Microsoft | L61 | Hyderabad

My interview was part of a recruitment drive. Initially, only two rounds were scheduled, and I was told by HR that subsequent rounds would be scheduled based on my performance. In total, I had four rounds in a single day.

Round 1: DSA - One medium-level question. Find a subarray with sum > k. I was able to solve the question in approximately 30 minutes, discussing the solution from brute force to an optimal approach. The interviewer provided multiple test cases to validate the logic and handle corner cases.

Round 2: LLD - Class and database design of an application similar to MyGate. The interviewer asked me to design a MyGate-like application, focusing on class design and database design (column and table structure and relationships between tables).

After round 2, I waited, and half an hour later, I received a call from HR stating that I had received positive feedback from both rounds and would continue with the next round.

Round 3: LLD - Class and database design of a ride-sharing application, similar to Uber or Lyft. We discussed functional and non-functional requirements, class design (properties and methods), and database design (tables, columns, and relationships).

After round 3, it was around 5 PM, and I wasn't sure if I would have another round that day. Around 5:20 PM, I received a call from HR to join a round 4 at 5:30 PM, described as a cultural fit round. However, it turned out to be 90% technical and 10% cultural fit.

Round 4: HLD + LLD. The interviewer seemed senior. We discussed my current work, skills, projects, and publications. Then, we moved to the high-level design of a platform like Khan Academy, where content creators can upload content (video, text, etc.), which can be paid or free. I discussed requirements, stakeholders, and features. I then designed the system using draw.io, including servers, blob storage, CDN, database, microservices, replication, sharding, and addressing single points of failure. This took about 40 minutes. I also designed the database structure and discussed APIs between components. The interviewer seemed impressed, noting my knowledge for someone with two years of experience. After a few managerial and behavioral questions, the interview concluded.

I completed my interviews on a Friday and received an email on Wednesday stating that I had been selected.