I got invited to the first interview. It was a pretty straightforward call—just about 20 to 30 minutes—and it was with someone from HR or a recruiter. They weren’t getting into the deep technical stuff yet; it was more of an initial screening to make sure I was a good basic fit for the role. They asked me to walk through my resume, just highlighting my experience and what I’d done that related to the job. Then we talked a bit about why I applied, what I knew about the company, and what I was looking for in my next role. It felt like they wanted to make sure I was genuinely interested and that my goals lined up with what they were offering. We also went over some logistics—things like my availability to start, salary expectations, and whether I was open to remote or hybrid work. Nothing too intense, but definitely important to clear up early on. Overall, it was pretty relaxed. I saw it more as a way for both sides to figure out if it made sense to keep going. I also had the chance to ask a few questions about the team and what the next steps would look like.