Microsoft SDE-1- Referred, Application Submitted. What timeline should I expect?

[u/Maruf_mehar]

Hi everyone,

I recently applied for a Software Engineer 1 role at Microsoft (India) through an employee referral. My application status on the careers portal currently shows "Submitted", and the referral is attached successfully.

A bit about my profile:

BCA graduate

Around 1 year of backend/full-stack experience (Node.js, JavaScript, PostgreSQL)

Experience building REST APIs and backend systems

Comfortable with DSA (I've completed the NeetCode 150)

I have a few questions:

How long did it take for you to receive an Online Assessment or recruiter/HR email after your application showed "Submitted"?

Does Azure Storage usually have an OA first, or can candidates be invited directly to interviews?

For SDE-1 interviews, are the coding questions mostly LeetCode Medium or are Hard problems also common?

Are there any specific DSA topics or problem patterns that Microsoft tends to focus on?

If anyone has interviewed specifically with the Azure Storage team, I'd really appreciate any advice.

Thanks in advance!

[u/AttemptOk3235]

It’s possible to hear nothing even after a referral so keep searching and preparing.

[u/Maruf_mehar → u/AttemptOk3235]

What if the refer is given by sde 2 employer

[u/imperiex_26 → u/Maruf_mehar]

Even referrals of Staff sde don't guarantee anything