Ready to master phone screens in CS hiring? This is your first real conversation with someone from the tech company, and it often determines whether you advance to technical rounds.
Most CS candidates underestimate this stage, but it's actually where many strong applications get filtered out before reaching the coding interviews.
Engagement Message
What's one mistake you personally want to avoid during a CS phone screen?
Phone screens in tech are typically conducted by recruiters or talent coordinators rather than engineering managers. Their goal is efficiency - quickly determine if you're worth the technical team's time.
They're looking for basic qualification confirmation and red flags before expensive technical interviews.
Engagement Message
Why do you think recruiters handle this stage instead of engineering managers?
Here's what they're really evaluating: communication skills, genuine interest in the company, salary expectations alignment, and technical timeline availability.
They're not testing coding skills yet - that comes in later technical rounds with actual engineers.
Engagement Message
Which of these four areas do you think trips up most CS candidates?
Expect these common questions: "Tell me about yourself," "Why are you interested in this company?," "What's your salary expectation?," and "When could you start?"
Each question serves a specific screening purpose beyond the obvious technical qualification check.
Engagement Message
When a recruiter asks, "When could you start?", what insight are they really seeking?
Success requires preparation on company tech stack, role requirements, and your own coding journey. Have specific project examples ready, not generic programming answers.
Research the company enough to ask one thoughtful question about their technology or engineering culture - this separates engaged candidates from mass applicants.
