phase of the Microsoft internship interview was an online assessment. I encountered two medium-level coding questions: one involving the implementation of a LRU (Least Recently Used) Cache and the other requiring me to find the longest substring without repeating characters. I managed to solve both problems in nearly half the allotted time, and to my delight, all the test cases passed successfully, giving me a strong start.

The technical interview commenced in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. I introduced myself, emphasizing my passion for computer science and my journey thus far. The interviewer quickly set the tone, expressing their interest in my problem-solving approach and clarity of thought rather than perfect code syntax.

The challenge presented was to invert a binary tree. The interviewer provided a basic example to ensure I understood the problem fully. I asked clarifying questions and discussed potential edge cases and scenarios, demonstrating my analytical thinking.

With a clear grasp of the problem, I began coding. Throughout the process, I explained my thought process and the logic behind each line of code, showcasing not only my coding skills but also my ability to communicate technical concepts effectively.

To validate my code, I dry-ran it with various examples provided by the interviewer. After completing the code, we discussed its time and space complexity, highlighting the importance of efficient algorithms.

The interview concluded with a rapid-fire session covering fundamental concepts. I was asked to explain the differences between arrays and linked lists, detail two sorting algorithms along with their time and space complexities, describe the heap data structure, and distinguish between singly and doubly linked lists.

This round lasted about an hour, where I tackled a technical challenge and demonstrated my critical thinking and clear articulation of thoughts. Shortly after, I received a call for the next round of interviews.

The third round shifted focus to a more personal and project-centric discussion. The interviewer asked about my projects, and I elaborated on an NLP project I had undertaken. This discussion led to a broader conversation about the challenges and learnings from the project.

Next, I was asked to describe a project beyond Machine Learning. I shared my experience working on a full-stack project involving OracleDB, ReactJS, NodeJS, and ExpressJS. This prompted a follow-up question requiring me to provide a SQL query based on a given scenario, testing my practical database skills.

The interview then transitioned to assessing my interpersonal and team dynamics skills. I was asked about both positive and negative feedback I had received from peers and managers, emphasizing my ability to learn from feedback and continuously improve.

The remainder of the interview consisted of situational questions, where I framed my answers using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format. I shared experiences from my teamwork and project development, highlighting my adaptability, conflict resolution, and decision-making abilities.

Securing an internship at Microsoft has been a remarkable journey. Each round of the interview process tested different facets of my abilities, from technical skills to personal attributes. The experience has not only enhanced my problem-solving and coding skills but also improved my communication and interpersonal abilities. I am excited about the opportunity to work at Microsoft and contribute to innovative projects in the tech world.