Microsoft SDE-2 | Noida | Leetcode + DSA + Design + HM

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SDE-2Noida
July 19, 2025 • 3 reads

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:
āœ… Offered SDE-2.
šŸ’° Compensation: Negotiating
šŸ“ Other Offer: Yes (MNC).

Interview Questions (5)

Q1
BFS-based Grid Conversion (Rotten Oranges Type)
Data Structures & AlgorithmsMedium

Given a grid, simulate a magician converting adjacent people. This is a BFS-based grid conversion problem, similar to LeetCode #994 Rotten Oranges.

Q2
Find the Smallest Missing Positive Integer
Data Structures & AlgorithmsHard

Find the smallest missing positive integer.

Q3
Closest Pair Variation with Latency Spikes
Data Structures & Algorithms

Discussed a variation of the closest pair problem specifically involving latency spikes.

Q4
Design a Logging Framework
System Design

Design a logging framework.

Q5
Design a Notification Service
System Design

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.
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