How My Microsoft Interview Landed Me Higher Position Than I Applied For
By: Mara Hart
Tags: Internships, Software Development, Women Who Code, Interview, Microsoft

How My Microsoft Interview Landed Me Higher Position Than I Applied For Mara Hart Follow May 3 · 5 min read

(Screenshot by author)

“You did so well that you will be a SWE Intern and not an Explorer”

I applied for Microsoft’s Explorer Program in July — a summer internship for 1st and 2nd years undergraduates interested in learning more about SWE/PM roles. At the same time, I applied for Microsoft’s Software Engineer internship, just out of curiosity. I had only been coding for less than a year — did I amass enough experience/knowledge to be SWE?

“Thank you for your interest” — An email letting me know I didn’t make it for Microsoft’s SWE Internship (Screenshot by author)

Simply put, no.

I immediately got my resume rejected for the SWE role. While I wasn’t able to pursue this role, I secured an interview for the Explore program.

Between the notification of my interview to the actual slot, I only had a month to get into coding shape. I neither programmed for 4 months nor enrolled in programming classes. Unlike my peers, getting into that coding mindset was a lot harder.

Despite the challenges, Microsoft offered me a role that I had originally been rejected. Here’s how I did it.

Before the Interview

I applied at the beginning of July — right when the posting went up. Speed can only work to your advantage. If you know the job posting is up, apply as soon as you can. By the time I heard back, it was September.

Keep Going

3 months is a long time to gain experience. Personal projects can be made. Side jobs can be taken. Companies are looking for people who are self-starters and quick learners. Even though you may not have it on your resume, you can always bring up your new experience during your interview.

For me, I started the summer clueless about HTML and CSS, but by the time I interviewed, I was able to talk about a website I created for a student organization. Not only did I take the time to learn these new skills on my own, but I created a virtual platform for a student organization to market to demographics they’ve never been able to touch.

Just because you’ve applied doesn’t mean you’re done.

Research

Before your interview, know the format and types of questions. GeeksForGeeks, InterviewCake, and GlassDoor are all resources that pop up during a quick “Microsoft interview questions” Google search. These interviews will often give you coding prompts that you can time yourself on. This gives you a feel for what you’ll be expected to know walking in the door.

Practice

Practice makes permanent. The more you practice coding to solve problems, the easier it will be to recall the solution — or at least think your way through it. I’d recommend using the prompts you found with your research and practicing those with a timer. If you can’t find coding prompts for your role, try Leetcode. Leetcode has coding prompts that keep you thinking of quick and efficient ways to implement a solution — a technical interview must-have. Aim to get each problem completed in 30 minutes; you can adjust based on difficulty. After you finish your problem, figure out how to optimize it in a way that makes sense to you. The less code you have to type, the faster you’ll solve the problem.

After working on your own through prompts, partner with a peer to go through an interview. If you have a friend who works at your dream company, ask them to help you out as they’ll know best how the process will go. If not, try another friend in the industry or Pramp! Pramp is a platform for peer interviews where you can both push each other to do your best. Not only will you get to practice your coding, but you can also get into the interviewer’s perspective.

During the Interview

Now, you’ve reached the moment you’re waiting for. You’re at the interview and your heart is pounding. The first thing to do is to remember that your interviewer is on your team. As much as you want a job, they want to hire you; that’s why you got this far.

There’s one thing that I did that I believe pushed me to the next level.

Ask Questions

“Ask questions” is the biggest piece of advice my mentor could’ve given me. Companies want team members who are open to ideas and don’t rush into things. The attention to detail also helps ensure that company resources won’t be wasted on a misguided path.

You need to research before you can execute the solution. When going through a technical interview, ask what would happen with edge cases, and have the interviewer run through a mock function call with you. Getting this information can only prove beneficial.

Talk It Out

While it may be easy to fall into a rut of silent coding, that doesn’t showcase your collaboration. A team means you have to share information. When you’re interviewing, talk through your code and explain what’s going on so your interviewer knows how your logic works. This also allows them to help steer you in the right direction.

During my technical interview, I simply had two coding prompts. I thought I failed both, but I talked through the situation and explained where I wanted to go. I often had the logic in my head but got stuck with the finishing touch — something my interviewer was willing to help me out on. If I had stayed silent through my interview, the interviewer would’ve had no way to know what I was thinking and where I needed a hint.

The interviewer is there to help.

After the Interview

Relax

You’re done. You completed your interview. You can relax.

My interview felt like a train wreck to me; I gave up on getting the position. Out of two simple coding questions, I got zero done on my own. My coding was slow and I got stuck more than once. By the time I finished my interview (2 am), I was disappointed in myself. Why hadn’t I prepared more? Why didn’t I get that question? Why did I answer it like that?

What do those thoughts help? I had finished my interview. I was done. No matter the regrets I had, there was nothing I could do for this position and I had to keep moving forward.

I continued like normal: I hung out with my friends; I worked on my coding projects; I focused on other opportunities… until 9 days later, I got an email congratulating me on my Microsoft offer!