Cracking Microsoft’s Software Engineer Interview: Mastering DFS & Dynamic Programming

Microsoft | Software Engineer | Interview Experience

Interview Date: Not specified
Result: Not specified
Difficulty: Not specified

Interview Process

The interview involved a mix of technical and behavioral questions. The initial part focused on my previous project work, where I explained the architecture of a system I designed and the choices I made. The interviewer probed deeper into considerations for scalability and efficiency.

After the project discussion, I faced algorithm questions similar to those found on LeetCode. I tackled depth-first search and dynamic programming problems on a whiteboard. The interviewer provided hints and was generally supportive.

The session concluded with discussions about Microsoft’s culture and team dynamics, making it feel like a two-way conversation rather than a rigid interview.

Technical Questions

  1. Depth-First Search (DFS, Tree)
  2. Dynamic Programming Basics (DP, Dynamic Programming)

Tips & Insights

Engage in a conversation about your experiences and be prepared to discuss the reasoning behind your design choices. Familiarize yourself with common algorithms and practice coding on a whiteboard.