Microsoft | Disheartened | Interview loop

I am writing to share my interview experience with Microsoft. I have recently completed three interview loops with the company, and unfortunately, all three resulted in rejections. Each loop consisted of three rounds: two coding rounds and one system design round.

In my first interview loop earlier this year, the coding challenges were easy, and I solved both. However, the system design interviewer asked many SQL questions, and their low-level design explanation was unclear. We spent most of the time discussing my projects and behavioral questions, leaving only 15 minutes for the system design exercise, which was insufficient. I received a rejection email a week later.

In my second interview loop later this year, the first interviewer was unhelpful and unfriendly. Their question was a mix of coding and system design, with a poorly defined problem statement. When I asked clarifying questions, they were not forthcoming with hints. I only received a hint with 5 minutes remaining, preventing me from solving the problem completely. The system design round was better; the interviewer was helpful, and they liked my answers. The third interview, with a hiring manager, was positive. They asked a medium-difficulty coding question, which I solved and discussed alternative approaches. We also discussed behavioral questions and my projects. Again, I received a rejection email after a week.

I have over eight years of experience, and these rejections are disheartening. I consistently pass the online assessments but struggle in the interview loops, usually failing one of the three interview rounds. I know some of my friends who did not perform as well in their interviews but were still hired. I am unsure whether unanimous decisions are required among interviewers.

I will continue to apply, but it is challenging.