I interviewed for the Senior Engineering Manager position at Microsoft, and the process was quite lengthy, stretching from June to September. I applied for two roles—both for Engineering Manager. The first didn’t work out due to my lack of experience with C++, but I passed the second one, which didn’t require a specific language or technology. The only expectation was that I knew how to code and could think critically about algorithms.
The process began with a screening interview with the hiring manager, followed by three technical interviews. Even though this was a managerial role, they placed a lot of emphasis on hard skills, including algorithms, systems design, career history, and some soft skills. Their technical expectations were on par with those of a senior software engineer. Personally, I find a more technical role for a manager to be a better fit for me, so this worked out well.
Although the process was lengthy, the recruiter was incredibly helpful. He provided updates at least every two weeks and made sure to escalate or push things forward when necessary, which helped keep me informed and reassured throughout the wait. I was informed in August about their intention to extend an offer, but the formal offer didn’t come until September, so patience was definitely key.
