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      Program Manager Interview

      27 Jan 2011
      Anonymous employee
      Redmond, WA
      Accepted offer
      Positive experience
      Difficult interview

      Application

      I applied through a recruiter. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Microsoft (Redmond, WA) in Sept 2010

      Interview

      First, I had a phone screening. Because I was applying for the PM role, the questions were centered around how I manage my time, how I prioritize tasks, and how I have effectively managed a team in the past (and what I did right/wrong on that team). This screen took around 30 minutes and, at the end of it, I was told that I would be offered an on-campus interview. The on-campus interview was about a month later. I was scheduled for some interview event at first, but then they contacted me saying they had 'overbooked' the event and that I needed to reschedule. This was frustrating to say the least. The actual interview experience was excellent. I was treated better than I ever have been at an interview. I was flown from Ohio, treated to a nice hotel and rental car, and was given a food allowance that allowed me to eat basically whatever I wanted. I had the option of coming in early enough to explore Seattle, which I took eagerly. The interview day was a long one, characterized by a good amount of thumb-twiddling in between fairly relaxed interviews. I had a total of 4 1-hour interviews, although the last one was more of me getting convinced that I needed to accept the offer that was (although he never said it) clearly pending. Each interview focused on a different skillset. The first was about my design abilities. I had access to a whiteboard but never really needed it. The second was a lunch interview (I didn't have to actually interview during lunch, but I was escorted there by and sat with my interviewer) where I talked about how I would do the job of PM. It was all hypothetical situations, and the questions were open-ended. The thing that helped the most here was my prior knowledge of the PM role. My last interview was about projects I had undertaken on my own (outside of work and school) that I liked. Here, I got to talk about stuff that I couldn't fit on my resume, which was a lot of fun. The fourth interview, as I mentioned, wasn't really an interview at all, as it was clearly meant to be an opportunity for the hiring manager to convince me that Microsoft is great and that I wanted to work there. We talked about the cool things happening at MS and the department where this manager worked (the Live team). At the end, he hinted strongly that I would get an offer but that he couldn't officially extend the offer to me at that time. A few things I noticed about the culture and the people: The most important was how nerdy people *weren't*. I find myself to me a socialite, especially as techies go, so I was ready to feel overwhelmed by nerdiness. This was not the case, as everyone I talked to was polite and engaging, but also clearly brilliant. The offices were really cool. I only saw three buildings, but I saw no less than 3 ping pong tables, 6 refrigerators full of free beverages, and tons of aesthetically pleasing furniture and architecture. Most everyone was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, except the front-facing employees like receptionists. Overall, this was a great interview experience, easily my most enjoyable so far. On the difficulty rating: I found this interview to be difficult, but much of it stemmed from my jumpy nerves. If I had been able to keep a cool head, I would have found the process much easier.

      Interview questions [2]

      Question 1

      You are on a game show. There are three doors, behind one of which is a prize and the other two is a chunk of coal, and the host knows which door holds the prize. You choose door #1. Before it is opened, the host opens door #3 and reveals a lump of coal. You have the choice to stick with the door you chose originally or switch to door #2. What do you do?
      17 Answers

      Question 2

      Design a vending machine for drinks.
      1 Answer
      2

      Other Program Manager interview reviews for Microsoft

      Program Manager Interview

      17 Mar 2026
      Anonymous interview candidate
      Hyderābād
      No offer
      Negative experience
      Easy interview

      Application

      I applied online. I interviewed at Microsoft (Hyderābād) in Jan 2026

      Interview

      Not a great experience with interviews taking 1 month to complete. Despite ongoing communication, the role did not move forward, reportedly due to approval constraints. The overall experience highlights a gap in aligning internal approvals before progressing candidates to advanced stages. Clearer communication and better alignment internally would improve the candidate experience

      Interview questions [1]

      Question 1

      Questions on Project Experience and Thought process
      Answer question

      Program Manager Interview

      8 Sept 2025
      Anonymous employee
      Redmond, WA
      Accepted offer
      Neutral experience
      Difficult interview

      Application

      I interviewed at Microsoft (Redmond, WA)

      Interview

      The interview process is grueling and I get why people do it but its more awareness, know that you'll spend an entire day and meet several people, so it's important to be mentally and physically prepared. Eat a good breakfast but not heavy stay hydrated. This was just for a PM role it's their standard process I imagine executive level is another thing altogether

      Interview questions [2]

      Question 1

      Tell me about a time you didn't agree with someone who was a stakeholder on your project and how did you handle that?
      Answer question

      Question 2

      Tell me about a time that your project was not going to launch on it's timeline.
      Answer question

      Program Manager Interview

      31 Jul 2025
      Anonymous interview candidate
      Declined offer
      Positive experience
      Average interview

      Application

      I interviewed at Microsoft

      Interview

      Very smooth, thoughtful interview process. It showed the recruiter really cared what I had to contribute and asked great followup clarifying questions. Would definitely recommend everyone try an interview with them even if it doesn't pan out.

      Interview questions [1]

      Question 1

      Name one project that you have worked on and tell us the outcomes?
      Answer question

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