4 rounds: 1. coding: LC 200 number of islands. textbook BFS. solved in 15 min 2. coding: LC 56 merge intervals. another textbook. 12 min 3. system design: design outlook calendar 4. behavioral: growth mindset stuff honestly felt too easy? both coding questions were medium and well-known. system design was a familiar domain. no curveballs. got the offer. 250k TC in redmond

Microsoft SDE-2 loop - easiest FAANG interview?

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4 rounds: 1.

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microsoft interview bar is noticeably lower than google/meta. thats not a secret. but the WLB is also significantly better so its a tradeoff

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absolutely negotiate with competing comp. microsoft is known for matching offers from other FAANG. you could probably get to 280-300k

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250k in redmond is different from 250k in the bay. no state income tax in WA plus lower COL. your effective purchasing power is probably higher than 350k in SF