This is the 3rd time I'm going through the Microsoft Online Technical Screening and every time at least one question is in a language I don't know. I already mentioned in my resume (and to the recruiter) that I want to interview in Java, but the first OTS had one question in SQL (which I've never worked with). The recruiter apologized and sent me another one. This one had the "find the bug in this code" in C++ (and it was all pointers which I really haven't worked with, because I've only worked with Java). Third OTS again in C/C++. What should I do? I don't want to waste my time or her time.
You never worked with pointers nor sql? What did you study?
Do you really think what you studied at school would be enough to pass interview questions and find edge cases?! At school I've never taken a class that had SQL. At work I build software, and don't work with SQL. Our data analysts, data engineers, research/applied scientists work with SQL. We don't. They analyze the data, we build a system that works for that data. So no, I've never had to learn SQL because I never needed it.
Same with pointers. I code in Java, why would anyone expect me to know pointers (and their tricky edge cases) when I'm not familiar enough with them? Pointers are some concepts that are very common in C/C++, but not in java. One of the reasons Java came into the world was to get rid of the pointers' problems. (Don't get me wrong, they have their own cons/pros) So why are you surprised that a person whose main language is Java is not familiar with pointers?!
Really sorry for this. Please dm me her contact and I’ll get you a java interview
Thanks a lot. DM-ing you.
Wait they use Java at Microsoft?