Got a verbal offer from Microsoft today. The role was advertised as 100% remote; but now they want relocation & the pay isn't up to expectations Very frustrated by the lack of transparency and waste of time. But here is my experience: Recruiter screen: I told them I was looking for remote only roles with comp => 240k Tech screen: Don't remember the question, but it was relatively easy with a follow up portion. I had a 5 line solution which I was able to extend for the follow up. My Interviewer didn't understand the python syntax so I spent more time explaining my code step by step to them than actually coding it. Virtual Onsite : - 1 leetcode hard about binary trees (straight from leetcode) + experience deep dive. A+ experience - very knowledgeable senior engineer, gave me extra 3 mins time to finish code since I was on the right path for a solution, took time to address my questions about the team in depth. - 1 leetcode medium equivalent + experience deep dive. B experience - standard, addressed questions around the team and pain points. - 1 ambigous coding/design type problem with hiring manager where I wasn't able to get the needed requirements for the problem even after prodding for it. + experience deep dive. F experience - showed up 8 mins late, did not answer clarifying questions during problem, changed requirements multiple times during the problem, avoided giving clear answers to questions about team, scope, and product domain. - Behavioral round with senior engineering manager + experience deep dive. B experience - very thick accent hard to understand, asked good questions about my experience & followed up about how we implement various things in the same domain at Amazon, gave high level generic answers to my questions. Misc notes: - Recruiter got back to me 2.5 weeks post onsite - Team was 100% foreign nationals of the same race 🚩 - Engineers I interviewed with mentioned rough work life balance and various operational pain points vs. Managers acted like they have very low operations load. 🚩 - This team does basically the exact same thing I do at Amazon, but with smaller scope. - I interviewed for L61, and got upleveled to L62 My next steps: Remote is my number 1 priority so I will be rejecting this offer. I'm not at risk for PIP and my org at Amazon is stable, so I'll take my sweet time job hunting. If anyone from blind is willing to refer me for a 100% remote role that pays 240k+, I'll be very grateful 🙏 YOE: 2.5 Location: Austin TC: 270k #swe #software #engineering #microsoft #interview
How many hours per day/week do you work? How much coding in there?
30-50 hours a week typically. 40-60 hours a week when oncall. I'd say it averages out to about 40 hours a week tbh. Depends week to week. I've been doing alot of doc writing as of late, so not as much. But I made 151 commits in the last 1 year.
I prefer doc writing to pushing code honestly 😔 Are you in hq1? Aws? Edit: oh i see Austin
Depends. Is the team within Azure Core? If so, stay at Amazon.
Microsoft 365
Surprised at relocation request.
This is my biggest reservation about leaving a giant tech hub like Seattle or SF if I lived there, job hunting can turn out to be so difficult due to forced requirements like 100% remote.
So different than Marketing interviews at MSFT. I just finished one for a L65 (Director) role. Recruiter pre-screen: Recruiter asks about experience, Apologizes for not having resume in front of him, loads up LinkedIn, just reads off companies and asks what I did. Asks what I like about the product they build. Likes my 15-second answer. Asks for more. Goes over his head, but he thinks it sounds good. Asks me what my comp requirements are, then tells me they can probably hit that. Loop day: In-group peer (L65): We play the who-do-you-know game for 5 minutes because of similar career paths. He asks me why I want to work for MSFT. He asks me what he thinks, in a big picture way, they should change. We shoot the sh*t for the rest of the interview. Clearly just trying to decide if I'm an idiot and if I can vibe. Related-group peer (L65, same skip): Same as above, minus the who-do-you-know. She CLEARLY just doesn't want them to hire a jerk or someone who knows so little about the (developer-oriented) product that they'll need constant handholding. Hiring manager (L67): 90% of shooting the sh*t / can I get a long with this guy while mutually name dropping, 10% laughing about how we both know exactly what the first 90% was. He laughs and says I'll do fine at MSFT. GM (What level are they? 68? 69?): Realized we worked together YEARS ago. 50% him complaining about what's frustrated him with the role for which they're hiring, 50% me showing him how good I'd be at NOT doing those things. Honestly--this is par for the course for every Marketing interview I've had at every company over 500 people. 100% about personality fit and an IQ sniff test, but nothing even close to a skills test. The only time I've gotten those is with startups, where they're usually super strapped for cash and treat interviews like spec work. I did once see my interview homework assignment show up on a startup's site days later. They sent me an offer the following week, so it was fine.
What is your level at Amazon?
SDE II - L5