Microsoft SE-2 Full Stack - Position on Hold
Summary
I interviewed for an SE-2 Full Stack position at Microsoft, completing an OA, two DSA rounds, and a System Design round. The process concluded with the position being put on hold, and I am currently awaiting further updates from HR.
Full Experience
I applied for an SE-2 opportunity at Microsoft through a referral and received OA links within a couple of days.
OA Round
The OA consisted of two problems. The first was a multi-source BFS problem related to finding the shortest path. The second was to design an autocomplete search feature specifically in React. I successfully cleared the OA and received an interview invitation within a couple of weeks, detailing three rounds of interviews all scheduled on the same day.
Round 1
The interviewer was very chill. We started with introductions, and then he asked some questions related to my projects. Following that, he presented two DSA questions and expected working code. I was able to solve both problems and write working code. He then asked me to write test cases and suggest improvements to make the code production-ready. Overall, I would rate this round as a Strong Hire, and the interviewer seemed extremely satisfied.
Round 2
This was a High-Level Design (HLD) round. The interviewer immediately presented the problem: to design the Instagram feed. We had a really detailed discussion covering database schema, APIs, how to optimize the feed, and handling the "celebrity problem." Afterward, he also asked what analytics features could be added to Instagram. Before concluding, he asked a few questions about my projects and some behavioral questions. This round also went really well, and I would rate it between Hire and Strong Hire.
Round 3
The interviewer joined 20 minutes late, and we faced some technical issues, which made for a bit of a rough start. He asked me to design a Paint application in React. We first discussed the scope of the problem. I admit I went too much into backend details for Paint rather than sticking to the frontend. In the end, he was okay with the backend part, but he was not satisfied with the frontend design. I would rate this round as a leaning hire.
After a week, HR informed me that the position is on hold, and they will update me once a new job request is created. I am still waiting for updates from HR.
Interview Questions (4)
Design an autocomplete search feature, specifically implementing it using React.
A variation of the classic Island problem, requiring a working code solution and discussion on test cases and production readiness.
Design the Instagram feed, covering aspects like database schema, APIs, feed optimization, handling the 'celebrity problem', and potential analytics features.
Design a Paint application using React. The discussion involved defining the scope of the problem and detailed backend aspects, though the frontend design wasn't as satisfying.