The Process

1. Resume

All application processes begin with resumes. Resumes are read by someone.¹1. The someone depends on the company. In a small company it could be another engineer, in a larger company it could be a recruiter. Or an LLM.

2. TPS

If your resume passes review, you might be a good fit, at which point you’ll be given a Technical Phone Screen (TPS); where you’ll be asked about parts of your resume.

3. In Person Interview

Whole-day affair where you meet with a bunch of people in the company (management, engineers, HR, etc.)

4. Job Offer

The negotiations phase.

Two Interview Models

Team

In this model, the hiring manager for a specific team owns the process. The interviewers are your potential peers and manager.

• This model is optimized for domain fit.

Pros: Both sides get immediate clarity on the other.

Cons: Different hiring managers may have different standards.

Company

In this model, you interview with the organization at large. If you pass, you get matched with a team during/after onboarding.

• This model is optimized for baseline competency.

Pros: A standardized bar means there’s more consistency.

Cons: You often don’t know the team chemistry until you accept.