zlacker

>>lostms+(OP)
Man, this hurt to read. Keivan’s response is the right one. But I wonder if the arrangements and outcome would have been different had AppGet been closed source.

This is just not cricket from team Microsoft.

>>ak39+B9
This isn't secret news, but when you interview at MS there is always a secret / hidden interviewer. This is publicly known information from Cracking the Coding interview. This person is called the as appropriate and you only meet them if you pass all the prior interviews.

Per his writeup, he did not meet that person, which means that he most likely did not pass the interview.

He also for some reason didn't follow up on the results of the interview for 6 months, which is unique as most candidates will reach out. Assuming he actually filled out a job requisition, which he probably did to interview, he also should have gotten status from that requisition, so things are a little fishy.

I do not know anything about his case directly, but I would bet that he did not pass the interview and a decision was made to not bring him on as a result.

If Microsoft was trolling him to just pick his brain, they would have done more than two small events, and wouldn't have bothered to reach out to tell him they were releasing a product.

This response also burns any bridges that he had built with the team. He could have still potentially made something of his product if he had kept that relationship open and used his leverage as an existing package manager owner to influence WinGet.

If I was him, I would have at a minimum asked for feedback far earlier than wait for 6 months.

>>intern+og
My understanding is when MS decides they aren't going to hire, they cut off all communication, total lot drop. Sometimes at their own campus, no feedback at all.

It's really an angering experience imo. I mean, I get it from a litigious mindset, but still not very humane.

>>tracke+Mi
My experience while interviewing with MS is somewhat similar with respect to not hearing back after each stage. The initial phone interview was quick with what seemed like a lower level HR person who asked basic questions from a list with many mispronunciations of MS SQL technologies. I didn't hear anything for three weeks so I called them and they said, "Oh yeah. We want to schedule another phoner with the product team". A few days later I interviewed with for about an hour with two engineers and it was more inline with what I had expected. This time I sent an email the next day thanking them hoping that would at least keep me in the back of their minds. Same thing. About three weeks later I called to find out my status. "Oh yeah. We would like to fly you to Virginia for an in person interview this week". They set up my flight and hotel and I went through three interviews with different groups and left thinking, "Well that was horrible and embarrassing. They are way above anyone I had ever worked with". Same thing. Sent an email thanking them along with my expenses. About six weeks later I needed to know my status since funds were getting low. I called them up and was told I wasn't ready to work for them. But I should add them on LinkedIn to keep in touch. My self esteem was pretty shot, but I ended up with a pretty sweet job that week. I still get emails from them every once in a while when a position opens up, but three years later I still get a little anxious when those emails hit.

So yeah, their post interview stage communication seems to be the weakest part of a process I am sure I was one of hundreds going through at that time.