Telephone Interview Face-to-Face Interview Qualifying Questions Evaluation Selection Your preliminary interview with a recruiter will likely be via telephone. After you submit your application or resume, a recruiter prescreens you and other applicants to identify those with the requisite qualifications. Often, recruiters give you advance notice, so you'll have time to prepare for the interview, which should last approximately 20 minutes. During the scheduling call, the recruiter might ask if you're still interested in the job to ensure he makes best use of his time in this stage of the process.