Scheduling Interviews

At this point in the job hunt, I've successfully been invited for the initial recruiter chat. Thinking bigger picture, my original plan was to take all the recruiter chats within the first week or so, do the first round of interviews (technical screens) the following 2 weeks, and then complete final rounds the last 2 weeks. If you've been working for a while, you know that that's not how it went down.

If you're interviewing with multiple companies, you will at some point be at different stages with each company at one time. There will be many factors outside of your control that will adjust your interview time with the company - what's important is that you just keep up the interviewing momentum.

Depending on which companies you're most interested in working for, I'd schedule interviews with those companies first or as soon as possible. When scheduling interviews, keep in mind how much time you need to study, rest, etc. You don't want to burn out halfway through the job hunt. Know when in the day you're at your best - if you're at your best in the morning, don't schedule your interviews late in the afternoon if possible.

The Interview Process

Application/Referral

Hear back within: 2 weeks

After submitting your application (or being referred), you can hear back as soon as the next day, within a couple weeks, or never. Referrals will usually get a quicker follow-up than cold applications. Depending on your level of experience and how well you fit the role, you may be prioritized.

Recruiter Chat

Hear back within: 7 days

The interview with the recruiter is for them to determine if you have the relevant experience to continue with the interview process. Though you can be dropped after this initial interview, majority of the time you should be moved forward to schedule the technical interview (or hiring manager interview). From my own experience, I've heard back from recruiters to schedule the next step anywhere between 1-3 days after the call. It may take longer than that.

You can always ask when you can expect to hear back from the recruiter and when you can follow up if you haven't gotten a response.

Hiring Manager Interview

Hear back within: 7 days

The hiring manager interview can happen after the recruiter chat or during the on-site. If you have a hiring manager interview after the recruiter chat, you should hear back within 7 days on the status of your application.

Technical Screen

Hear back within: 7 days

The technical screen can be anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 hour. It's up to you how soon you want to schedule the technical screen. I've scheduled my technical screen between 1 to 7 days out. I don't know how much of a factor it really is, but scheduling your interviews further out will delay your chances of getting an offer. When scheduling interviews, take into account how much time you need to study and handle your other responsibilities. You don't want to put yourself in a situation when you're interviewing super stressed. After the technical screen, you should hear back from the company within 7 days.

On-Site Interviews

Hear back within: 2 weeks

On-site interviews will usually take you an entire day. In most cases, you may also be able to split it up between multiple days. Figure out if you're better at knocking out the interview in one day or if you interview better when you can split up the interviews. There's no right answer to how you approach it. After the on-site interviews, you can expect to hear back from the company within 2 weeks. It doesn't hurt to check in with your recruiter to let them know how the interview went and to ask when you can expect to hear back.

Receiving the Verbal Offer

Hear back within: 7 days

Recruiters usually tell me that the interviewers meet the day after the on-site to discuss the candidate. You should hear back within a week about the hiring decision.

Offer Negotiation

I've negotiated offers and signed within a week and I have friends who negotiated offers for over a month. When negotiating an offer, know what cards you hold and understand what the total compensation package should look like at your level & location. Do your research.

Receiving the Written Offer

It's not official until there's a written offer in your inbox. Do not cancel your other interviews until you've signed an offer. Some companies will send you a written offer for the original offer to start and others will not send you a written offer until you've come to an agreement on the verbal offer. The written offer should arrive within 7 days after you've agreed to join the company.

Final Action Items

After you sign the offer, you're all set! You'll be in touch with HR to get everything set up prior to your start date. Background checks, getting equipment delivered (if you're remote), setting up your employee profile, etc.