Interviewing at Microsoft

Now, with a title like that you'd think that I'm about to give out the "secret" of passing Microsoft interviews.... well, I am but it's not what you might expect. (This is my personal opinion and experience and, of course, your mileage may vary.)

I've now done three rounds of Microsoft interviews in the past 15 months. This is somewhat unusual but I believe it's given me a deeper understanding of the process. Most people who interview with Microsoft either get an offer and accept or don't get an offer and go somewhere else. 

In my case, I interviewed from the outside in November 2003 and, due to an 'offer I couldn't refuse' from my then existing employer, I turned down an offer from Microsoft.  I'll admit I did this with great regret and the expectation that I'd probably never get another chance. 

However, 7 months later it became apparent that a management sea change at that company would require me to move to Kansas City, MO or leave. Don't get me wrong... Kansas City, MO is a wonderful place. I met one of the loves of my life there, I enjoy all the people but, having grown up in Iowa for 22 years , I felt I'd "done my time" in the Midwest and once I hit the West coast, never wanted to go back. So, I picked up the phone again and contacted the recruiter who had introduced me to Microsoft the first time and asked if there was any chance to try again. Lo and behold, there was, and I interviewed late last June and became a Microsoftie in early July 2004!

Being here continues to be an amazing experience not only for the work but even more so for the people and the opportunities. Thus, after 8 months I found myself doing a series of what we call "informationals". These are generally 30 minute to one hour sessions with someone in a group outside your own in which you explore the kinds of things that group does to see if you both fit together and potentially even talk about an open position. 

Having been in the software business since before there was a Microsoft, once I got to Microsoft I found myself filled with the desire to continue my "mission". I've discovered over the years that I'm passionate about "making people's lives easier through software". In particular, I've always had a penchant for making developer's lives easier since they are often the people whose pain I feel the most since "I Are A Developer" :) 

Microsoft is, of course, a place where a person can have significant impact on the lives of developers and so I was filled with the desire to find a way to have an impact on more developers than I currently do. So I'd started to think about what kinds of positions within the company might offer that opportunity and I had a pretty clear idea that those positions would be in Redmond. But I never thought it would be so soon!

Thus, I found myself recently doing an informational with my soon-to-be-new-manager Jeff Sandquist and during that meeting he described my soon-to-be-new-dream-job. 

I really had expected that, having only been with Microsoft for 8 months, it would take a while to find the optimum situation and that I might be expected to stay in my current position longer but boy was I wrong! Jeff had an open position that seems like was tailor made for my skills, background and interests. We talked and he said he'd like to interview me for his open position. So the next step was to get permission from my existing manager to interview for the position. He was very gracious and said yes and the rest is now history. I interviewed two weeks ago, got an offer and last week accepted the new position.

Now, I've told you all that stuff so that I can tell you my "secret" about interviewing at Microsoft!

I've now met, as an interviewee, 17 people at Microsoft ranging from consultants and evangelists to various kinds managers all the way up to General Manager. Some of these people I've gone on to work with and some I will start to work with shortly. The people I'm currently working with were kind enough, once I felt confident to ask, to share with me some of their side of the experience as well as their experiences in interviewing other candidates. 

The bottom line in all these interviews, as perceived from both sides of the interviewing desk, is, and here's the secret: relax and be yourself during the interview. 

It's the only way that you'll come across as confident, competent, and credible. When you do it'll be obvious to both you and the interviewer that know your stuff. How?; by showing the way you think, asking intelligent questions, and being genuinely passionate about the position. You can't fake it anyway, so relax!

If the position you're interviewing for is right for you, if the team is right for you, if you're right for the team, you'll know it and they'll know it. If it's not a match, it doesn't mean you'll never work for Microsoft; I know many people who've interviewed, not received an offer and then interviewed with another group and been very, very happy they didn't get the first job!

It's that simple. Yes there are sometimes hard questions and there will be things you are asked that you don't know but don't panic. Sometimes the best answer to that kind of question is, "I don't know, can you say more?". Remember, if you get the job, these are the same people you'll be working with, potentially for many years. Ask them questions, what they really want to know is how you think and how you'll react in pressure situations!

The way to "be yourself", again in my own personal experience, is to have a conversation. Don't just sit there and answer questions. Think about what it feels like to be on the other side of that table and act the way you would like a candidate to act to make you, as an interviewer, feel at ease. After all, they also have to think, "Can I work with this person day-in-and-day-out for years?"

Finally, the person who's interviewing you has to make a hire/no-hire recommendation. Sure, technology skills are important but being friendly is what makes job relationships work year-after-year and that's more often than not the deciding factor between two candidates of equal skills.

So there you have it, my sure-fire-way-to-get-your-dream-job: Relax! You-are-what-you-are-that's-who-you'll-be and that's who people want to hire!

p.s. Job interviews at Microsoft can be as short as one day or, as in my most recent experience, stretched out over 5 days! So don't forget to bring your patience. After all, if the interview cycle is streched out you only get to move on to the next day if the people you've met so far think you're right for the job!

UPDATE: One of my co-workers pointed out that my p.s. might have implied that just because your interview lasts only one day it might mean you didn't get the job. Not so.

In fact, one day is the most common length of time for a Microsoft interview. So, if you're doing a interview...relax..and good luck!!!

SECOND UPDATE: One of the best sites I've used to help me think and prepare for a Microsoft interview is the one built by Chris Sells https://www.sellsbrothers.com/fun/msiview/. I know I used it to get a flavor for what to expect and it's also filled with anecdotal evidence from others who've gone through the interview cycle.