Microsoft Software Engineer interview experience

The focus was system design, and the questions were directly tied to how I approached design discussions rather than just memorizing facts. I’d describe it as manageable, but I realized I wasn’t as prepared as I’d wanted to be.

A separate phone interview with the hiring manager followed a similar pattern—primarily technical, and tightly connected to the technology stack and the way design conversations flow. I walked into that one knowing they wanted clear explanations around design and what a good back-and-forth looks like.

Across both, the difficulty felt more “average with sharp edges”