Microsoft SDE-2 | Noida | Leetcode + DSA + Design + HM
Summary
I successfully secured an SDE-2 offer at Microsoft in Noida after undergoing a comprehensive interview process covering Data Structures & Algorithms, System Design, and a Hiring Manager round. I am currently in compensation negotiation, having also received another offer from an MNC.
Full Experience
Online Assessment (OA): 2 DSA LC (Hard and Medium)
Round 1 (DSA Round 1):
- Q1: BFS-based grid conversion — simulate a magician converting adjacent people in a grid (similar to Rotten Oranges Leetcode #994)
- Q2: Find the smallest missing positive integer (Leetcode #41)
Round 2 (DSA Round 2):
- Discussed a variation of closest pair with latency spikes (used heap + hashmap)
- Follow-up on array transformations and optimization
Round 3 (Design Round):
- Design a Logging Framework
- Classes: LogTypeEnum, Log class, Output channels (DB, File, Console, Cloud)
- Patterns: Singleton, Broadcast Channel Map, Interface-based output controllers
- Emphasis on abstraction and extensibility
Round 4 (HM + Final Round):
- Project Deep Dive: Discussed my past work on [brief description of a complex system you've built, e.g., fraud detection service or vehicle reassignment system]
- HLD + LLD: Designed a notification service — pub-sub architecture, push vs pull, scaling strategies, reliability
Result:
✅ Offered SDE-2.
💰 Compensation: Negotiating
📍 Other Offer: Yes (MNC).
Interview Questions (5)
BFS-based Grid Conversion (Rotten Oranges Type)
Given a grid, simulate a magician converting adjacent people. This is a BFS-based grid conversion problem, similar to LeetCode #994 Rotten Oranges.
Find the Smallest Missing Positive Integer
Find the smallest missing positive integer.
Closest Pair Variation with Latency Spikes
Discussed a variation of the closest pair problem specifically involving latency spikes.
Design a Logging Framework
Design a logging framework.
Design a Notification Service
Designed a notification service, covering High-Level Design (HLD) and Low-Level Design (LLD).
Preparation Tips
Tips:
- DSA: Stick to Leetcode mediums/hards. Focus on BFS/DFS, heap, sliding window, and edge cases.
- Design: Practice real-world system designs and focus on modularity and extendability.
- Behavioral: Be clear on your contributions in previous projects. HM round was friendly but thorough.