Real Talk:

Debunking the
Technical Interview
What is a technical
interview?
• Technical Interviews
• Gauge what you know
• Evaluate how you think
• Assess how you solve problems

• Questions
• Behavioral
• Teamwork and motivation
especially!
• Resume based
• Technical
Interviewers
• Software Engineers
• Many of them were college hires, so they have
been in your shoes
• Talking to them is a GREAT opportunity to
learn more about Microsoft projects and
culture
Non-coding questions
• Usually based on your resume

• Know your talking points

Coding Questions: Six Steps

1. Understand the problem

2. Start attacking the problem
3. Test your algorithm before you
code
4. Code your answer
5. Test your code
6. Feedback
 ▪ WRITE DOWN THE QUESTION.

▪ Coding isn’t first, the problem comes first.

1. Understand ▪ ASK questions.
the problem
▪ Write down examples

▪ Let us know if you know the problem.

 ▪ Pseudo-code if needed.
▪ Start with the smallest case.
2. Start
▪ When blocked, start with the
attacking the
problem obvious (brute force?)
▪ TALK. We need to know what
you are thinking.
 ▪ Edge cases
▪ Invalid cases
3. Test your
▪ Fail Fast! Don’t be afraid to
algorithm
restart.
before you
code ▪ Run the algorithm from the
paper into the paper (or white
board). Not from/in your head.
 ▪ Clear concepts.
▪ Clear and simple answer.
Optimize later.
4. Code your ▪ Ask which libraries you can
answer use.
▪ If you’re stuck on a section,
enclose into a function and
proceed
5. Test your Don't just say you're done. Test and
Code look for ways to improve your code
 ▪ Listen to it

▪ We are not dismissing your ideas,

we are trying to guide you
sometimes.

6. Feedback ▪ Problems are designed to be hard,

don’t be discouraged.

▪ If you don’t make it, take our

feedback and apply it to your next
one.
Write a program that, given a
number will determine if it
is a prime number.
 Prime Number Question
▪ Clarify the definition of prime ▪ Clarify expected inputs and outputs
numbers of the program

A prime number (or a prime) is a Expected Input: a natural number

natural number greater than 1 that has
no positive divisors other than 1 and
Expected Output: True, if input was a
itself
prime number, False otherwise

Lastly, verify examples:

2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13...
 Prime Number Question
▪ Come up with your algorithm ▪ Test your algorithm – use
real examples!
• If num is < 2: return false
• If num is 2: return true • Sample Inputs: -10, 0, 1, 2, 5,
• Else: 11, 12, 81
• From 3 to num:
• If you find a divisor of num
other than itself: return false
• Else: return true

Feel free to improve your algorithm as you test: How can we improve this algorithm?
 Prime Number Question
▪ Algorithm to Improve: ▪ Improvements:

• If num is < 2: return false • If num is an even number > 2:

• If num is 2: return true return false
• If num is even: return false • Iterate from 3 to sqrt(num) [why?]
• Else: • Skip over even numbers in
• For i=3 to sqrt(num), i+=2: iteration, we already checked!
• If you find a divisor of num
other than itself: return false
• Else: return true
 Prime Number Question
Re: Don't just say you're done. Test and look for ways to improve your code
 • Getting the right answer in an interview isn’t
the goal – it’s about your thought process and
Takeaways design
• With tech interviews: practice makes perfect!
Additional Resources
Programming Interviews
 Cracking the Coding Interview
 Programming Interviews Exposed
 Elements of Programming
Interviews
 Programming Pearls
Programming Books
• Introduction to Algorithms
• Algorithm Design Manual
• Design Patterns
• Head First Design Patterns
• Head First Object Oriented
Analysis and Design
Studying Tips! Coding Problem Practice
• Know one language super  HackerRank
well! Ideally Object Oriented  Leetcode
• Practice interviewing with a  CareerCup
friend!  GeeksForGeeks
• Algorithms are really  System Design Questions
important
• Practice on a whiteboard
• Talk out your thoughts even
when you practice!
• Online coding competitions
Additional Websites
are fun and often include • Land a Job at Microsoft
interview problems • Microsoft Research
• Ask your friends about their • Microsoft Interviews
experience with interviews.
• Microsoft Developer Network
• The more practice problems
• Microsoft Blog
you do, the more
comfortable you’ll be with • Writing Resume Descriptions
real interview questions
University Internship and Full-Time
Job Opportunities

Apply online at microsoft.com/university

 PMs
help us go from
sketch to launch
to empower
every person and
organization on
the planet to
achieve more

Overview Competencies

▪ Evaluate customer ▪ Business acumen ▪ If you love negotiating, evangelizing and empathizing on
feedback and needs ▪ Collaboration behalf of our customers, this role is for you.
▪ Participate in feature ▪ The in-house advocate for millions of people worldwide.
▪ Customer focus
planning and design ▪ The driver of technical vision, design, and implementation of
▪ Build product ▪ Drive for results software solutions.
specifications and ▪ Influencing for impact ▪ The predictor and researcher of how software is used
project timelines ▪ Build functional specs
▪ Communicate ▪ Ensure end products exceed customer expectations
development progress ▪ The partner of SWEs to ensure our end products exceed
to the broader team expectations.
 Building
software to
empower every
person and
organization
on the planet
to achieve
more

Overview Competencies In this role, you will….

▪ Understand algorithms, ▪ Provide technical guidance to Program Managers as

Collaborate with a data structures and they consider user needs and product requirements
committed team to other systems
architecture ▪ Contribute ideas and feasibility of feature design
design, develop and test ▪ Business acumen ▪ Learn code base and relevant tools and
the next generation of ▪ Collaboration architecture
technology solutions for ▪ Customer focus ▪ Design, code, test, and document software
millions of people ▪ Drive for results
solutions
▪ Influencing for impact
▪ Monitor, fix and communicate issues
 Shape the way
the world works,
plays and connects

PRODUCTS INCLUDE THINGS TO NOTE

▪ Surface device Help shape the ways FT & IN opportunities available

▪ Xbox billions of people use
devices—from gaming
▪ HoloLens systems, to tablets, to
phones, keyboards and
mice, and future
technology.
 Use your genius
for tech to empower
billions

ROLES INCLUDE THINGS TO NOTE

Technical Account Manager ▪ Extensive travel

▪ Manager client relationships ▪ Must be US Citizen
▪ Wide breadth of tech ▪ FT opportunities only
▪ Interest in engineering sales ▪ Various US locations

Associate Consultant
▪ Expertise in specific technology area
▪ Build, design, deploy custom solutions
 Effective
storytelling to make
our customers our
biggest fans

Roles include Competencies M&O CMO

▪ Audience marketing ▪ Insights & Analysis ▪ Execution-focused, ▪ Thoughtful, planful, patient

▪ Product marketing ▪ Judgment action-oriented ▪ Looks at industry &
▪ Channel marketing ▪ Customer Focus ▪ Looks as sales and business purchasing trends,
metric trends, recommends recommends engineering,
▪ Business planner ▪ Collaboration local marketing program, and SKU
investments and sales investments
strategies ▪ Global business campaigns
▪ Looks across programs, ▪ Leads event strategy for
partners, sales and services Tier 1 and 3rd-party events
to bring a customer a
complete solution
 Empowering all
Microsoft employees
to achieve more
personally and
professionally

Overview Competencies HR Trax

Building the next wave of ▪ Business acumen Microsoft’s accelerated HR development program - a
global HR leaders that ▪ Collaboration tailored two year rotational assignment (two one-year
can best protect and rotations) that places participants in challenging roles
deliver the value of our ▪ Customer focus across HR.
most cherished asset...our ▪ Drive for results Upon completing the program, HR Trax members emerge
people. ▪ Influencing for impact with a solid understanding of Microsoft HR, Microsoft
business functions, a strong track record, and a network
to propel them to future success.

Competencies
▪ Financial professional The Global Sales and
knowledge Commercial (GSC) Finance
▪ Judgment team leads the financial and
strategic planning, reporting,
▪ Customer focus analysis, controls, compliance,
▪ Collaboration and financial and business
performance for all of
Microsoft’s sales and marketing
subsidiaries worldwide as well
as the worldwide commercial
business, directly impacting $85
billion in annual revenue and
55,000 employees worldwide.
The Central Finance Team
(CFT) manages reporting,
strategic planning, investor
relations, and other core
financial performance
management processes at the
corporate-level of the company.
The Central Finance Team serves
as a center of excellence and
provides exposure to the
formation of long-term
company strategy.
Creating value
across the board –
from our customers
to our shareholders
Product/Engineering Group (EG)
Finance is aligned to Microsoft’s
product groups and manages the
financial planning & analysis,
market intelligence, revenue
forecasting & analysis, operating
expense forecasting & analysis,
COGS forecasting & analysis, and
full P&L controllership for these
product groups.
 Making it easy
for our customers
to do business
with Microsoft

Competencies ROCs Goals include

▪ Planning, organizing ▪ Redmond, WA ▪ Building and scaling digital operations

and executing ▪ Reno, NV ▪ Build and operationalize new business;
▪ Judgment ▪ Ft. Lauderdale, FL, ▪ Performance engine/run;
▪ Customer focus ▪ Fargo, ND ▪ Empower and grow our people
▪ Drive for results ▪ Humacao, PR
▪ Dublin, Ireland
▪ Singapore
 With a consultative
approach, empower
our customers
to do more

Roles include Locations across US, including

▪ Account executive ▪ New York, NY

▪ Customer success ▪ Boston, MA
manager ▪ Washington, DC
▪ Charlotte, NC
▪ Chicago, IL
▪ Houston, TX
▪ San Francisco, CA
 With a consultative
approach, empower
our customers
to do more

Roles include

Ensure that customers get ▪ Technical sales specialist Locations throughout the Northwest, West Coast,
greater business value ▪ account tech strategist Midwest
from Microsoft’s world- and South
class technology