Microsoft Interview Experience for Associate Consultant

Due to the Covid Pandemic, this year the entire process was conducted Online. The eligibility criteria this year was as below:

1. Department – CS/IT
2. Undergraduate CGPA – 8
3. Class XII – 8 CGPA or equivalent percentage (71-80)
4. Class X – 8 CGPA or equivalent percentage (71-80)

So until last year, Microsoft’s recruitment process included an Online Aptitude Test as Round 1, however, this year there was a slight change in the process and the rounds. The process included:

• Resume Screening
• Technical Interview
• HM Round Interview
• AA Round Interview

Resume Screening: In this round basically the resume of the applicants is reviewed and accordingly the shortlisting happens. 

• A strong resume includes a good amount of Internship experience, at least one Volunteer Experience and Additional Certifications are a must. Make sure that your resume highlights your Experiences, Projects, and skills properly. 
• Another thing to remember is, DO NOT add any internship experience or project that you lack clarity about or did not contribute much in because in the further rounds you will be tested over your resume wherein you need to have detailed knowledge about everything you mention in the Resume. In our college out of the 43 eligible applicants, 10 were selected after this round.
• Next up, we had our Interview Rounds. One thing I have learnt from these rounds is that Microsoft Interview process is one of the most fun process to be a part of and the amount of learning is extremely high. They do not focus on how good you are at a particular domain or subject but on how well your basic knowledge about everything you have studied or explored is.  

Technical Interview(Time – 1 hour):  So all the shortlisted candidates for the Interview process were asked to attend a Pre-Placement Talk and an Ask me Anything session with the previous Campus Hires. 

• Get all your doubts cleared in these two sessions especially in the Ask me Anything session. We were informed in the PPT that our basic knowledge about every subject we have studied so far will be tested. 
• My technical interview went on for 55 mins and it started off with a brief introduction to my profile and further, I was asked to tell about my Internships. The questions I was asked were based on concepts of DBMS, DSA, Big Data, AI, Cloud Computing, Web Development, DevOps, SDLC, Testing and OOP (Each and every concept of OOP was asked, study the subject thoroughly). 
• We were also asked to code but they were basic ones and the focus was on whether we could explain the logic and perform addition to the code if asked. It would be a bonus point if you know about Azure and its services. 
• Questions about the projects done will also be asked and whether optimizations in some areas of the project can be done. In some cases, Puzzles are asked as well.
• While you answer the questions in this round, make sure you give appropriate examples and in case you haven’t implemented the concept but only know about it, be honest. 4 candidates qualified in this round for the HM round.

HM Round(Time – 1 hour): The HM round at Microsoft is a mix of Technical, Resume Based, Situation-Based Behavioural questions, Guesstimates and Puzzles. 

• This interview is generally taken by a Manager and one’s Analytical skills, Ability to handle pressure and respond are tested. The interview started with a discussion on my profile and I was asked about a few of my projects and Internships in detail (You must know the implementation really well, even your teammates’ parts). 
• The technical questions asked were based on AI, Cloud Computing, and DBMS. A tip to handle this interview well is, follow the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to answer the questions. Be updated with the latest advancements of Microsoft and read thoroughly about Microsoft products and services. In case of situation-based questions, think and answer and cite your previous experiences if any. 

All the 4 candidates who appeared for the HM round, qualified for the next round.

AA Round(Time – 30 mins): The AA (As-Appropriate) round is the final round of the process and it mainly focuses on testing if you are a Cultural fit. 

• This round like every other round covers Technical questions as well but the main focus is on understanding your values and approach. So read the Microsoft Corporate Values and goals properly. 
• You might get asked about the Microsoft products you have used and what you found unique about it. This interview is shorter than the first two but is the most crucial out of all and it is taken by a very experienced interviewer. Be calm and respond with honesty. 

After this round, 2 candidates got selected and fortunately, I was one of them. Overall the interviews are really exhilarating and one very important thing to remember is, do not makeup stuff and answer. Be honest and admit it if you do not have an idea about the question asked. 

Hope this helps and All the Best!