Microsoft Corporation Interview Questions, Process, and Tips

Answering two questions: about my projects and demonstrating Binary search

• For my projects, I have managed various software development projects from initiation to closure

• I have experience in Agile and Waterfall methodologies, stakeholder management, risk management, and budgeting

• For Binary search, it is a search algorithm that works by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half

• It requires a sorted array and compar...read more

Binary search is a search algorithm that finds the position of a target value within a sorted array.

• Start by comparing the target value with the middle element of the array.

• If the target value matches the middle element, return its position.

• If the target value is less than the middle element, search the left half of the array.

• If the target value is greater than the middle element, search the right half of the array.

• Rep...read more

The complexity of what?

• Please provide more context or specify what you are referring to

• Complexity can refer to various aspects such as technical, organizational, or project-related

• It can also be measured using different methods such as time, cost, or scope

Function to find the no. of times a sorted array has been rotated.

• Find the index of the minimum element in the array using binary search.

• The number of times the array has been rotated is equal to the index of the minimum element.

• Handle the case where the array is not rotated (minimum element at index 0).

Implementing a program with logarithmic complexity

• Use binary search instead of linear search

• Divide and conquer approach can be used

• Tree-based data structures can be used

• Examples: Binary search, Merge sort, Quick sort

Code for Binary Search

• Binary search is a divide and conquer algorithm

• It works by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half

• If the value is found, return the index

• If the value is not found, return -1

Test cases for function and binary search

• Test function with different input values and expected output

• Test binary search with sorted array and non-existent element

• Test binary search with unsorted array and existing element

• Test binary search with empty array

• Test binary search with array containing only one element

I want to be a PM because I enjoy leading teams and driving projects to success.

• I have a passion for organization and planning

• I thrive in a fast-paced environment

• I enjoy collaborating with cross-functional teams

• I have a track record of delivering projects on time and within budget

• I am motivated by seeing the impact of my work on the business

• For example, in my previous role as a project lead, I successfully managed a te...read more

I would like to work on developing innovative products that can make a positive impact on people's lives.

• I am passionate about creating technology that can improve people's daily lives

• I am interested in exploring new ideas and pushing the boundaries of what is possible

• I would like to work on projects that have a clear purpose and can make a difference in the world

• For example, I would be excited to work on developing ne...read more

Design navigation system for a net browser with data structures.

• Use a stack data structure to implement the back button functionality

• Use a queue data structure to implement the forward button functionality

• Maintain a history of visited pages using a hash table

• Update the history on every page visit

• Disable the back button if there is no previous page in the history

• Disable the forward button if there is no next page in the

Designing a remote of 5 keys

• Identify the purpose of the remote

• Determine the most frequently used functions

• Consider the ergonomics and ease of use

• Include clear labeling and intuitive design

• Test and iterate for user feedback

API for a button

• Define the button's properties such as size, color, and label

• Create a function to handle the button click event

• Return the button element with the defined properties and click function

Given a Y-linked list, find the node at the intersection point.

• Traverse both branches of the Y-linked list and compare nodes.

• Use a hash table to store visited nodes and check for intersection.

• If one branch is longer, traverse it until it matches the length of the other branch.

Count the occurrences of each character in a given string including special characters.

• Create test cases for empty string

• Test for string with only one character

• Test for string with all characters being the same

• Test for string with all characters being different

• Test for string with special characters

Remove duplicate characters from a string while preserving order.

• Create an empty string to hold the result.

• Iterate through each character in the input string.

• If the character is not already in the result string, add it.

• Return the result string.

The complexity of the codes depends on the number of operations and loops used.

• The first code has a complexity of O(n) as it uses a single loop to iterate through the array.

• The second code has a complexity of O(n^2) as it uses nested loops to compare each element with every other element in the array.

• The complexity of a code can also depend on the type of operations used, such as sorting or searching.

• Complexity can be ...read more

I have a strong academic background with a focus on computer science and engineering.

• Graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from XYZ University

• Completed a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from ABC University

• Took courses in data structures, algorithms, programming languages, and computer networks

• Participated in various coding competitions and hackathons

• Maintained a GPA of 3.8 throughout my acade

I am working on this project out of interest and I believe I can improve it by implementing more advanced algorithms and incorporating user feedback.

• Implement more advanced algorithms to improve accuracy

• Incorporate user feedback to enhance user experience

• Optimize code for faster performance

• Add more features to increase functionality

My peers would describe me as a reliable and hardworking team player with excellent communication skills.

• Reliable and consistent in meeting deadlines and completing tasks

• Collaborative and supportive of team members

• Clear and effective communicator, both verbally and in writing

• Open to feedback and willing to learn and improve

• Positive attitude and strong work ethic

I am currently working on a web application for a client in the e-commerce industry.

• The project involves developing a user-friendly interface for customers to browse and purchase products.

• I chose this project because I have experience in web development and I find the e-commerce industry interesting.

• I am also excited about the challenge of creating a seamless checkout process for customers.

• The project requires collabor...read more

I am constantly seeking feedback and learning new skills to improve my performance.

• Regularly seeking feedback from colleagues and supervisors

• Attending workshops and training sessions to learn new skills

• Setting personal goals and tracking progress towards them

• Reflecting on past experiences and identifying areas for improvement

• Reading industry publications and staying up-to-date with trends

The desire to learn and grow keeps me motivated.

• Setting achievable goals

• Celebrating small wins

• Surrounding myself with positive people

• Taking breaks and practicing self-care

• Remembering my purpose and passion

• Continuously learning and seeking new challenges

My professors would describe me as hardworking and detail-oriented. They have pointed out my weakness in public speaking.

• Professors would describe me as hardworking and detail-oriented

• Weakness in public speaking has been pointed out

• Received positive feedback on assignments and projects

• Collaborates well with classmates and participates in group discussions

Short term goal is to learn and contribute to the company. Long term goal is to grow professionally and take on leadership roles.

• Short term goal: Learn new skills and technologies

• Short term goal: Contribute to the company's success

• Long term goal: Grow professionally and take on leadership roles

• Long term goal: Build a strong network in the industry

• Long term goal: Achieve financial stability

To test if every left child's value is less than the right child's value in a binary tree.

• Traverse the binary tree using any traversal algorithm (e.g., in-order, pre-order, post-order)

• Compare the value of each left child with its right child

• If any left child's value is greater than or equal to its right child's value, return false

• If all left child's values are less than their right child's values, return true

Cloning a linked list-like structure

• Create a new node for each node in the original linked list

• Set the value of the new node to the value of the corresponding node in the original linked list

• Set the next pointer of the new node to the new node corresponding to the next node in the original linked list

• Repeat the above steps until all nodes in the original linked list are cloned

To find the nth character in a stream of bytes, we need to read the stream byte by byte until we reach the nth position.

• Start reading the stream byte by byte until you reach the nth position

• Return the byte at the nth position

• If the stream ends before reaching the nth position, return null or throw an exception

Rearrange a string to avoid consecutive same characters.

• Iterate through the string and keep track of the previous character.

• If the current character is the same as the previous, swap it with the next different character.

• Repeat until no consecutive same characters are left.

The task is to find the next highest palindrome number given a number.

• Convert the given number to a string

• Check if the number is already a palindrome

• If not, increment the number by 1 and check if it is a palindrome

• Repeat the previous step until a palindrome is found

Canonicalizing a directory path involves simplifying and standardizing the path to remove any redundant or unnecessary elements.

• Remove any consecutive slashes and replace them with a single slash

• Remove any trailing slashes

• Resolve any relative paths (e.g., '..' and '.')

• Handle special cases like the root directory ('/')

• Normalize the path by removing any unnecessary elements

Implement atoi() function to convert a string to an integer.

• Remove leading whitespaces

• Handle positive and negative signs

• Handle overflow and underflow cases

• Return 0 if the input string is invalid

To delete a node from a singly linked list without the head node, copy the data from the next node to the current node and delete the next node.

• Copy data from next node to current node

• Update current node's next pointer to skip the next node

• Delete the next node

The largest profit that can be made from buying and selling a stock once given 30 days price info.

• Iterate through the price info and keep track of the minimum price seen so far

• Calculate the difference between the current price and the minimum price

• Update the maximum profit if the difference is greater than the current maximum profit

• Return the maximum profit

Modify a 2n element array with n odd and n even numbers so that even indices have odd numbers and odd indices have even numbers.

• Iterate through the array and swap odd numbers with even numbers at even indices.

• Iterate through the array and swap even numbers with odd numbers at odd indices.