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It may sound cliche, but when it comes to the initial discussion for a new role, you really do get one chance to make a great first impression. You'd be surprised how often we see impressive candidates miss easy-to-avoid obstacles that end up costing them a chance to further explore a role.Whether it’s with a recruiter, internal talent partner, or hiring manager, the initial interview is make-or-break. It’s your shot to show you're not just a good resume—you're a real human who fits the role, the team, and the culture. And especially in the startup world, where every hire matters, getting this conversation right is critical.Here’s the good news: with a little prep, you can walk in with confidence and make a strong first impression.&nbsp;🔎 Start with Real Company ResearchDon’t just skim the homepage and call it good. Learn the basics, but go deeper:+ What problem is the company solving?+ Who are their customers?+Any recent fundraising? Press coverage? Product launches? Check out the company blog (great for understanding tone and focus), and browse their LinkedIn page/posts to get an understanding for the company size, key team members, recent media they've highlighted, etc. Tools like Crunchbase or TechCrunch can help you dig into funding history and major announcements.Bonus points: Look up your interviewer on LinkedIn. Knowing their role, background, and even tenure at the company helps humanize the conversation and gives you a clearer sense of their perspective. It also may provide some relevant insight into questions you can target in the discussion.&nbsp;🧐 Understand the Role—Not Just the TitleRead the job description again—closely. What are the real priorities of the role? Is it heavy technical depth? Cross-functional collaboration? Ownership of a greenfield build? Do they mention specific values for their organization?Compare the job description to your own experience and prep examples that speak directly to their needs. Think in terms of:+ Scope of your past work+ Measurable impact+ Tools/technologies you've worked with+ Environments where you thrived (especially fast-paced or ambiguous ones) + Examples from your own experience that map or highlight key company valuesStartup teams don’t have time to connect the dots for you—come in ready to do that for them.✅ Anticipate the Core ThemesThese early conversations usually aim to assess:1) High-level technical or functional fit2) Alignment with company values and mission3) Ability to operate in a startup environment4) Genuine interest in the business Be ready to speak to all four.And yes, behavioral questions can absolutely pop up even in a “casual” intro call. Don’t get caught flat-footed. Have a few strong stories ready that show:+ A hard problem you solved+ A big win you’re proud of+ A time you failed and what you learned+ Something you’re actively working to improveHere’s a great prep resource if you want to brush up:<a data-mce-href="https://capd.mit.edu/resources/the-star-method-for-behavioral-interviews/" href="https://capd.mit.edu/resources/the-star-method-for-behavioral-interviews/">Using the STAR method for your next behavioral interview</a><a data-mce-href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/behavioral-interview-questions-answers-examples" href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/behavioral-interview-questions-answers-examples">30+ Behavioral Interview Questions to Prep For (With Sample Answers!)&nbsp;</a>💻 Be Ready to Walk Through Your CareerEspecially with hiring managers, you may be asked to walk through your job history. Be specific—this isn’t the time to rattle off titles and responsibilities. Highlight ownership and outcomes. If you launched a product, rewrote a system, reduced latency, or led a migration—say it. Quantify it when you can.The key is showing how you drove value in your past roles. That’s what separates a good candidate from a great one.🤝 Treat the Interview Like a Real Meeting (Because It Is!)This may seem basic, but you'd be surprised how many great candidates lose momentum because of poor presentation. Be thoughtful about how you show up:+ Double check your tech: Make sure Zoom (or whatever platform they’re using) is up to date, your camera works, and your mic isn’t cutting in and out. Do a quick test call with a friend if you haven’t used it recently.+ Set the scene: Avoid taking the call from your car, a noisy café, or your kitchen while making lunch. Quiet, clean, and neutral background is ideal.+ Dress appropriately: No need for a suit—but don’t look like you just rolled out of bed either. Even for remote-first companies, presentation still matters.+ Bring the energy: These calls are short. A little enthusiasm goes a long way. It’s okay to be nervous, but aim for clear, present, and engaged.This is one of those things that’s easy to get right with a bit of planning—and it shows respect for the interviewer’s time.🙋 Come With Questions That Show You’re In ItYou’ll often get a few minutes at the end to ask questions—don’t waste them on things you could have Googled. Ask what success looks like in the role. Ask about team structure, engineering culture, product roadmap, or how decisions get made. Show them you’re evaluating them too—and that you’re excited about the opportunity.A few ideas to get you started:+ What are the biggest challenges the team is currently facing?+ How does the company define success in this role over the next 6–12 months?+ What are the traits of someone who’s thrived here?Here’s another resource worth skimming: <a data-mce-href="https://review.firstround.com/the-40-best-questions-to-ask-in-an-interview-how-to-go-deeper-than-whats-the-culture-like/" href="https://review.firstround.com/the-40-best-questions-to-ask-in-an-interview-how-to-go-deeper-than-whats-the-culture-like/">Questions to Ask During a Startup Interview</a>📱 Final Thought: Don’t Phone It InEven if this feels like a “screen,” treat it like the real deal. First impressions stick. Startups are fast-moving, and if you click with the first person you speak with, it could accelerate the whole process. Show up sharp, prepared, curious, and genuinely interested.And if you’re working with a recruiter (like us), lean on them. We know the companies, we know the hiring teams, and we can help you prep. That’s part of our job.

First Call, Big Stakes: How to Nail Your Initial Interview

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Riley here! 🙋‍♀️ I’ve been a full desk technical recruiter for nearly 10 years. Most of my time has been spent as an agency recruiter with Code Talent, but I also have a year of internal recruiting experience on Twitter’s Revenue Platform team. I’ve created this guide by drawing on my exposure to both big tech and startup hiring.A Quick Note📝: This interview prep guide is primarily designed for software engineering positions, although it may be helpful for other roles within the tech industry. I’d like to flag that the advice provided is based on my personal opinions and experience, and should not be considered an endorsement of the hiring processes used in big tech, or by companies emulating big tech hiring. Rather, it is intended to provide guidance on how to navigate the "industry standard" interview process and improve your chances of success. I have lots of feels around this, but that is neither here nor there. TLDR: don’t hate the player, hate the game 😉Knowledge is Power 💡More often than not, a job description is designed or reviewed directly by the hiring manager and your potential boss. It’s a good idea to thoroughly research the company's values and the position (required skills, experience, and "nice to haves"). I can’t tell you how many candidates I’ve seen eliminated for lack of company knowledge. A company most often will have a “values” page (I’m looking at you and your <a data-mce-href="https://www.levels.fyi/blog/amazon-leadership-principles.html" href="https://www.levels.fyi/blog/amazon-leadership-principles.html">leadership principles</a> Amazon 🤢🥴 lol, jk, kinda). But in all seriousness, you can tell a lot about your alignment to a company and their values based on this page. Additionally, sites like Glassdoor and Blind can provide valuable insights into the company's interview process, employee experiences, and salaries. It's also a good idea to research your interviewer and their role to get a better understanding of their perspective and what they may be looking for in a candidate.After diving into the company values, reflect on whether you really want this job. How has the interview process been so far? Often our instincts are powerful tools that are ignored; it's essential to address any reservations about the role or company before proceeding with the process. Self-reflect throughout the entire process and do it often!Practice, Practice, Practice 🙇‍♀️Do you have a mentor? There are many reasons why it’s important to have a great mentor, but in this case, it’s ideal for practice. Below are some links to mostly free technical interview resources that could be useful to practice alone and with your mentor. Treat every practice as an interview; it might even help with those game day nerves!&nbsp;Useful (mostly) free technical interview links:<a data-mce-href="https://leetcode.com/problemset/" href="https://leetcode.com/problemset/">Leetcode</a> (practice questions) <a data-mce-href="https://www.pramp.com/#/" href="https://www.pramp.com/#/">Pramp</a> (live practice interviews) <a data-mce-href="https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/fundamentals-of-algorithms/" href="https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/fundamentals-of-algorithms/">Algorithm Fundamentals</a> <a data-mce-href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hzP8j7matoUiJ15N-RhsL5Dmig8_E3aP/edit?gid=1377915986#gid=1377915986" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hzP8j7matoUiJ15N-RhsL5Dmig8_E3aP/edit?gid=1377915986#gid=1377915986">FAANG interview questions</a> (data structures) <a data-mce-href="https://www.crackingthecodinginterview.com/" href="https://www.crackingthecodinginterview.com/">Cracking the coding interview </a>(I know, I know 🫤) <a data-mce-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQP8WApzIQQ&amp;list=PLrw6a1wE39_tb2fErI4-WkMbsvGQk9_UB&amp;index=2" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQP8WApzIQQ&amp;list=PLrw6a1wE39_tb2fErI4-WkMbsvGQk9_UB&amp;index=2">MIT systems design course</a> <a data-mce-href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CMF2CQF?tag=gregdoesit-20&amp;ref=blog.pragmaticengineer.com&amp;geniuslink=true" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CMF2CQF?tag=gregdoesit-20&amp;ref=blog.pragmaticengineer.com&amp;geniuslink=true">Book on systems design interviews</a> <a data-mce-href="https://www.quastor.org/" href="https://www.quastor.org/">Quastor</a> (newsletter with a free systems design guidebook) Non-coding technical interview questions:<a data-mce-href="https://www.interviewbit.com/software-engineering-interview-questions/" href="https://www.interviewbit.com/software-engineering-interview-questions/">These get incrementally harder</a> <a data-mce-href="https://www.guru99.com/software-engineering-interview-questions.html" href="https://www.guru99.com/software-engineering-interview-questions.html">50 questions and answers</a> <a data-mce-href="https://www.lever.co/blog/software-engineer-interview-questions-to-ask/" href="https://www.lever.co/blog/software-engineer-interview-questions-to-ask/">Generalized interview questions</a> &nbsp;Behavioral interview prep:In the 'Knowledge is Power' section, I mentioned the importance of identifying company values. Once you’ve identified them, create <a data-mce-href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/star-interview-method" href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/star-interview-method">STAR</a> method examples for each of those values. I especially love the STAR method because it allows for precise and example-heavy answers. We’ve seen many candidates eliminated for anything from too concise of answers with no substance to long-winded and rambling replies. Additionally, the STAR method will help you create answers to potential behavioral interview questions. Come up with STAR examples for each bullet in the job description (if there are too many bullets, gather themes). Behavioral interview questions are often taken directly from these job description bullet points. For example:+ Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to think creatively and strategically to solve complex technical challenges -&gt; Tell me about a time you encountered obstacles and challenges at work. How did you overcome? + Ability to communicate cross-functionally and within product, design, and development -&gt; Tell me about a time you had to work with many different stakeholders to complete a project? How did you accomplish this? What were your successes/failures? Furthermore, you can find some sample behavioral interview questions here.Stop, Collaborate and Listen 👂While finding the perfect technical solution is great, many candidates have failed technical interviews but still landed the job. How? By demonstrating good collaboration skills, explaining their thought processes, and most importantly, their mistakes. If you can articulate your f-ups and "could-have-beens" well, you might just get the job. Often, it's more about your approach and your ability to be a good teammate than your solution.During the technical interview, keep these questions in mind:+ Have you gathered your requirements? Do you know what you're doing?+Are you checking in with your interviewer? They're there to collaborate with you.+Are you articulating what you're doing?+Are you asking for feedback?+ Are you running out of time? Check in.+ Are you overwhelmed? Ask for a moment. It's okay to take a break.+Can you scale your solution? If so, how?+Are you over-engineering? Lastly, come prepared with your own <a data-mce-href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/51-interview-questions-you-should-be-asking" href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/51-interview-questions-you-should-be-asking">questions</a> for the interviewer.&nbsp;Know Yourself, Be Yourself 🥳Reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, interests, and opportunities for growth. Being honest and vulnerable (when safe) can help you stand out from other candidates. When describing previous employers and roles be sure to keep it positive! Any opportunity (especially negative ones) can teach you a lot about yourself. Remember, you're freaking awesome, and your unique qualities and experiences can help you land your dream job so long as it’s the right fit for you.Are you still not feeling good about this? All good, and I completely understand. Here’s a list of companies who do not whiteboard or follow “standard tech” interview processes, phew 😅

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First Call, Big Stakes: How to Nail Your Initial Interview

Interview Prep Guide for Software Engineers