Microsoft Internship over Summer Holidays

A couple of weeks ago I went to an information session at UQ about working at Microsoft as an intern over the 3 month summer break. I was planning to wait and consider applying when I was in 3rd year, but I decided I had nothing to lose by applying this year and I sent off a resume the next day. After answering some email questions about experience, etc, they organised to interview me over the phone next week.

The phone interview consisted of a few language-specific questions (in your strongest language – C++/C# for me), some data structures/algorithms and a bit of problem solving/testing thrown in. I actually botched my C++ question, then I asked for more at the end. Phewph!

After the phone interview, Microsoft sent me an email saying that my interview was in Melbourne tomorrow! They explained that didn’t have time to organise flights, but they’d reimburse me if I bought them. So on Thursday I flew down and caught up with my cousins for a cappuccino/frappe before the coding interview.

Approaching Melbourne's Southbank from the Skybus stop.

Pedestrian bridge over the Yarra River.

View from the bench where I chilled out and brushed up on some syntax.

Looking down the river to the MCG.

The three in-person interviews lasted half an hour each. One for software development, one for software development in testing and one for problem solving/sorting out details/having a chat. All the interviews went fairly well, although I did slip up a little bit at the start of the coding interview.

The following week, Microsoft sent me an email offering me a position over the holidays! So I’ll be working in Redmond, USA (near Seattle) from December to February. Woohoo!!

Edit: A bit of added hilarity… I’m going to have to learn to cook meals to some degree. Check out my last batch of fish fingers.

Whipping up a few fish fingers. Circa 2006.

Tags: Holidays, Intern, Interview, Melbourne, Microsoft