Microsoft Behavioral Interview Prep
Microsoft interviews put a lot of weight on how you learn, work with others and handle setbacks. The company talks openly about growth mindset, and behavioral questions often test it directly. Practicing with someone who works at Microsoft now helps you choose stories that land.
How the Microsoft interview works
- Recruiter screen. Your background, what you are looking for and why Microsoft.
- Phone or video screen. A conversation with someone on the team, mixing role skills with a few behavioral questions.
- The interview loop. Several back-to-back interviews, virtual or onsite. Each one usually mixes role-specific questions with behavioral ones.
- Final conversation. Often with the hiring manager or a senior leader. Expect questions about motivation, judgment and fit with the team.
- Decision. Interviewers share feedback and the hiring team decides.
Common question themes
- Growth mindset: Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn and what did you change?
- Collaboration: Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult partner team or stakeholder.
- Customer focus: Tell me about a decision you made because of what a customer needed.
- Ambiguity: Tell me about a project where the goal or requirements were unclear.
- Influence: Tell me about a time you changed someone's mind without having authority over them.
- Motivation: Why Microsoft, and why this team?
How to prepare
- Have at least one honest failure story. Show what you learned and what you did differently next time.
- Use the STAR shape and keep the focus on your own actions.
- Connect your examples to the team's product and customers. Generic answers stand out in a bad way.
- Prepare a clear answer to "why Microsoft" that is specific to the role.
Practice with mentors who work at Microsoft
Everyone below lists Microsoft as their current employer on their ADPList profile. Open a profile to see their sessions and book a time.
Nandita GuptaAccessibility Product Manager at Microsoftunited states
Michael GurneySenior UX Design Manager at Microsoftux design · ui/ visual design · design operationsunited states
Swathi JagannathSenior UX Researcher at Microsoftux research · service design researchunited states
Sunitha MuthukrishnaPrincipal Product manager - Microsoft Fabric Developer experience at Microsoftproduct design · customer experience (cx) · growth product managementunited states
Patrick FlahertyUI Director | Producer | Motion Designer at Microsoftui/ visual design · motion design · multimedia designunited states
Xiaofang MeiPrincipal AI Designer at Microsoft AIunited states
Tanya KarSenior Visual Designer at Microsoftunited states
Priyanka MishraSenior Product Manager at Microsoftproduct design · generalist product management · technical product managementunited states
Britt KnightSr. Visual Designer at Microsoftgraphic design · ui/ visual design · motion designunited states
You ZhangDesign Engineer at Microsoftgraphic design · motion design · branding and identity designunited states
Manoj KumarSr. Security Product Manager at Microsoftunited states
Swapnil NagarSenior Software Engineer at Microsofttechnical product management · back-end · full stackunited states
Sooyeon HwangProduct Designer at Microsoft Core AIux design · ui/ visual design · product designunited states
Jeeyoung JungPrincipal Product Designer at Microsoft AIux design · ui/ visual design · design operationsunited states
Dhruv ChandSenior Product Manager at Microsofttechnical product management · platform product managementunited states
YUQI CUIProduct Designer II at Microsoftux design · product designunited states
Kalyan Chakradhar RegulaPrincipal Engineering Manager at Microsoft Corpux design · product design · front-endunited states
SANGEETHA RTechnical Program Manager at Microsofttechnical product management · data product managementunited states
Hope OluwalolopeSoftware Engineer at Microsoftproduct design · front-end · back-endunited states
Vahid MProduct Designer at Microsoftux design · ui/ visual designunited states
Shantanu JhaDirector, Product at Microsoftproduct design · generalist product management · technical product managementunited states
Fabi TamezTechnical Program Manager at Microsofttechnical product management · growth product management · program managementunited states
Sarah KhanSenior designer at Microsoft AIux design · ui/ visual design · product designunited states
Sinem OzkayaSenior Designer at Microsoftux design · ui/ visual design · ai designunited states
What mentees prepare with Microsoft mentors
Themes that come up in reviews mentees left for mentors who match this page.
- Resume review before applying. Making the resume match the role so it gets you to the first interview.
- Behavioral answers and stories. Picking the right examples and tightening them so the interviewer can dig in.
- Mock interviews with feedback. Mentees run a practice round and go through the feedback right after.
- How the process really runs. What each round is looking for, and what happens after the loop.
- Breaking into big tech. Moving in from a startup, another industry or straight from school.
- Referrals and networking. Reaching the right people and asking for a referral the right way.
From mentee reviews
“He offered structured, actionable advice across product strategy, behavioural interviews and full product lifecycle discussions, always contextualised to my background and goals.”
“Pascal helped me better organize my stories for upcoming interviews. It was overall an extremely chill yet fruitful conversation :) Will book more time for sure to discuss other stuff!”
“Samson provided me with valuable advice during the mock interview. Whether regarding preparation or the actual interview process, he highlighted areas where I could improve.”
Warm up with AI interview practice
Rehearse your answers out loud with ADPList's AI interviewer before you meet a mentor.
Try AI interview practiceFrequently asked questions
What behavioral questions does Microsoft ask?
Common themes are growth mindset, collaboration, customer focus and handling ambiguity. Questions usually start with "Tell me about a time..." and include follow-ups about what you learned.
What does growth mindset mean in a Microsoft interview?
Showing that you seek feedback, learn from mistakes and keep improving. Interviewers want specific examples, not a description of your personality.
How can a Microsoft mentor help?
They can run a mock behavioral round, give feedback on your stories and explain how loops work on their team. The mentors on this page currently work at Microsoft.