Microsoft Software Development Engineer interview questions

The interview took part in two stages. The first stage was a phone interviewer with a recruiter. He asked me very high level conceptual questions regarding the difference between java and python and then a brainteaser. The second stage was an onsite, half day long interview where I was interviewed by three different current developers. The main things tested were thinking of algorithms on the spot.

I dropped off my resume at a Microsoft recruiting event on my university campus. I was called in for a quick 30 minute on-campus interview that included both behavioral and technical elements. A few weeks later I flew out to Seattle and became part of a very large recruiting machine. There were two main interview rounds, morning and afternoon; each applicant was placed into one or the other and got 3-4 in-person one-on-one interviews, at 45 minutes each. Food was provided on site (lunch in the cafeteria, and snacks in the recruiting waiting room). All 4 of my onsite interviews were technical. Many interviewers asked me how I deal with difficult people when working in groups - I guess that's pretty important at Microsoft :P There were probably around 75 applicants total the day I was there. You get taxi vouchers and a small sightseeing allocation, which is nice. Microsoft pays for two nights of hotel stays, and distributes its candidates across a large number of nearby hotels for some reason.