Interviewing at Microsoft
Each year I interview upwards of 200 people for various positions at Microsoft. Joel on Software recently posted an article on how everyone thinks they're hiring the top 1%. Leaving aside the the tech interview questions, Chris Anderson (Avalon architect) and I were today discussing a much more practical potential interview question: how much space do you require around your shop's table saw?
Comments
- Anonymous
January 31, 2005
The comment has been removed - Anonymous
January 31, 2005
That's the practical answer. What's the mathematical answer? Even Chris didn't get it immediately. :-) - Anonymous
January 31, 2005
Doesn't that depends directly on what the saw is being used for. See I would never get a 'job' at Microsoft, cause I would have to call that a stupid question. I'm also pretty outspoken, so I'd probably tell you during the interview it's a stupid question.
I don't even own a table saw, would never use a table saw and have no plans on learning about table saws (unless of course someone figures out how to put a table saw on the internet).
Thanks again for reminding my why I run my own company. - Anonymous
January 31, 2005
Ah, but saying it's a stupid question is a guarantee to getting hired. :-) - Anonymous
January 31, 2005
ok. so now my interest is peaked. Can you break it down for me. I might just learn something here.. - Anonymous
January 31, 2005
The comment has been removed - Anonymous
January 31, 2005
The comment has been removed - Anonymous
January 31, 2005
Not quite sure what that means, but... - Anonymous
January 31, 2005
"The amount of space required is dependant upon which phase in the development lifecycle my current shop project happens to be in."
Do you really ask cool questions like that though? When MS came to my university and interviewed (before I graduated) I heard the questions were more along the lines of, "write a c++ program which can calculate the angle between the hour and minute hand of a clock at any given time." And the person was given a pencil and 7 minutes. - Anonymous
January 31, 2005
Yes, I really ask cool (random) questions like that. - Anonymous
January 31, 2005
I find Paul's comment confusing as well. But the key marked T is (often) located right beside Y... - Anonymous
January 31, 2005
yeah, gut not guy. I can't type. Oh well. - Anonymous
January 31, 2005
Whew. That makes more sense. I thought I was losing my mind there for a minute! :-) - Anonymous
February 01, 2005
The comment has been removed - Anonymous
February 02, 2005
I heard a story about an interview with one of the big consulting firms. The candidate was led into his next interview where he shook hands with the manager and both sat down -- and then the manager didn't say a word for 30 minutes. Not a peep in response to any of the candidate's questions. Nothing.
Not sure what kind of response the guy was looking for, but I'd love to be behind a two-way mirror watching it. - Anonymous
February 02, 2005
OK, that's just weird. - Anonymous
April 29, 2008
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