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Microsoft Marketing Manager Interview Questions & Reviews

Getting the Interview  18 Interviews

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Interview Experience  16 Ratings

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18 interview experiences Back to all interview questions
Updated Apr 10, 2013
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Marketing Manager at Microsoft

Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Redmond, WA Dec 2009 – Reviewed Apr 10, 2013

Interview Details – Long interview process but the hiring process went pretty quickly.

Interview Question – How would you go about estimating how many manholes their are in Manhattan streets?   Answer Question

Negotiation Details – It went quickly

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Marketing Manager at Microsoft

No Offer – Interviewed in Seattle, WA Dec 2011 – Reviewed Feb 7, 2012

Interview Details – Quick interview with recruiter from outsourced company. She had little understanding of the position she was interviewing me for and just ran down a checklist of requirements. I never heard back, the only requirement I did not meet was years experience.

Interview Question – How many years of experience do you have?   Answer Question

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Marketing Manager at Microsoft

Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Redmond, WA Mar 2009 – Reviewed Jul 12, 2011

Interview Details – I had 3 phone interviews with various people on the team which was followed by formal inteviews which consisted 6 interviews- some were follow ups from the phone interviews. The last one judges for "fit" within company and culture. Interviews were relatively easy - maybe because I knew what I was doing and was well prepared. I enjoyed the fit discussion - got an offer a few days later and accepted.

Interview Question – Why do you want to work here?   View Answer

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Marketing Manager at Microsoft

No Offer – Interviewed in Redmond, WA Apr 2011 – Reviewed Apr 6, 2011

Interview Details – The first step was applying online, after which point about 2 weeks passed before I was contacted by a recruiter requesting a first phone interview. The first contact via phone was with the recruiter herself, which lasted roughly a half hour and was very high-level, general interest and experience questions.

After the initial interview via phone, I was contacted roughly one week later requesting a single phone interview with the hiring manager. The hiring manager phone interview was then scheduled about 1 week later, and in between the recruiter was quite adequate at contacting me and answering questions. The hiring manager phone interview was very much like the recruiter phone interview with some technical questions but more intensive and formal overall.

I was contacted a couple days after the hiring manager phone interview with news that the team was interested in having me come in. The soonest available date was about 2 weeks out, so I had some time in between where I did not hear much from the team at Microsoft. Finally, I was sent a packet of information via email to fill out before the in-person interview, and was given instructions.

The day of the interview was quite grueling. I met with 5 different people not including the recruiter, and each person seemed to test/focus on a different facet of my experience, skills, or personality. The first person I really clicked with: we talked over lunch about my experience, why I was interested in the role, and what I thought I could bring to the team. The second person was much more technical and asked specific task questions including abstract ideas and problem solving cases that might come up in the role I was applying for. This was the most difficult interviewer by far! The third person was a younger manager on the team, and he asked some experience questions and questions seeming to aim at personality traits as well as some technical questions - however, nowhere near as technical as the second person. The final person in the loop was brought in at the last minute and she was a senior manager on the same team. This person did not take notes or have a schedule to her interview, but asked difficult questions and was kind of 'cold' in general.

Looking back, I am glad I had the experience to interview, but I do understand why I did not get the job. At Microsoft, it is not enough to be a fast learner, you really need to be able to hit the ground running and if you do not fit the role 100% you will not get an offer. I had probably a 90% fit and they did not want to waste time ramping me up on the final 10%.

Interview Questions

  • If I were to give you $5 billion to run media online for Hotmail, how and where would you spend it and why? In this scenario, you are trying to reach 5 billion acquisitions (meaning a CPA of $1).   Answer Question
  • I want to justify changing the format of a particular display ad on MSN Messenger. Do you think this change of creative is a good idea? Why or why not? How would you go about measuring the success, or lackthereof, of this change?   Answer Question

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Marketing Manager at Microsoft

No Offer – Interviewed in Seattle, WA Apr 2011 – Reviewed Apr 6, 2011

Interview Details – Interviewed with a Senior Product Manager, casual interviewer, but serious about your answers

Interview Questions

  • tell me about a marketing campaign that you like.   View Answer
  • why Microsoft? How would you introduce/market a product to compete against the product you mentioned (in question above)?   Answer Question

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Marketing Manager at Microsoft

No Offer – Interviewed in Seattle, WA Oct 2010 – Reviewed Oct 13, 2010

Interview Details – Interviewed at career fair with hiring manager. I was forwarded to the hr department of the group I would be hired into. After being introduced I had a brief call with the hr person. I believe this was a personality screening. I then interviewed with the hiring manager. The process went cold after that. I would like a "No" at least.

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Marketing Manager at Microsoft

Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Seattle, WA Feb 2007 – Reviewed Nov 8, 2009

Interview Details – Began with an on campus interview with an alum. Typical MBA level interview for a marketing position, and included a short case. Was invited to Redmond for second rounds where I interviewed with a total of 6 people in one day--all back to back. If the first few people like you, they will keep adding interviews with more senior folks. Really was not too demanding of an interview.

My advice would be to know marketing basics and be quick on your feet with cases and critical thinking, but the level of inquiry is not as demanding as consulting case interviews.

Interview Question – A typical question would involve marketing a product Microsoft currently offers. I was asked how I would develop a marketing strategy around Live Search (now Bing).   View Answer

Negotiation Details – Not a lot of movement on salary or stock, but was able to drive signing bonus up about 30% (which probably means I could have gotten more).

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Marketing Manager at Microsoft

No Offer – Interviewed in New York, NY Jul 2008 – Reviewed Oct 1, 2009

Interview Details – The interview process was ok with the Sr Manager of Digital Marketing himself calling to set up the interview. The interview lasted for an hour, was more of a pressure interview where they would ask a series of questions with an aim to gauge how much a candidate can take. I did pass the test, but finally didnt get the offer as they didnt want Masters candidate for the position..Wish they had decided before the process

Interview Question – It's Friday afternoon and you are neck deep in a client deliverable, right then your boss asks you to finish another deliverable. Which one will you choose and why ?   Answer Question

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Marketing Manager at Microsoft

Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Jul 2007 – Reviewed May 14, 2009

Interview Details – Had an inside contact, GM level that helped get my foot in the door. Interviewed by 5 different people, no trick questions, actually was pretty easy. I ended up working with all the people who interviewed me and they were very cool. Microsoft is a good corporation to work for, good pay and benefits, but they definitely make you work hard to earn them.

Interview Questions

Negotiation Details – Wasn't able to negotiate much, but the salary and benefits were great so I was happy with the offer.

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Marketing Manager at Microsoft

No Offer – Interviewed in Redmond, WA Feb 2008 – Reviewed May 3, 2009

Interview Details – The recruiter found my resume and called me and I had a phone screen. After that I spoke to the hiring manager and he asked me to fly out to Redmond HQ for an interview. I met with the recruiter, then two members of the team and was finished by 1pm. The interview seemed "off". My questions were met with irritation and if this was some sort of stress test, have a good day. I did not fit in well with the team and was not surprised that I was not offered the job.

Interview Questions

  • What would you do if the GM had planned for 500K of a marketing campaign, but the other team members decided not to proceed with it? How would you tell the GM that his marketing intiative will not take place.   View Answer
  • How do you communicate?   View Answer

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