You've reached the internet home of Chris Sells, who has a long history as a contributing member of the Windows developer community. He enjoys long walks on the beach and various computer technologies.
Tuesday, Jul 6, 2004, 12:17 PM in Interview
"Interviews are practically worthless for screening candidates."
Bram Cohen, the inventor of BitTorrent, discusses his thoughts on interviewing, include:
- "In an interview you can tell if a person is a pleasant conversationalist, and you can give some technical questions to rule out the truly inept, but beyond that you might as well be rolling dice."
- "I'd like to note that in an all-male work environment hiring an attractive female is probably good for morale."
- "Even though work history doesn't correlate with job performance, being a lying sack of shit almost certainly does."
Fun. : )
Friday, Mar 19, 2004, 8:11 PM in Interview
HR Bloggers
I've heard for years that MS HR uses my site as part of their internal HR training, although I've never heard it from the HR folks themselves. Until now.
On Wednesday, Heather Hamilton, an MS recruiter, said that my "site is legendary, especially here in staffing."
On Monday, Zoe Goldring, also an MS recruiter, said "Net/Net Chriss site is great. Plus I respect the fact that he doesnt give the answers to the questions!"
And, to top it off, they're even bloggers, and they provide a whole host of interesting info for folks interested in interviewing at Microsoft. Certainly, I'd trust anything you read on their blogs far more than the stuff on this one, most of which was obtained far before I ever worked at MS.
Friday, Feb 6, 2004, 3:33 PM in Interview
Interviewing for MS Interns
Shawn Morrissey (my boss) posted some questions he asked at UPenn's Wharton School of Business:
- Explain a database to a young child.
- Explain the Internet to your grandparents
- What is your favorite web site? Why? Now improve it.
- Steve Jobs calls and asks you to improve the iPod. Go. (No bonus points for saying, Add WMA support!)
- Youre in a boat with a rock, on a fresh-water lake. You throw the rock into the lake. With respect to the land, what happens to the level of the water in the lake goes up, goes down, stays the same?
He posted a couple of answers, but you'll have to read his post for them.
Saturday, Jan 10, 2004, 10:12 AM in Interview
Interviewing at Lego
Sat 1/10/2004 10:12 am
Jamie, a contender for a Master Builder spot at Lego, describes a very different interview process than you're likely to get at Microsoft (except that 'softies hit you with sneaky stuff, too, sometimes : ).
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2003, 10:23 AM in Interview
Robert Scoble on Interviewing at Microsoft
Robert Scoble (the Scobleizer) sent along his answer to a common question: What is it like to interview at Microsoft?
About dress code while interviewing at Microsoft. Yeah, I wore a suit and tie. Not mandatory (no one wears them up here) but I feel it still shows respect for the company hiring you, and for the interviewing process. And, it makes it so I never wonder if I under dress. Microsoft employees might joke with you about being overdressed, though. That's cool. I'd rather that then have someone write me off cause I didn't dress well enough. But then, I was also up for a job that required me to be in front of people, so I'd expect to wear a suit and tie on the job occasionally.The process for me was:
Each interviewer would meet me at the lobby (Microsoft has a recruiter shuttle that'll fly you around). I'd usually try to get a question in, like "what role do you play here?" Just to get things going.
- An exec asked me "would you ever consider working here?"
- A one-hour phone interview with HR. They asked me questions to make sure my experience matched my resume, and also to make sure I wasn't gonna embarrass them in the longer interviews.
- I passed the HR interview, so they flew me up to Redmond.
- My interviews started at 8:30 a.m. First interview was with someone else from HR. She explained the process, and asked a few more questions to ensure I was gonna be worth sending onto the first group.
- She gave me a list of three candidates, which would take me through lunch. She was pretty clear that if the three liked me, I'd get another list of "after lunch" candidates.
The kinds of questions you'll get will vary, but I got a lot of questions about past experience, and some more fun ones "how would you get Google to convert from Linux to Windows?" Other people have gotten questions like "how would you sell ice to eskimos?" or "how would you sell a pen to someone?"
If you're up for a programmer job, they'll ask you logic questions, and ask you to demonstrate that you can think in code on the whiteboard.One guy asked me to explain the architecture of Radio UserLand on the whiteboard.
There's an excellent book written on the Microsoft interviewing process called "Moving Mount Fuji."I also read Chris Sells' "Interviewing at Microsoft" site: http://www.sellsbrothers.com/fun/msiview/
Some more advice: I came an hour early and took an early-moring walk around the campus. That helped me calm my mind down, and get into what it's like being there. Also, it let me think about "why do I want to work at Microsoft?" which was one of my first interview questions.I brought my own water bottle. That saved awkward moments where interviewers would want to take you to the company refrigerators. It also makes it look like you aren't there to take advantage of Microsoft's largess. Try not to drink too much during the day. The temptation is to drink a Diet Coke on every interview. You can get a bit jittery by the end of the day.
I also treated everyone I met as an interview candidate. I have no idea if the recruiting shuttle drivers report back on their feedback or not, but why take the chance? Plus, the stories you hear are often good ones to tell later on.They did interview me over lunch, by the way, and also took me to a Sonics' game . I'm sure that was to get a feel for how I'd be in social situations. Behave, and geek out! (we only watched about five minutes of the Sonics' game cause we were so busy talking tech).
I later found out that they usually have three to seven candidates fly up for each job and that flying up isn't any guarantee of a job. A few friends have gotten flown up and didn't pass muster.My wife has interviewed here too and didn't get hired. I think it's solely on passion. Most of the people who work here are hard-core geeks and they like hiring other geeks. Anything you can say to demonstrate that you're a geek and that you love playing with technology is probably a good thing.
Later I found out that the flyup interview is mostly to see if the candidate can fit into both the job, and work with the team. They figure you're mostly qualified because you got that far. They're just trying to make sure you'll fit in at that point.Don Box also gave me some advice: "we want you to think, so think." The way another friend of mine put it, is "look like you think about every answer. Take a few seconds to think about it."
My answer to the Google question? "Acquire them." Hey, it worked for Hotmail. (Seriously, then I followed that smartass answer up with a more serious one ) . Luckily I had spent a few hours with some of the kids who started Hotmail, so I knew what the pain points were in getting them to move their system from FreeBSD to Windows.When did I know I had the job? At about 6 p.m., the guy who invited me up, told me I had gotten a job. Turned out I wasn't appropriate for the job I was interviewing for (which he knew) and then he made a new job. It took a couple of weeks to get all the T-s crossed from that point. Other people don't learn whether or not the got the job for a week or two afterward. It's OK to ask at the end.
If you get walked to the door at lunch, though, you know you blew it somewhere. (Not many get walked to the door, from what the recruiting shuttle drivers tell me).One last piece of advice: keep your energy up all day long. It's tough. Hard to think straight at 4 p.m. after answering questions all day long. But, a lot of the decisions are made on "does this guy get excited by technology?"
Good luck in your interviews!--Robert
Monday, Jul 28, 2003, 5:18 PM in Interview
Microsoft Plays Hiring Hardball
Here. "Like baseball's New York Yankees, Microsoft Corp. has been paying top dollar for top talent in an effort to dominate the new playing fields of XML and Web services." While I agree that finally coming to work for Microsoft is like a baseball fan getting to play for the Yankees, I'm not sure where Darryl got his "top dollar" information. Maybe I should talk to the other guys about their deals... : )
Thursday, May 29, 2003, 12:00 AM in Interview
How Would You Move Mount Fuji?
Thu, May 29, 2003
If you're interested in a book about the high-tech interview process, including lots of info about MS specifically (and some material from yours truly), check out How Would You Move Mount Fuji? by William Poundstone.
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2003, 12:00 AM in Interview
My Dad's All Set to Work At Microsoft
Tue, Apr 22, 2003
My Dad, a long-time draftsman in a civil engineering firm in Fargo, ND, had this to say about manhole covers:
"It's like this. Sanitary manhole covers are usually round (and solid, i.e. VERY heavy) but Storm sewer manhole and Inlet covers are usually square or rectangular grates which let water in. The deciding factor is where they are placed relative to the curb line. All covers are actually installed on a concrete generic 'Mexican Hat' structure which can be centered or offset to one side. The structure fits on the round concrete casting (5' - 8" diameter) and can be made to accept any solid or grated casting. If this part of the world, where river flooding is fairly common, Sanitary manholes and lift stations are either raised above potential flood limits if possible or sealed and bolted shut, making them much more difficult to open. It's also a very good idea to vent Sanitary manholes and lift station with a portable fan to avoid being overcome by methane and other gasses trapped in them."
Anyone wonder where I got it? : )
Monday, Apr 21, 2003, 12:00 AM in Interview
The Human Side of Microsoft
For more than a year, I've had a request to video tape an interview at Microsoft up on this page. The goal was to show the human side of Microsoft by showing that one of their most famous practices isn't something to be scared of. I never expected that I'd actually get to tape an interview. In fact, I expected to be ignored by Microsoft altogether.
Of course, as the most juicy litigation target in the world, and especially sensitive to legal issues, Microsoft couldn't grant my request. That didn't surprise me. What did surprise me is how hard that they tried. In fact, all kinds of folks at Microsoft -- from engineers who wanted to interview me to managers who wanted to help make it happen to HR folks who went to legal to ask -- all kinds of folks at Microsoft really did *try* to make it happen.
So, while I'll never be able to put a recording of an interview up on this site, I can tell you that my mission to find the human side of Microsoft was a success. All of the people I've encountered there -- whether trying to let me tape an interview or taking my feedback on whatever technology I'm working that day -- all of the folks that I've encountered at Microsoft really *care* about doing the right thing. They want interviewees to succeed. They want to build the right products. They want to meet their customers' needs. And as much guff as I give them (they are a juicy target), by and large they succeed. I wouldn't spend my time with their technologies if they didn't.
With that in mind, I withdraw my request. I'm seen the human side of Microsoft. Thanks for showing it to me.
Sunday, Apr 20, 2003, 12:00 AM in Interview
If Richard Feynman applied for a job at Microsoft
Interviewer: Now comes the part of the interview where we ask a question to test your creative thinking ability. Don't think too hard about it, just apply everyday common sense, and describe your reasoning process.
Here's the question: Why are manhole covers round?
Feynman: They're not. Some manhole covers are square. It's true that there are SOME round ones, but I've seen square ones, and rectangular ones.
Interviewer: But just considering the round ones, why are they round?
Feynman: If we are just considering the round ones, then they are round by definition. That statement is a tautology.
Interviewer: I
mean, why are there round ones at all? Is there some particular value to having round ones?
Feynman: Yes. Round covers are used when the hole they are covering up is also round. It's simplest to cover a round hole with a round cover.
Interviewer: Can you think of a property of round covers that gives them an advantage over square ones?
Feynman: We have to look at what is under the cover to answer that question. The hole below the cover is round because a cylinder is the strongest shape against the compression of the earth around it. Also, the term "manhole" implies a passage big enough for a man, and a human being climbing down a ladder is roughly circular in cross-section. So a cylindrical pipe is the natural shape for manholes. The covers are simply the shape needed to cover up a cylinder.
Interviewer: Do you believe there is a safety issue? I
mean, couldn't square covers fall into the hole and hurt someone?
Feynman: Not likely. Square covers are sometimes used on prefabricated vaults where the access passage is also square. The cover is larger than the passage, and sits on a ledge that supports it along the entire perimeter. The covers are usually made of solid
metal and are very heavy. Let's assume a two-foot square opening and a ledge width of 1-1/2 inches. In order to get it to fall in, you would have to lift one side of the cover, then rotate it 30 degrees so that the cover would clear the ledge, and then tilt the cover up nearly 45 degrees from horizontal before the center of gravity would shift enough for it to fall in. Yes, it's possible, but very unlikely. The people authorized to open manhole covers could easily be trained to do it safely. Applying common engineering sense, the shape of a manhole cover is entirely determined by the shape of the opening it is intended to cover.
Interviewer (troubled): Excuse
me a moment; I have to discuss something with my management team. (Leaves room.)
(Interviewer returns after 10 minutes)
Interviewer: We are going to recommend you for immediate hiring into the marketing department.
Keith Michaels
krm@sdc.cs.boeing.com
Sunday, Apr 20, 2003, 12:00 AM in Interview
Interview Synopsis
From Fred (not his real name):
So the interview was rough, as to be expected. Here is a synopsis:10:15-10:45 - Met with my recruiter. Discussed what day would be like and talked about the two teams I would be interviewing with: the CLR team and the Enterprise Services team.
11:00-12:00 - Enterprise Services Interview: Discussed High Performance systems and Enterprise Service standards. Programming problem: Design and Implement a self-managing Thread Pool class.
12:00-1:30 - CLR team Lunch interview: Discussed Security in the CLR and PKI. Programming problem: two fixed length buffers padded with nulls. Swap and reverse them, not swapping and reversing nulls.
2:00-3:00 - Enterprise Services interview: Discussed VS.NET. Design a function to select the six strongest stations for a car stereo.
3:30-4:30 - CLR team interview: Implement strpbak. Common Parent for two nodes BTree problem.
Saturday, Apr 19, 2003, 12:24 AM in Interview
My Interview At Microsoft
I had an interesting two days interviewing at Microsoft. Bottom line: I didn't say whether I accepted their offer.
Friday, Apr 18, 2003, 12:00 AM in Interview
My Interview
Fri, Apr 18, 2003
After never thinking that I would, I had two days of interviews at Microsoft in the middle of March, 2003. The first day was with the MSDN content group. They're the folks responsible for all of the technical articles at http://msdn.microsoft.com and the ones at Microsoft with the job most closely related to what I already do. It's their job to tell developers how Microsoft technologies really work through articles, talks, samples, online chats and whatever other
means they think will be effective.
My first interview of day #1 sticks freshly in my mind even two weeks later. It was a guy that I'd most closely describe as a human molecule. I've been told that he's big into coffee and it's not hard to see the effects the guy never stops moving! Likewise, his brain was constantly moving. He had all kinds of interesting questions about how I would turn my product ideas (created on the spot) into compelling educational materials of Microsoft technologies. Very fun.
I had several other fun interviews that day, all with smart people asking really great questions. However, after a few interviews, I was disappointed that nobody was asking
me to write any code on the board. Apparently I had enough street cred that this wasn't necessary for
me, but one interviewer laughed and said I could write whatever code I wanted on his board if it would make
me happy. Another had a strongly negative reaction to the idea that anyone would be asked to write code on a whiteboard, which he considered a supremely unnatural act. In fact, all day long, I had questions that dove into my motivations and my ideas, but none of them tested my technical knowledge at all until the very last interview w/ my potential boss's boss (or my boss's boss's boss I lost track). She asked
me to solve one thought question, one visual riddle and to write some code on the board. The thought question we talked through, but she threw out leading questions faster than I could come up with my own conclusions (although it was a very interesting discussion). The visual riddle seemed impossible at first, but I solved it in a few minutes. When I showed it to Don Box, he also declared it impossible, then solved it faster than I did (bastard). The coding question showed
me just how unnatural it is to write code on a write board (even my simple linked list code had three bugs in it doh!). I am *totally* addicted to incremental code-compile-test and at one point even suggested using a goto to avoid erasing half of my code to insert a loop (truly the low point of the day).
Even so, at the end of day #1, I was energized. I'm one of those sick people that loves to be tested, especially if I'm confident that I know the answers. My last interviewer told
me that I had done well and we talked about what would happen if I was offered both jobs from the two teams that I was interviewing with. She needn't have worried day #2 did not go nearly as well.
The day #1 position was a highly technical position, which I've trained for since I was 12. The day #2 position was a <gasp> marketing position. But is was *so* cool. The job is to take whatever technology MS comes up with that day and make a business out of it. It was so diverse and so different than things I'd done before that I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Unfortunately, my answers made it clear that I didn't have anywhere near the background needed for the job. I felt like a new college graduate, trying desperately to match something from my background to what they were asking.
As a
measure of the kinds of questions I got on day #2, at one point, I was asked to develop a marketing plan for packaged ice to native Alaskans. "Did you just ask
me to sell ice cubes to Eskimos?" I asked. "Uh, yeah," he agreed. This was during lunch. And it wasn't the hardest question I got! By my last interview, I was so scared that they might actually offer
me the job and that my brain would explode trying to do it that I confessed that I was definitely not the man for the job. However, that didn't stop my potential boss from drilling
me on how to make a business on one of my sons' hobbies (about which I know almost nothing).
Of course, I never clicked with anyone on the team from day #2 (you can't click with someone that thinks you're ignorant). However, the experience was amazing. One of the interviewers had a fabulous technique that I just had to appreciate -- he had
me role-playing in various real-world Microsoft-related situations over and over again til I swear my ears were bleeding. I'm a big fan of behavioral interviewing instead of role-playing as an indicator of someone's real skills, but watching him put
me through the ringer was a thing of beauty.
Speaking now from experience, I'd have to say that the Microsoft interview process is all about finding the right fit. That's the case with all interviews, of course, but Microsoft seems to be very good at it. The fit includes both technical savvy (which they seemed to assume in
me) and personality relative to the team. I fit very well into one group and not at all well into another. Working with the day #1 group would make
me a successful part of the Microsoft machine, whereas if I had mistakenly gotten the job associated with day #2, I would have been set up to fail. So, if you are turned away from Microsoft, it
means that you wouldn't do well there. That's a good thing to know; you certainly don't want to take a job at which can't possibly be successful. I know I don't.
Monday, Feb 24, 2003, 1:27 PM in Interview
How to Interview a Programmer
Here. In attending a summit on code quality recently, we each shared the techniques we use in screening/hiring a programmer. This story provides a summary.
Thursday, Apr 4, 2002, 12:00 AM in Interview
Feeding the Engine
Adam Barr, 4/4/2002
On October 26, 1999, it was announced that Microsoft would be one of the four new components in the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average. This as a long-overdue recognition of the role of technology in the U.S. economy, and in particular of Microsoft's central place in the industry.
But Microsoft was different from the other three newcomers. It has no computer chip manufacturing plants like Intel, no chain of retail stores like Home Depot, no network phone lines like SBC Communications. Indeed, it's not "industrial" at all. Its product is software; its assembly line the brainpower of its employees. And while companies across America would naturally say their employees are vital to their success, for Microsoft in a large sense the employees are the company.
And that makes Microsoft very particular about who it hires.