Startup Technical Recruiting: What Actually Gets You Past the Resume Screen

Wellfound's "Ask a Recruiter" series brings job hunters face-to-face with real tech recruiters who share honest advice on how to get hired.

Mary Kypreos has been recruiting for open-source and startup tech companies for over a decade. She's placed engineers at DBeaver, NGINX, and Temporal — companies where the tech stack isn't theoretical, and where hiring decisions happen fast. During a recent Q&A with job seekers, she cut through the noise about what these companies actually look for.

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TL;DR:

Startups want specific skills over generic passion, timing matters more than perfect applications, and your story needs to explain why you're applying — not just what you can do.

Tech Stack Experience Isn't Negotiable (Mostly)

"For the large majority of roles, really important," Kypreos said when asked about matching a company's specific technology stack. This isn't about being picky — it's about reality.

Startups don't have time to train someone on their core technologies. If they're building in Go, they need someone who knows Go. If they're using Kubernetes, they need Kubernetes experience. The exception? Less common languages like Scala, where the talent pool is smaller.

"When companies have tech stack include things like Go or Scala, or less common programming language, oftentimes they don't require it, because then they wouldn't hire anyone."

Even then, they look for logical jumping-off points. Someone with Java experience might transition to Go more easily than someone coming from Python.

New Grads: Your Projects Need Strategy

Recent graduates face a specific challenge: everyone has similar academic backgrounds. The differentiator isn't having projects — it's having the right projects.

"A lot of times, schooling is based on projects, but I don't know if people think about changing out the projects that they're talking about, their school projects on the resume, to focus more on whatever that job is."

If you're applying for a cloud engineering role, highlight cloud-related coursework. If it's an API position, emphasize API projects. This seems obvious, but most candidates treat their resume as a static document.

Contributing to open-source projects can actually help from that standpoint. For new grads, it can be one way to stand out compared to a similar graduate.

The Corporate-to-Startup Transition Question

Companies hiring from corporate backgrounds focus heavily on soft skills and initiative. They want people who can build processes, handle ambiguity, and contribute beyond their job description.

The red flags? When candidates say they hate process or red tape.

"Startups still have those things. It's not the wild, wild west. It's still a company."

What works: Explaining specifically why you want the startup environment. What excites you about wearing multiple hats? What drew you to this company's mission? Generic answers about "moving fast" don't cut it.

Interview Formats: Expect Everything

Startup technical interviews typically include:

• Behavioral questions (even during technical portions)
• Technical assessments (coding interviews or take-homes)
• Project-based work (more common for technical go-to-market roles)

"Soft skills come into play a lot more with startups. Even if it's not obviously a soft skills interview question, they could be evaluating how you collaborate, how you react if we suddenly shift priorities."

Always ask recruiters what to expect. They should be able to tell you whether technical assessments are LeetCode-style or real-world problems.

Employment Gaps: Address Them Head-On

Kypreos recommends being explicit about layoffs or company closures on your resume. Add brief notes like "impacted by 30% layoff" or "company acquired" directly in your work history.

This isn't about making excuses — it's about preventing misinterpretation.

"Startups go under. You could join a startup, it could go under in a year, and then you join another one. Especially people who take risks on pre-seed startups."

During gaps, show you've kept skills current through open-source contributions, coursework, or personal projects.

The Generalist Dilemma

For candidates caught between specialties (like engineering and design), the approach requires more strategy. Create multiple resume versions emphasizing different strengths, but make your preference clear through cover letters or LinkedIn summaries.

"Even in a startup environment, interviews aren't necessarily built for evaluating this kind of skill set. Companies are trying to fit you into a box, and you don't fit into one box."

Use non-industry friends to review your materials. If they can't quickly understand what role you're targeting, neither can recruiters.

Diversity Questions: What Actually Happens

Those EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) questions on applications? Most recruiters can't access that information.

"That information around personal, private information around work authorization, salary, EEOC, is usually locked down at an admin level."

When companies do track diversity metrics, it's for reporting requirements or planning purposes on the H.R. end — not individual hiring decisions.

Startups exist because they are trying to disrupt something. They really generally value diversity of thought and background, because if they all thought the same way, they would think that maybe they didn't need to disrupt that industry.

As Kypreos says:

"I've never seen a company hire a candidate who's not qualified, regardless of the situation. That is a very short-sighted approach to what can become a long-term success issue for both the company and the candidate."

Actionable Takeaways

• Research the exact tech stack before applying — startups need people who can contribute immediately, not learn on the job
• Tell your story explicitly in cover letters or LinkedIn summaries — explain why you're applying to this specific company and role, not just what you can do.
• Address career gaps directly on your resume with brief explanations (layoff, acquisition, company closure) rather than leaving recruiters to guess
• Tailor your experience highlights to match each role — emphasize different projects, skills, or accomplishments based on what the job requires
• Ask recruiters specific questions about interview format and expectations during initial calls — they should be able to guide your preparation

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