How to Prepare for the First Round Interview with an International Recruiter
I spend a lot of time speaking with tech professionals who want to relocate. Here are some tips I often share.
As someone who spends a lot of time talking to tech professionals who would like to relocate and work abroad, I can tell you that first-round interviews follow a steady pattern. They are short, structured, and more decisive than most people expect (writing this now, I realize how similar this aspect is to the “they’ll spend just a few seconds with your resume” rule). I don’t mean to scare anyone away with this, but I can’t avoid writing that this call usually determines whether you step into the hiring process (and possibly at a new doorstep in a new country) or stay at your current doorstep.
And when relocation enters the picture, the call carries even more weight. You’ll meet an international recruiter, you’ll answer a bunch of questions, and it’s your main chance to show why you’re a good match. You want to treat this one interview with care, I’m sure. My goal here is to walk you through this stage from the inside, and help you prepare in a way that will get you to round two. Let’s go!
Let’s start at the very beginning… What is the first call really about?
When I open a candidate’s profile before a call, I’m already forming a broad picture of who they are (professionally, of course). The conversation will only help me refine it. So what the first call is really about is the recruiter trying to answer three things in a short window:
Can you communicate clearly?
Relocation almost always involves cross-cultural teams, so clarity is important.
Do you know what you’re looking for?
I don’t expect perfection, but I do need to know that you’ve thought this through.
Are you genuinely interested in this role in this country?
You would be surprised how many people say they want to relocate but haven’t researched anything beyond “I want a change.”
The call is short, and that’s why the way you shape your answers will make the bigger difference. But don’t get me wrong here. You don’t need anything polished or rehearsed. Instead, you need to have a strong direction of what you want to say every time (maybe tiny mental pauses are helpful), and that will already set you in a good place.
Let’s continue with the five questions many recruiters use
1. “Walk me through your resume.”
This is your chance to set the tone. Keep it to 2–3 minutes, start with a simple headline that gives me a sense of your work, (“I’ve been building backend systems for early-stage SaaS companies…”), and then mention the roles that matter for the position you applied for. Small tip: if you can add one short story that shows impact, even better. Try to use facts and figures!
It’s easier for candidates to answer behavioral questions when they have a structured story about their experience, like when they use the STAR method.
2. “Why this company, and why this role?”
Please don’t hold back here. I can tell when someone is trying to sound coolly neutral. Relocation is a big step (and also a big expense for the company), so I want to see that you genuinely care about the work.
A simple structure that works well is to briefly (and if you feel it, enthusiastically) explain what you like about the company or product. Then, what about this role or team connects with your skills and your next step.
3. “Why should we consider you?”
This is an indirect way of asking, Do you understand the job you applied for?
A good answer links a few needs of the role to a few strengths you already bring, and supports each with one example. Don’t go for dramatic examples. At this point, I simply need to know that your way of working fits the team, so make sure you keep that clear.
4. Examples of past work
Now beware, candidates, because this is where people over-explain and lose the thread. Short stories always work better: a clear situation, your contribution, and one insight you gained (this is very important). Two or three of these are plenty.
Bonus: if you can pick an example that links to the kind of problem the company faces, much better.
🚩 A lack of technical depth in explanations can be a red flag. Candidates should be ready to elaborate on their projects.
5. “Do you have any questions for me?”
Please don’t say no and treat this as a real part of the interview. You can ask grounded questions about the team, the expectations, or the hiring process. This will show me that you researched the company and that you’re genuinely trying to understand the job. Plus, curiosity can be seen as a strength, so don’t miss this one.
The extra question every relocating candidate should prepare for
If you want to relocate and the job posting was listed that way, the topic will come up fast. You can expect the question to be something like, “Are you willing to relocate?”.
And when you answer, you need to really show that you’re willing to relocate.
A key point that many applicants miss is that international recruiters aren’t just checking to see if you can move. They want to understand why you want to move to this specific country. Strong responses show that you are really ready to move and have a connection to the area, not just that you are willing to move in general.
So don’t stop at a “yes, I want to.” Go a bit further and prepare something else you can talk about.
Good examples include:
Language or cultural ties: maybe you studied German in school, took a university course in Danish culture, or have been learning the language independently.
Prior exposure: you may have studied abroad in that country, traveled there and really liked the way of life, or gone to see close friends who just moved to the Netherlands or Denmark.
Professional fit: if you’ve worked with one of the local players in that market or with teams based there, that’s a huge plus and shows that you really know what you’re talking about. Please name the local companies you’ve worked with.
Industry drive: when you looked into the country, you may have seen that it has strong tech ecosystems in areas like fintech, AI, robotics, or medtech, all of which are directly related to your long-term career goals.
So an example answer would be:
“Yes, I’m willing to relocate and work in the Netherlands since I’ve been heavily involved in the sustainability sector for a while, and I’ve been learning about how tech can help companies achieve a sustainable business model. There are plenty of Dutch companies following this path. I can think of a tech platform that you probably use [you demonstrate familiarity with the Netherlands market] that calculates sustainable routes with Machine Learning.
It helps that the Netherlands is an excellent place for an English speaker with a healthy work-life balance. A friend with a similar background to mine has recently moved to the Netherlands and he’s adapted so well that it has helped me make the decision. The Netherlands is a country that I’m ready to relocate to.”
The more specific and personal the reasoning, the more convincingly it shows the recruiter that your interest isn’t random. It’s intentional and well-thought-out.
Importance of small talk in interviews
In Europe, each region has its way of doing interviews, and you should know about this in advance.
For example, the Dutch often start with deeper small talk (like about the weather, breakfast, etc.) to see how well you can get along with others. Interviews in the Netherlands are more casual, while interviews in Germany are more formal.
As a candidate, you should engage in small talk but not overthink it. The goal is not to test your technical knowledge but to start a conversation. Some recruiters think that not making small talk is a sign of disinterest, while too much of it can make the interview feel like it’s not about anything at all, let alone the job.
When you’re preparing for an interview, learn about the company (and avoid these typical red flags 🚩)
First impressions matter. Don’t say nasty stuff about your past employer, have a clear storyline about why you want to move, and treat the recruiter as your ally. That’s more or less the mantra you should consider when you’re about to join an interview.
The points below apply to most interviews, not just relocation-related ones.
Recruiters don’t just represent the company — when they see a good fit, they often advocate for the candidate internally.
Recruiters often form opinions quickly based on first impressions, so it’s important to make a good one.
Companies often give job candidates materials to help them get ready, like guides or information about their culture. You should read these ahead of time.
Common red flags in interviews are not being prepared, not being clear about your career goals, or saying bad things about past employers.
Using online tools like Glassdoor and Reddit to learn about a company can help you understand how they hire people, how much they pay, and how they run their business.
Some habits I’ve noticed make a strong first impression
In addition to preparing yourself for possible (and predictable) types of questions and researching the company and its relocation package in advance, I’ve noticed there are small patterns that separate confident candidates from overwhelmed ones. And in turn, that makes a great difference in refining the candidate’s “broad picture” I spoke about earlier.
Make a short pause before answering: Pausing will help you give clearer answers (sometimes repeating the question can be a way of buying up some time in your head). Of course, make sure the pause is short enough so as not to sound hesitant.
Take on the tone of the conversation: You don’t have to mirror the recruiter exactly, but try to match their pacing. Otherwise, the dialogue might feel choppy.
Keep answers honest but tight: One idea per answer. Tech interviews reward clarity and focused replies.
Address your red flags yourself: A brief, confident explanation of a gap or quick job change is better than avoiding it.
Listen carefully to each question: the number one reason candidates stumble is answering the question they wish I’d asked or the one they rehearsed for, rather than the one I actually asked.
2 bonus tips for ending the call
There are two more habits that always leave a good impression.
The first one is to ask the recruiter if they need more details on any of your answers. This tells me you’re not rushing to end the call and gives me the chance to clarify anything I need. The second one is closing the call with a brief, sincere “thank you for your time”. This might sound too obvious, but nerves sometimes play tricks on us, so it’s better to keep this one in your mental list.
Also, sometimes candidates send a short thank-you email within a day, or a brief note expanding on an answer or just reiterating interest. Keep it a few sentences long and keep it genuine. Maybe you think it’s not worthy, but it can help me remember you when I review candidates.
Wait… what if the “international recruiter” is someone from your hometown?
Yes, I haven’t discussed this earlier on, but it’s a valid thought. When I was writing about an “international recruiter,” I was referring to the recruiter who talks to you in the first instance for a relocation-friendly job. This person, I’d expect, is from a different country than yours. But what if this so-called “international recruiter” is someone from your country instead, even if the company runs from abroad? It would change your chances a bit, I think. And this situation could absolutely occur to you if you’re lucky enough. Or if you make it happen.
Interview prep platforms that genuinely help
When candidates ask for platforms that can guide their prep, I usually share a few that people trust in the industry. They help you organize your preparation and, in some cases, practice with tools that mimic real interview patterns. They also give you a clearer sense of what to expect in the technical or semi-technical rounds that come after the recruiter call.
Interviewing.io serves up mock interviews with real engineers.
InterviewGuide.dev collects the experience of a dev who went through 100 interviews.
Tech Interview Handbook is an open-source guide that helps you organize your study plan.
Before you go and start your preparation…
Since we’ve gone through the main prep, here are a couple more things that can give you a slight edge. Watching a few short talks or interviews from the company’s leaders can give you a sense of how they describe their mission and what language they use most. This will make your answers sound connected to the company.
And of course, sleep is underrated. A clear mind does more for your performance than an extra hour of rushed preparation. So please, remember to rest the night before. (Although, if you can’t rest because you’re a parent, maybe the recruiter is a parent and you can strike up a conversation about that.)
Your preliminary job is to help the recruiter guide you to your relocation job
First-round interviews for relocation jobs feel more manageable once you understand what the recruiter is looking for. When someone comes in with a clear story, a grounded sense of why they want the role, and a couple of well-chosen examples, the call turns into a conversation rather than a test.
Let’s put it from a recruiter–job seeker perspective. From the recruiter’s side, they’ll be thinking, “My job is to connect you with companies that hire abroad and actually want international talent.” And they’ll also be thinking, “You, job seeker, your job (pun intended) is to help me see who you are, how you work, and where you want to land.” When that scenario occurs, the process moves with more direction.
And since you’re here, a brief reminder that The Global Move is what I’m building to help people who wish to relocate and work abroad.
It’s turned to be one of the largest selections of tech jobs with relocation support and visa sponsorship on the internet.
If you want those roles in your inbox, the newsletter will help you keep track of them and stay focused on your preparation.
I hope your next first-round interview brings you closer to the role and the country you have in mind.
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Good luck and I’ll see you in the next issue!