Before the onsite interview, you should hop on a 30-minute call with a recruiter and go over the following questions
Typically, this stage is not technical. For example, a recruiter will not ask you algorithm questions and time complexity of an algorithm questions. However, I’ve had 2 companies where their recruiters asked me about basics in computer science before I got a phone screen interview. This is pretty rare.
Sometimes they might push you to discuss your expected salary range at an early stage. I would stop yourself from giving them any numbers. Let them come up with the numbers. Even then, delay that discussion by saying “I would like to discuss this once we complete the entire process”.
If a company interviews candidates for a specific position (not a general hiring, then a team-matching), it’s important to discuss your strength, engineering passion and experiences with a recruiter transparently so you get interviews from teams that align with your background.
Questions you should ask
Know who you are talking to. Is the interviewer a software engineer, a hiring manager or a manager? Depending on who you talk to, the “data points” they want to collect and the discussions will be different. For example, you will most likely dig deeper into technical discussions when talking to a software engineer. Check with your recruiter and see who you are talking to. While speaking to your recruiter, also ask what sort of “characteristics” and “skills” they look for in a candidate. Skills a company needs in a software engineer can vary depending on what positions and level you are interviewing for.
Many of us underestimate the importance of the behavioral interview round. Some may think this is not as important as coding interview rounds. Providing them with great behavioral examples could help with your chances of getting a job. If you are an experienced engineer, behavioral interviews as important as coding rounds.
Step 2.1: Understand How It’s Done