Phone screen (15 to 30 minutes) with a recruiter (a hiring specialist). They check your basic fit, work permission and salary range.
Interviews with the manager and team, often on video. There may be a skills test.
Offer, then a background check, sometimes a drug test, then your start date.
US interviewers love questions like "Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a coworker." Answer with STAR:
Situation: where and when.
Task: what you had to do.
Action: what you did. Say "I", not only "we".
Result: what happened, with a number if you can.
Prepare five stories before the interview: a success, a mistake, a conflict, leading others, and a hard deadline. Practice them out loud in 1 to 2 minutes each.
"Tell me about yourself." A 1-minute summary of your work, not your family.
"Why this company?" Read their website first.
"Do you have questions for us?" Always say yes. Ask: "What does success look like in the first 90 days?"
Look up the normal pay for the role in your city. Many job ads list a pay range; some states require it.
If asked "What are you looking for?", give a range: "Based on my research, between $70,000 and $80,000."
After an offer, it is normal to ask politely for more: "Thank you, I am excited. Is there flexibility on the base salary?"
Some states ban questions about your salary history. This differs by state; see In your state below.
Questions they should not ask
Employers should not base decisions on your age, religion, national origin, pregnancy or disability. If asked "Where are you really from?" or "Are you planning children?", you can say: "I'd like to focus on my experience for this role."
Background checks and drug tests
A company that uses a background screening company must get your written permission first.
If they reject you because of the report, they must give you a copy and a chance to correct mistakes. Foreign records and name spellings cause errors; check them.
Many employers do drug tests. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, even where a state allows it, and many employers test for it.
Send a short thank-you email within 24 hours to each person. Americans expect it.
Being too modest. In the US, you are expected to explain your achievements clearly.
Giving a salary number in your home currency or a monthly number. Say a yearly US amount.