i'm a recruiter so i can give a bit of a different lens here. i talked to two Scale AI recruiters while helping candidates prep and have run a few similar screens myself.
the Scale AI recruiter phone screen is typically 20-30 minutes and covers a predictable set of things. i'll just tell you what they're looking for.
what they cover: your background, briefly. they've read your resume. they want to hear you tell a coherent story in 2-3 minutes. don't recite your resume line by line. motivations. why are you looking now, and why Scale AI. they're looking for something more specific than 'i'm excited about AI.' Scale is in a particular part of the value chain (data infrastructure and quality for AI training). if you understand that and can connect your background to it, you stand out. scope and impact. they'll ask about your last role in terms of team size, project scale, and what you were responsible for. for senior roles, they want to see you owned something meaningful. comp alignment. they'll ask about expectations early, sometimes in the first screen. have a number ready. looking at levels.fyi for Scale data is a good starting point. being too coy about comp wastes everyone's time. logistics. location (they have SF HQ, remote options vary by team), availability for onsite, work authorization.
common mistakes i see candidates make: being vague about motivations ('i'm curious about the space') not knowing what Scale AI actually does beyond 'AI data company' lowballing themselves because they're scared of the number
recruiter screens are really just fit + process checks. if you've done your homework on the company and can talk clearly about your work, you'll pass.