Career Advice About Microsoft

Does your experience with certain technologies matter during your interview or team selection process at FAANG companies?

Does your experience with certain programming languages affect your compensation?

I am asking because I saw that some roles at Microsoft that are focused on C++/C# or other OOP languages have a higher compensation range that roles requiring JavaScript/React experience.

At my current level, my skip level manager expects me to help my team members grow. I have couple of SDE 1s and SDE IIs in my team who are doing good. I am not sure if I can schedule one on one with them to understand their career goals and volunteer to be their technical & career mentor?

Will it look bad if I volunteer myself to be their career mentor? Or should I just mentor people who reach out to me?

@Alex Earlier you mentioned:

Big Tech open-source is obviously ideal (many engineers got hired at :meta: contributed to their OSS), but it's extremely hard to ramp up on the library and get a major PR landed. And it's not like 1 PR will do it - You'll probably need 5 to 10 to get the attention of hiring managers. However, like with most things, it will get much easier over time (the first one's the hardest).

And here: , you said:

These companies all have a large OSS footprint, and I know several people who got hired into these companies by submitting major PRs into them.

What are the parameters for determining whether something is a major PR in Big Tech Open Source according to you? Am currently working on Microsoft Windows Terminal.

Would you consider the below major PR candidates that would get the attention of hiring managers?

Btw they're both from this list as heroic tasks (7158 on completed tab since I've already completed that one):

To my understanding Major PR means lots of people want it and 7158 has around 100 upvotes so that's Major PR. But there are also some PR's where people make commits with 500 - 1000 lines of code

Hi everyone,

I'm a senior software engineer in Brazil, and I'm interested in exploring fully remote opportunities with FAANG companies.

Does anyone have experience or insights into whether these companies hire engineers from Brazil for fully remote roles? What are the main challenges or requirements? Where can I find such job postings? Do I need a referrer? Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I joined Premium just now.

My first question is: Should I re-apply to Microsoft after getting terminated?

3 years ago I was terminated due to performance. My Connects and Rewards (for 3 straight years) were good up to that point. My performance mainly suffered due to mental health and motivation issues (this was mid-2021 during the pandemic).

They mentioned during my final call with them that I can re-apply after 2 years, but I'm thinking realistically and not optimistically. I didn't join another Big Tech company after that, and although I'm at a senior role now (I was level 62 at MSFT), I haven't really shown significant growth (or promotion) after 3 years at my current company. Is it worth my time to try to re-apply or get referrals there? I'm thinking even with a referral it will be an uphill battle.

I am not confident whenever I try to code a new library or a service. I simply copy-paste, look at other samples in the coding repo, and complete my tasks. How can I be better at coding, without copy-pasting? How can I gain confidence in this?

Hi Taro Community,

I’m scheduled for a 1:1 meeting with my skip level manager, who was also my initial manager when I first joined the company two months ago. This will be our first one-on-one discussion since the management shift, and I want to ensure it’s as productive as possible.

Given the context that he was directly overseeing my work initially, what would be important topics to discuss in this meeting? Here are a few points I’m considering:

What else should I consider bringing up during this conversation? If you’ve had similar experiences, how did you navigate your 1:1s to maintain a supportive and constructive relationship with a skip level manager?

Thank you for your insights and advice!

I have been hearing from my friends about senior engineer's round table meetings happening in their company. I am wondering what is exactly Senior Engineer's round table. (Senior Engineers from the same team and peer teams working for same skip-level manager)
What kind of topics can be discussed at this round table session?

How to initiate such discussions?

Hello everyone,

I am currently moving from one team to another. I had an external offer from TikTok but I decided not to take it because it wasn't the right position for me. I want to focus more on AI and Mobile Development which I will get to do on this new team at Microsoft. I tried to get Microsoft to match the offer from TikTok but they said that they won't do that for internal Transfers. My new hiring manager wanted to give me a promotion and match the offer but the leadership denied it.

My questions are:

1. What can I do once I join the team to expedite my promotion and try to get exceeds expectations?
2. Is there a way I can target an SSA(Special Stock Award)? I hear getting awarded SSA's are basically a black box. Wanted to see if Taro has any insights on this.
3. Are there any other things that I am not considering?

I recently interned at Microsoft, and I was able to get a return offer for another internship for the same team. I'm back at school now, and my goal is to nail the return internship so I can get a return offer to work full-time. In my spare time while at school, how can I best prepare myself to hit the ground running for my return internship? For context, I worked with Azure APIs during my internship, being more of a back-end developer.

Sometimes we can’t make progress on our tasks due to situations outside our control. For example: waiting someone to review our code, waiting for a permission approval, a meeting that got pushed back, etc.

Are there ways I can continue to make progress and impact while waiting for these?

I considered having a side project and work on it when I can’t progress in my main task, or getting started on a future task to address it more quickly when I officially start it.

Hi,

I'm currently considering a career transition and would appreciate your insights on the best path to take. I come from a non-developer background and I'm torn between pursuing a career as a software engineer or a product manager. My ultimate goal is to ensure a solid growth trajectory in terms of career advancement and opportunities.

Given my background as sysadmin/infra person, and now a senior cloud architect, I dealt with a lot of software engineers, including co-designing apps from functional and non-functional requirements. However, haven't had a chance to work as a software engineer myself.

I am hesitant in moving to software engineering, due to potential down-levelling so Product/Program managers might be a better fit, but at the same time, a lot of PMs I talked to have SWE background.

Is this the red pill that you have to swallow to be SWE first --> PM?

What's the best way to transition without being down-levelled too much?

If you receive an offer from a different team, how do you communicate to your manager that you plan on moving to a new team / opportunity at Microsoft. What if you don't have the best relationship with them?

At Microsoft, the current manager does not need to approve team switch, regardless of whether it's a software role or not.

Will interviews for data-related jobs at FAANG companies be different from general software jobs? Given my most recent experience is in software engineering, how can I best prepare for behavioral questions for a data related job?

Hey everyone, I’m right now exploring breaking into Big Tech and want to determine if is for me :).

Background:

• BS in CS (2022), 1.5yr SWE at Series B YC startup ($150M)

• Left Jan 2024 for break, explored GovTech/startup ideas

• Pivoted to Big Tech goal (Nov 2024)

• Completed 150+ Leetcode, 26 mock interviews on TryExponent

• Did 5 startup interviews Jan 2025 (rejected) - realized startups need different prep & chose Big Tech.

Along the way, I’ve tried creating interview prep groups but that failed.

Current state:

• Formation TIRA score: 525/1000 (could pass easiest tech interviews at JP Morgan Chase)

• Have referrals at Meta/Stripe/Google/Microsoft

• Got and failed Uber L4 first recruiter screen (7/18/24)

• Solo prep isn't working well& I’m clearly not at a level to pass any Big Tech interview.

My main priorities rn:

• Find a community. Interview prep alone is tough & feels inefficient.

• Have accountability to level up.

• Have real-world challenges (such as mocks interviews with real Big Tech engs)

• Know what to work on.

Spoke with recruiter and offers:

• AI-generated DSA exercises

• Weekly small group interviews (5 people) with industry eng

• Weekly 1:1 mocks with staff eng

• Job recommendations

• Daily manager check-ins

Cost: $5k upfront + up to $15k ISA

Worth it or not:

• Alex said: “So is one of the better interview bootcamps out there. They have results, and the founders are legit. However, their results have definitely dwindled in this market, especially among junior engineers.”
• My current thinking is to do the 7 day free trial and just see how it goes.

Questions:

1. Given the 2025 market, is generally worth it? How about given my situation?
2. Is the cost ($20k total possible) concerning?
3. What Big Tech level should I target? I received a L4 recruiter interview at Uber (7/18/24) and failed the recruiter call so that makes me a bit confused.

I’ve recently had my first 1:1 meeting with my manager, and we touched upon several critical points that I believe will shape my journey here. Additionally, I learned that my assigned mentor is based on the East Coast, which adds an interesting dynamic to my collaboration and learning opportunities.

After the meeting, when discussing working hours through the chat, my manager inquired about my preference. Considering the timezone difference and aiming for effective collaboration with my East Coast-based mentor, I’m contemplating proposing a work schedule from 12 PM IST to 12 AM IST. This would roughly translate to 1:30 PM EST currently and 2:30 PM EST after daylight savings adjustments.

I’m eager to hear your insights on these matters, especially regarding the proposed working hours. Do you think this schedule is effective for cross-timezone collaboration? How would you recommend navigating these initial discussions and action points in a new role, considering the timezone alignment needs?

Your advice and shared experiences would be incredibly valuable to me.

Hi Taro Community,

I'm wrestling with a question about work hours that perhaps many of you have also encountered. Is it generally advisable to stick strictly to an 8-hour workday, or is it acceptable to work more when necessary? Specifically, if the tasks at hand don't get completed within the standard 8-hour window, should I extend my hours into the night to resolve issues?

Here's my dilemma: I've found myself working additional hours at night to tackle pending tasks. While this has helped me keep up with my workload, I'm unsure about the implications of this practice:

• Should I expect acknowledgment or appreciation from my manager for these extra efforts?
• Is it beneficial to communicate my extended hours to my manager, and could it potentially influence decisions regarding bonuses or other forms of recognition?
• How do managers typically view overtime work, and what is the balance between demonstrating dedication and setting healthy work boundaries?

I'd appreciate any guidance or personal experiences you can share on handling overtime work and how to approach discussions about it with management.

Thank you for your insights.

Hi Taro Community,

I’ve recently joined Microsoft India as an SDE-II, transitioning from Cisco where I had initially been based in the US before relocating to India in 2020 due to visa challenges. With an aspiration to move back to the US within the next 1-2 years, I’m seeking advice on how to strengthen my case for this potential relocation.

Here’s a bit of background: At Cisco, I reported to a US manager, and post-layoffs in 2023, I embraced the opportunity at Microsoft India amidst a lack of other offers. The remote work model, extending from my time at Cisco to now, has been challenging, often involving late-night work to accommodate time zone differences. This has reinforced my desire to return to a US-based role.

Understanding that I need to complete at least a year at Microsoft India to be eligible for relocation discussions, I want to proactively prepare and position myself as a strong candidate for such a move. I’m interested in hearing from those who have navigated similar paths or have insights into making a compelling case for international relocation within a large organization like Microsoft.

• What steps should I take in the next year to build a strong case for relocation?
• How can I effectively communicate my desire for relocation to the management team, ensuring they understand the professional (not just personal) benefits of such a move?
• Are there specific achievements or contributions I should focus on that would underscore my potential value to a US-based team?

I appreciate any guidance, experiences, or strategies you could share.

Can you share resources for data-related interviews (applied data science, data analysis, sql, big data, etc). Also, any tips that a former software engineer can best prepare for switching roles to a data engineer.

Hi Taro Community,

During my recent 1:1 with my manager, we discussed the idea of me sending weekly updates about my work, and he was in favor of it. I want to ensure that these updates are concise, informative, and structured in a way that facilitates clear communication and showcases my progress effectively.

Could anyone share formats or templates they’ve successfully used for similar weekly updates to their managers? Any tips on what to include and what to avoid would also be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your insights!

Hi Taro Community,

I’m a recent addition to my company and have embarked on my journey with a few initial tickets, completing 3 PRs in the span of 2.5 weeks. Alongside these tasks, I’ve been provided with architectural and design documents to help me grasp the broader system. However, these documents are quite high-level and, at times, challenging to comprehend fully, especially without knowing which sections are most pertinent to my current work.

Given the breadth of information and my eagerness to effectively contribute, I’m contemplating the best approach to balance my tasks with learning. Here are a few points I’m considering and would love your insights on:

1. Targeted Learning from Documents: Should I consult with my mentor on which specific parts of the document would be most beneficial for me to focus on initially, considering my current assignments?
2. Codebase Familiarization: How should I approach diving into the codebase? Is it advisable to ask my mentor for guidance on specific modules or areas that align with my tickets or overall team objectives?
3. Balancing Tasks and Learning: What strategies have you found effective for simultaneously working on assigned tickets, understanding high-level documentation, and becoming familiar with the codebase? Is there a recommended balance or sequence that could optimize my ramp-up process?

Navigating the initial phase and ensuring I’m building a solid foundation is my top priority. Any experiences, strategies, or advice you can share on managing these early stages of onboarding would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your support and guidance.

I wanted to share an update and seek advice following my first 1:1 with my manager. Based on one of Alex's earlier suggestions, I inquired about how many commits I should aim to have landed after my first month to gauge my ramp-up progress. My manager mentioned that he doesn't track commit counts as a metric.

Given this, I'm curious about how I should approach setting tangible goals or milestones for my initial period at the company. Without commit counts as a metric, what would be a good way to measure my progress and contributions during the ramp-up phase?

I'd greatly appreciate your insights on this.

Following up on my previous message, I've been pondering whether my manager's response regarding not tracking commit counts might be influenced by my recent joining of the team. Is it common for managers to initially downplay the importance of specific metrics like commit counts for new team members, perhaps to alleviate early pressure or for other reasons?

I am working in a product, it has been 4 years, started from level 59. Now I am at level 61 for 1 year now. I am reporting to the same manager in these 4 years. I am not excited in the current team and want some change but these factor is holding me:

Pros:

1. The product team is expanding, this time they have taken work from US and hiring in India.
2. They are promising for new challenges this year with the product with AI features.
3. Last year, this product was having visibility from CVP, now they are claiming it will be having visibility from EVP.

Cons:

1. Last year, the head of UX left the team to join outside firm and recently the head of PM has taken internal transfer.
2. Overall team culture score(known as Thriving Score) is lower than the average score of Microsoft.
3. To be honest, I don't use this product in my day-to-day life, neither my friend does, even my team mates doesn't use. But it has good number of downloads.
4. WLB is sometimes worse for a specific period.

Note: Not considering switching to other company as stocks are doubling every year here.

Should I switch in-org or outside org or switch to other company?

I have a Master's in Computer Science with a focus on Machine Learning. I currently work at Microsoft, where I have built one large-scale model and spent four years developing a platform for model building and inferencing.

Due to a re-org, I was moved to a non-ML project. Overall, I have more than eight years of work experience, with four years focused on ML platforms and four years in backend development. I do not have experience with neural networks or deep learning at all.

I’m interested in applying for Senior Machine Learning Engineer roles at companies like Meta, but I’m not sure if I have enough depth to succeed ML interview round. Do I need extensive experience in machine learning/model development or deep learning to clear interviews for 'Software Engineer, Machine Learning' roles at Meta?