The Hidden Truth About Interview Prep: What Most Recruiters Won't Tell You About Self-Advocacy

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.

Jenna Pilja has seen both sides of the hiring equation. After 14 years placing talent at companies like Google, LinkedIn, and Cisco, she found herself on the other side of the table as a job seeker. That dual perspective gave her an uncomfortable realization: candidates are playing by rules that favor everyone except them.

"Most of my roles, I've always made it a priority to make interview prep guides for roles that I'm hiring for," Pilja explained during a recent Wellfound Ask a Recruiter session. "But having an interview prep guide is not always common."

The gap between what good recruiters provide and what most candidates receive is vast. And according to Pilja, it's time job seekers stopped accepting whatever scraps of information companies throw their way.

🎥 Watch the full session on YouTube

TL;DR:

Veteran recruiter Jenna Pilja reveals why candidates should stop waiting for companies to level the playing field and start demanding transparency from the first screening call. Her advice: ask directly for interview prep guides, reasonable accommodations, and honest feedback—because most job seekers never even try.

Stop Hoping for Fairness—Start Demanding It

Pilja's approach to self-advocacy isn't about playing nice. It's about recognizing that in today's competitive market—where remote positions can attract over 1,000 applicants—candidates need to extract every advantage they can get.

"When you are selected for an interview, do reach out to the interviewer before your interview to see how you can best be prepared for the call."

She advises asking them to clarify things like what the format of the call will be, and see if they'll also share with you topics that will be covered.

This isn't a polite suggestion. It's strategic intelligence gathering.

The reason most candidates don't do this? They're afraid of seeming high-maintenance. But Pilja's experience suggests the opposite: "You will usually get a response with some helpful information."

The Accommodation Advantage No One Talks About

One area where Pilja pushes candidates to be particularly assertive is around reasonable accommodations. Despite 1 in 3 people living with some form of disability, accommodation requests remain rare.

"People often don't ask for accommodations often enough, because typically there are more people who would benefit from getting one," she notes.

"Since interviewing is designed more for neurotypical brains, it would really be in your benefit to reach out and ask for an accommodation if you need one."

This could mean requesting interview questions in advance, alternative formats, or modified timing. The key insight: you get to decide what accommodation you need.

Why Generic Rejection Messages Exist (And How to Bypass Them)

That frustrating form rejection you received? It's not personal—it's systematic.

"The rejection message and the reason you're getting it lack personalization because it's being sent from an applicant tracking system," Pilja explains. "The recruiter on the other end probably sent it because they wanted to make sure that you got closed out properly."

Her solution cuts through the corporate bureaucracy:

"Exit that email thread that is coming from the no reply alias from the company that rejected you, and contact the recruiter that you were working with directly."

Some companies have policies against sharing feedback (legal liability), but it's worth the ask. The worst case? You're exactly where you started.

The LinkedIn Reality That Trumps Your Resume

Here's a stat that should recalibrate how you think about job searching: Pilja says the majority of her recent interviews as a job seeker came from LinkedIn messages, not applications.

"I would argue that your LinkedIn profile is more important than your resume these days," she says. This means treating your LinkedIn like a living document that reflects not just what you've done, but where you want to go.

One tactical addition that's becoming table stakes: AI tools experience.

"I'd recommend listing these tools on your LinkedIn profile as well as your resume, because this is becoming more and more important as technology evolves."

Salary Negotiation: The Range They Give You Isn't the Real Range

When it comes to compensation discussions, Pilja drops a truth bomb most recruiters keep quiet:

"The range that they're going to share with you is actually usually the low to the midpoint of the full range that they have."

There's usually flexibility above what they initially state. Her advice? Don't give your number first. Instead, say the range "generally works for you," which preserves negotiation room later.

The Culture Questions That Actually Work

Trying to identify toxic workplaces before you join them? Pilja suggests focusing on open-ended questions and paying attention to both content and delivery:

• "How would you describe the company culture here?"
• "What are the company's core values and how do they manifest in daily life?"
• "What's your leadership style like?" (when speaking to your potential manager)
• "What are the expected work hours of this position?"

The key is comparing answers across multiple interviewers and watching for inconsistencies or evasiveness.

"Pay close attention to what their tone is when they're talking, and also kind of make a note of how excited they seem and how genuine they seem as they're answering, because you can go through the motions and say whatever you want to say. But I think those things like tone and your excitement level, it's a little bit harder to fake."

Building Your Personal Marketing Department

When tackling the dreaded "tell me about yourself" question, Pilja recommends thinking like a business:

"Think of yourself in the same way as how you would think about how a business markets itself."

This means developing a personal brand, identifying your core values, and knowing what type of company aligns with your goals. The result? More confident interviews and better company fit.

Gap Management: The "Full-Time Job Seeker" Strategy

For candidates with employment gaps over a year, Pilja suggests a counterintuitive approach: add a position titled "Full-Time Job Seeker" to your resume and LinkedIn.

This serves two purposes:

1. prevents ATS systems from screening you out for being unemployed, and
2. gives you space to highlight activities like volunteering, caregiving, or skill development.

Actionable Takeaways

• Before every interview: Email the interviewer requesting format details, likely topics, and any available prep guides—most will provide helpful information when asked directly.
• Leverage accommodations strategically: If interviewing is challenging for any reason, request specific modifications like questions in advance or alternative formats—you decide what you need.
• Bypass rejection automation: Skip the no-reply emails and contact your recruiter directly for feedback—many will respond with useful insights despite automated processes.
• Remember the hidden salary range: When recruiters share compensation ranges, assume there's 10-30% more flexibility above their stated maximum, especially if you're a strong candidate.

To learn more candidate tips, subscribe and check out 'Ask a Recruiter' on YouTube here.