Anyone work for Microsoft?

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Fri May 18, 2007 10:41 am

I made it through the phone/email interview gauntlet and have been invited to fly in for an in person interview. Still not sure how I feel about working for them or about moving to Redmond, but I can't find anything decent locally.

Has anyone here worked for them? Any comments on the work environment? Will my Mac head friends stone me to death?

Post by **mdmf007** » Fri May 18, 2007 11:17 am

I have tons of friends that work there and they love it. Microsoft seems to have a love / hate following.

As far as I can see they treat their employeed fairly, compensate well, have tons of perks, and nice offices.

They also expect loyalty, privacy and intellectual property rights.

good luck

Box Burner · Post by **Box Burner** » Fri May 18, 2007 11:18 am

Yep. You will probably get stoned. Where rare you flying to for your interview?

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Fri May 18, 2007 11:23 am

I worked for them in 92 through 94 about.

It was really a ton of fun.

I have no idea how it it is now but I would imagine it is still a lot of fun.

Dont worry about the Macheads. You will be well protected.

Plus they take real good care of you for years after you leave them.

This I know personally.

Go for it I say.

P.S. I'd worry about the Linux and Unix heads myself.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Fri May 18, 2007 11:27 am

The interview is in Redmond, just outside Seattle. I may drive over though, depending on what the "recruiting coordinator" has to say.

Archantael · Post by **Archantael** » Fri May 18, 2007 11:33 am

I have two friends there and they love it. I've never heard them complain about their work and that's pretty rare in my book. Good luck with your interview!

Box Burner · Post by **Box Burner** » Fri May 18, 2007 11:33 am

There is a microsoft presence Here in Salt Lake City too. I hope your interview goes well.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Fri May 18, 2007 2:46 pm

Thanks all! It's all very up in the air. I'm actually a little surprised it's gone as far as it has - I'm really underqualified in certain areas and have pointed that out during the phone calls, but that only seems to encourage them

Post by **mdmf007** » Fri May 18, 2007 4:56 pm

If telling them your underqualified impresses them - tell them you are underpaid as well!!!!!!

later

Sensei · Post by **Sensei** » Fri May 18, 2007 5:16 pm

I work in Redmond, right next door to MS.

Beware the commute from Seattle. The only way I manage it is because I work (a sort of) swing shift.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:11 pm

Here are some interview questions taken from M.S. interviews. It's a great riddle site too if anyone is interested. And they don't post the answers but they are the types of riddles that you either know or you don't. No guessing.

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/riddle ... soft.shtml

You probably won't see the same questions, but they are fun and might give you some insight if they ask you a seemingly strange question or two.

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:49 pm

I know 2 folks.. they both hate the company but love their co-workers and their paychecks. Yes your Mac friends will disembowel you.. possibly torture you first.. than stone you to death. Good luck with the interview.

Archantael · Post by **Archantael** » Sat May 19, 2007 6:47 am

Before committing to any position I highly recommend a stop by Salary.com. Partly free, partly a pay site, the free tools have made a huge difference for my girlfriend and I when we switched jobs this year. For her it gave an accurate snapshot of what others in her line of work were getting not just in KC but in other cities where the company has branches...and having that info boosted her salary substantially. Think New York pay scales with a midwestern cost of living...it made a major difference. And for myself their info was worth an additional 6K.

Post by **mdmf007** » Sat May 19, 2007 11:43 am

wouldnt worry about mac users, since they only represent 8-12% of market share, PC users outnumber em 10:1 - Of course Mac users are all fanatics so they make wuite a bit more noise. lol
later

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Sat May 19, 2007 9:30 pm

mdmf007 wrote:wouldnt worry about mac users, since they only represent 8-12% of market share, PC users outnumber em 10:1 - Of course Mac users are all fanatics so they make wuite a bit more noise. lol
later

With Vista that marketshare may continue to grow. I was always keen on the Mac fanatics.. especially Steve Jobs.. bastard that he was gettin folks to work 100 hours a week or more he was the first software pirate. Gates just marketed better. Funny how one seemingly small decision to let some geek in your lab can turn out. If not for Jobs himself he might be where Bill is now.

Steven bradford · Post by **Steven bradford** » Sun May 20, 2007 1:26 am

Odd how easily people forget who sells the most popular 3rd party software for the Mac. Heh-- that'd make a good quiz question.

It used to be, and I imagine it's still true, that they have a morning interview and an optional afternoon interview. The point is to get that after noon interview, usually with some of the people you'll be working with. Don't know if that's still the way they do it though...

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun May 20, 2007 2:00 am

I know someone with them.
Still travels a lot.
Still uses a mac. Shhhhhhh.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sun May 20, 2007 4:23 am

Steven bradford wrote:Odd how easily people forget who sells the most popular 3rd party software for the Mac. Heh-- that'd make a good quiz question.

It used to be, and I imagine it's still true, that they have a morning interview and an optional afternoon interview. The point is to get that after noon interview, usually with some of the people you'll be working with. Don't know if that's still the way they do it though...

Excellent advise.

This is very true. I forgot about that.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:36 pm

Okay, that was an interesting learning experience. I made it to interview 4, but #3 was pure hell. Every question assumed a deep knowlege of Microsoft process I don't have, and anything I said that didn't fit that model would set him off. I should have refused to answer the questions as asked instead of trying to attempt to figure out what he was trying to get me to say.

He gave me a whiteboard programming test, which all the websites say they don't do anymore. I came up with a very elegant solution in about 30 seconds using a regular expression, but he said I couldn't use any "helper functions" which I took to mean he didn't know what a regular expression is. I came up with a crude solution going through the input one character at a time, as instructed, but he kept interrupting and wouldn't let me finish because it didn't follow several other rules that are a part of the test, but he forgot to tell me about.

Oh well, the search continues...

Box Burner · Post by **Box Burner** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 8:17 pm

I would not worry about it. The Microsoft bussiness model has very, very low rankings for integrity and honesty. IMHO. Not that I think that affects all of their employees. I do hope you find something soon though.

Nick Collide · Post by **Nick Collide** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 8:54 pm

I don't know a whole lot about how the business world does things, but in the state system (Utah's, anyway) they often ask inane questions not because they are looking for the right answer - if there even is one - but because they want to see how you work under stress.

Maybe that was what was happening there?

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 9:19 pm

Nick Collide wrote:I don't know a whole lot about how the business world does things, but in the state system (Utah's, anyway) they often ask inane questions not because they are looking for the right answer - if there even is one - but because they want to see how you work under stress.

Maybe that was what was happening there?

I didn't get that vibe from this guy. Mostly I sensed that he really didn't want to be there. I'm not sure if he decided he didn't like me before I got there, or if he just didn't want to interview anyone. It might be that he just isn't good at that type of thing. Or maybe I'm just mad at myself for performing poorly and am taking it out on him. Either way, it was a little weird to be in an environment where almost everyone had never worked anywhere else. Other than the last guy, everyone I met had gone there straight out of college and most had been an intern before that.

Nick Collide · Post by **Nick Collide** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 9:36 pm

Well, like I said, the only thing I know about the business world is what I pick up from watching "The Office" (both the British and American versions).

However it works out, I wish you good luck in finding a career you can find enjoyment and satisfaction rather than just a job that pays the bills.

Green Wood · Post by **Green Wood** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 6:25 pm

I spend so much time working on Window's flaws that I should be getting paid from them.

Remember to put in your own secret holes in the programs- Dork.

This way if they fire you without provocation you can take them down!!!!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 6:35 pm

Apparently all microsoftware comes with holes anyway.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:25 pm

gyre wrote:Apparently all microsoftware comes with holes anyway.

And easter eggs.