🛣️ Roadmap to Get Placed at Microsoft
📘 Table of Contents
1. Hiring Process at Microsoft
2. Phase 1: Build Strong Fundamentals (3–4 Months)
3. Phase 2: DSA Mastery & Problem Solving (4–6 Months)
4. Phase 3: Development & Projects (2–3 Months)
5. Phase 4: Resume, LinkedIn & GitHub (Ongoing)
6. Phase 5: Interview Prep & Strategy (2–3 Months)
7. Bonus Tips
🔍 Hiring Process at Microsoft
Stage What to Expect
Online Assessment 2–3 medium/hard coding problems + CS MCQs (OOP, DBMS,
OS)
Technical Rounds 2–3 live DSA questions + low-level/system design (for L3+)
Hiring Manager Deep dive on your projects, role fit, and collaboration style
Round
HR Round Culture-fit, behavioral questions, compensation discussion
🚀 Phase 1: Build Strong Fundamentals (3–4 Months)
Focus:
Lay your CS groundwork—syntax, core concepts, and theory in your chosen language.
Topics to Cover:
● Data Structures: Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, HashMaps, Heaps, Trees,
Graphs, Tries
● Algorithms: Sorting (Merge, Quick, Heap), Searching (Binary Search), Recursion,
Greedy, Backtracking, Dynamic Programming
● Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): Classes, Objects, Inheritance, Polymorphism,
Encapsulation, Abstraction
● Operating Systems: Processes & Threads, Scheduling Algorithms, Deadlock,
Memory Management
● Databases (DBMS): SQL Queries & Joins, Normalization, Transactions, Indexing
● Computer Networks: TCP/IP, HTTP/HTTPS, DNS, OSI Model, Firewalls, Load
Balancing
Resources:
● Video Tutorials: Gate Smashers, Neso Academy, Jenny’s Lectures
● Online Courses: CS50x (Harvard), Microsoft Learn (Fundamentals), Coding Ninjas
(Java/C++)
● Books:
○ Cracking the Coding Interview – Gayle Laakmann McDowell
○ Operating System Concepts – Silberschatz Galvin
○ Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach – Kurose Ross
● Practice Platforms: HackerRank – 30 Days of Code, LeetCode (Easy),
GeeksforGeeks
Action Step:
Watch 1–2 topic videos daily, then solve 3–5 related coding/theory problems in your chosen
language.
📍 Phase 2: DSA Mastery & Problem Solving (4–6 Months)
Focus:
Become fluent in solving medium-to-hard DSA problems under time pressure.
Topics to Cover:
● Arrays & Strings: Two Pointers, Sliding Window, Prefix Sum, Kadane’s
● Linked Lists: Reverse, Merge, Cycle Detection
● Stacks & Queues: Monotonic Stack, Min-Stack, LRU Cache
● Trees & Binary Trees: DFS/BFS, Traversals, BST Ops, Diameter
● Graphs: DFS/BFS, Topological Sort, Dijkstra’s, Union-Find
● Heaps & Tries: Priority Queue, Trie Autocomplete
● Recursion & Backtracking: Permutations, Subsets, N-Queens
● Dynamic Programming: 1D/2D DP, Memoization, Knapsack, LIS, LCS
● Greedy & Bit Manipulation
Resources:
● YouTube Playlists: Striver’s DSA Sheet, NeetCode 150
● Practice Sheets: Striver’s A2Z DSA, Love Babbar 450, LeetCode “Microsoft” tag
● Online Judges: LeetCode, InterviewBit, Codeforces (contests)
● Books (Optional): Elements of Programming Interviews, CLRS
Action Step:
Solve 2–3 problems/day. Cycle through topics each week. Log solutions on GitHub and
track your LeetCode streak.
🧠 Phase 3: Development & Projects (2–3 Months)
Focus:
Build real-world applications to showcase coding style, architecture, and collaboration.
Tracks & Tech Stacks:
● Web Dev: HTML/CSS, JavaScript/TypeScript, React.js, Node.js, MongoDB
● App Dev: Flutter or Kotlin/Swift
● ML: Python, pandas, scikit-learn, TensorFlow
● Microsoft Stack: C#, .NET Core, Azure Functions, Azure Cosmos DB
Project Ideas:
● Task Manager with user auth & Azure backend
● File Explorer UI Clone (React + Electron)
● Real-time Chat App (Socket.io + Firebase)
● Azure-Hosted Todo App with Serverless Functions
Resources:
● Courses & Docs: freeCodeCamp Full-Stack, The Odin Project, Microsoft Learn
(Azure)
● YouTube: JavaScript Mastery, Fireship, CodeWithHarry
● Hosting/CI: GitHub + Actions, Netlify/Vercel, Firebase, Azure Web Apps
Action Step:
Complete 2–3 medium-scope projects. Host each live, write detailed READMEs
(screenshots, tech, setup), and link code on your resume/GitHub.
🧱 Phase 4: Resume, LinkedIn & GitHub (Ongoing)
Focus:
Craft a compelling profile to get interviews and referrals.
Resume Guidelines:
● One page, action-oriented bullets (“Reduced API latency by 30%...”)
● Sections: Education, Skills, Projects (with links), DSA stats, Internships
LinkedIn Optimization:
● Strong headline (e.g. “SDE Aspirant | C# | DSA Enthusiast”)
● About section: your story, strengths, goals
● Regular posts: project demos, milestones
● Network: connect with Microsoft engineers & recruiters
GitHub Strategy:
● Pin top 4–6 repos with detailed READMEs
● Meaningful commit history & a consistent activity graph
● Showcase CI/CD (GitHub Actions or Azure Pipelines)
Action Step:
Update resume monthly; post project updates on LinkedIn; keep GitHub fresh after each
project.
💻 Phase 5: Interview Prep & Strategy (2–3 Months)
Focus:
Polish coding reflexes, system design intuition, and behavioral storytelling.
Interview Structure:
1. Online Assessment: DSA + MCQs
2. Technical Rounds: Live coding + Low-Level/System Design (for L3+)
3. Hiring Manager Round: Project deep dive + teamwork
4. HR Round: Behavioral & offer negotiation
Prep Areas:
● Coding: 2–3 LeetCode medium/hard per session
● System Design: Grokking the System Design Interview, Designing Data-Intensive
Apps
● Behavioral: STAR method; rehearse core “Tell me about a time…” stories
● Mock Interviews: Pramp, Interviewing.io, Exponent
Action Step:
Schedule 3–4 mock interviews weekly. Record, review, and refine. Write & polish 10 key
STAR stories.
🎁 Bonus Tips:
● Learn C#/.NET basics & Azure fundamentals to stand out.
● Write clean, readable code in interview sessions.
● Seek employee referrals on LinkedIn.
● Be consistent: 6–12 months of steady effort is normal.
● Practice whiteboard/mock environment for your coding rounds.
