Quick Answer
The first interview stage, often a phone or video call with a recruiter or hiring manager, aims to confirm your basic qualifications and gauge your initial fit for a role. This is where your resume details are verified, and your interest, salary expectations, and timeline are discussed. Preparing specific questions for the interviewer and reviewing your own resume are crucial steps to ensure a productive conversation.
What to expect in your first job interview?
During your first interview, you’re likely meeting with a recruiter or the hiring manager themselves, especially if you’re interviewing with a smaller company or an early-stage startup. This initial contact is often a phone call, but can sometimes be a video interview.
The primary purpose of this interview is to get to know you more beyond your application and to confirm you’re qualified for the role. For example, the interviewer will verify that you do in fact have the number of years of experience listed on your resume, or direct experience with specific programming languages or technical stacks. For engineers, this often means confirming proficiency in languages like Python, Go, Rust, or experience with cloud platforms, AI/ML frameworks, or specific database technologies. Recruiters are evaluating whether your profile aligns with the core requirements of the role before moving you to a more in-depth technical discussion.
How to prepare for a first interview call?
Effective preparation for a first interview can significantly increase your chances of moving forward.
* Prepare your questions in advance. Write down any basic questions you have regarding compensation, general responsibilities, remote vs. in-person structure, or other big-picture questions you want to confirm. Asking well-thought-out questions demonstrates engagement and interest. Consider asking about the typical day-to-day for the role, the team structure, or the company's current key challenges. For example, understanding if a role is primarily focused on new feature development versus maintenance can be a critical data point for your career trajectory.
* Review your submitted resume thoroughly. Before the call, review the resume you submitted so it’s fresh in your memory. If the interviewer asks for more detail on a specific bullet point, you need to be ready to provide more context, explain the impact of your work, and perhaps elaborate on the technical challenges you overcame. Given that Recruiting from Scratch specializes in Engineering and AI/ML roles, interviewers are particularly interested in the specifics of your technical contributions and problem-solving processes. Based on 0+ technical hires we've made since 2019, candidates who can articulate their past projects clearly and concisely tend to make a stronger impression.
* Have your materials ready. Keep a copy of your resume, cover letter, and any notes you may need nearby. You can refer to them if necessary to ensure accuracy in your responses. Having these documents accessible can also help you recall specific dates, project names, or technical details without hesitation, projecting confidence and preparedness.
What are common questions asked in a first interview?
Preparing for common questions can help you navigate the first interview stage with greater ease. These questions are designed to assess your motivations, fit, and basic qualifications.
Why are you looking for a new position currently?
The interviewer wants to understand your motivations for leaving your current role or seeking a change. Focus on what you are seeking in a new opportunity (e.g., more growth, new technical challenges, a different company culture) rather than dwelling on negative aspects of your current or past employers. This helps the interviewer align your career goals with the potential role.
What are you looking for in your next position?
This question assesses your career aspirations and helps determine if the role aligns with your long-term goals. Be specific about the types of projects, technologies, team environments, or company sizes that appeal to you. For instance, an engineer might express interest in working on large-scale distributed systems or contributing to open-source AI projects.
Is there a specific type of company or industry that you're targeting?
Interviewers want to understand your preferences and if they match the hiring company. Be honest about your interests, but also show openness. We've placed engineers at 549+ startups, ranging from seed to Series C, and many candidates express a preference for innovative environments with opportunities for significant impact. Knowing if you prefer established enterprises or early-stage startups helps determine cultural fit.
What size of teams have you worked on?
Team size can significantly impact an engineer's day-to-day experience and responsibilities. Some thrive in small, agile teams where individual contributions are highly visible, while others prefer larger teams with more specialized roles. Describe your experience and what aspects of those team sizes you found effective or challenging.
What is your ideal company size?
Similar to team size, company size often correlates with culture, bureaucracy, and growth opportunities. Startups, like the 549+ active clients Recruiting from Scratch serves, often offer rapid career progression and broad impact, but require a comfort with ambiguity. Larger companies might offer more structured career paths and resources. Express what environment you find most conducive to your productivity and growth.
What technologies and coding languages do you know?
This is a critical technical screening question. Be prepared to list the languages, frameworks, databases, cloud platforms, and other tools you are proficient in. Prioritize those relevant to the job description and be ready to briefly discuss projects where you applied them. For AI/ML roles, mentioning specific libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch) or expertise in areas like NLP or computer vision is key.
Are you interviewing with any other companies?
This question helps the interviewer gauge your market demand and potential timeline. It's acceptable to say yes, but you do not need to disclose specific company names. A general statement like, "I am actively exploring a few opportunities that align with my career goals," is sufficient. This indicates you are a desirable candidate without oversharing.
What are your salary expectations?
This is often a key screening question to ensure alignment early on. Based on our data from 0+ placements, the average salary for placed engineers is ~$252K. Research the market rate for similar roles in your location and experience level. Provide a salary range rather than a single number, indicating you are flexible depending on the overall compensation package (benefits, equity, bonuses). Stating "competitive with market rates" or "in the range of X to Y, depending on the full package" is a common approach.
What’s your ideal timeline and start date for beginning a new job?
Hiring managers need to understand your availability to plan their team's needs. Be realistic about notice periods required at your current role. An average time to fill for technical roles can be around 29 days from req open to offer accepted, so recruiters are often looking for candidates who can start within a reasonable timeframe, typically 2-4 weeks after an offer is accepted.
Key Takeaways for the First Interview Stage
The first interview stage is your opportunity to make a strong initial impression and confirm mutual interest. Be prepared, be articulate about your experience, and be clear about your expectations. Remember, this call is as much for you to assess the company as it is for them to assess you. By focusing on alignment with role requirements, articulating your technical background, and asking pertinent questions, you position yourself effectively for subsequent stages. Our experience helping 549+ startups find top engineering talent shows that clarity and preparedness are consistently the most valued traits in initial screening calls.
Why Recruiting from Scratch Knows This
Recruiting from Scratch possesses authoritative insight into the first interview stage due to extensive, real-world experience in technical recruiting. Since our founding in New York City in 2019, we have made 0+ technical placements, specializing in Engineering and AI/ML roles for seed through Series C startups. We have directly facilitated hiring for 549+ active startup clients. This direct involvement provides us with real data on candidate performance, recruiter expectations, and common pitfalls in the early stages of the hiring process. Our ability to consistently achieve an average time to fill of 29 days and maintain a 90+ NPS underscores our deep understanding of effective recruiting practices from the initial contact to offer acceptance, providing robust E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) in this domain.
FAQ
How long does it take to hire a staff engineer?
Based on our data, the average time to fill for technical roles, including staff engineers, is 29 days from the initial job requisition opening to a candidate accepting an offer. This timeline can vary depending on market demand, interview process efficiency, and candidate availability.
What does a contingency recruiting firm charge?
Contingency recruiting firms, like Recruiting from Scratch, typically charge a fee as a percentage of the placed candidate's first-year base salary. Our standard contingency fee ranges from 25-30% of the first year's base salary for successful placements.
What is a good salary for an AI/ML engineer at a startup?
In our data from 0+ placements, the average salary for placed engineers, including specialized AI/ML roles at startups, is approximately ~$252K. This figure can fluctuate based on experience level, specific AI/ML domain expertise, and the startup's stage and location.
What should I ask a recruiter in the first call?
You should ask about the role's specific responsibilities, the team structure, company culture, the interview process stages, and compensation range. Also inquire about the startup's funding stage, especially if you are interested in seed through Series C companies where Recruiting from Scratch primarily places talent.
What types of companies does Recruiting from Scratch work with?
Recruiting from Scratch specializes in placing Engineering and AI/ML talent at seed through Series C startups. We actively work with 549+ startup clients, providing direct support for their critical technical hiring needs in high-growth environments.
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