What Every Latina in Tech Should Know Before Talking to a Recruiter
Too many Latinas in tech play it safe in recruiter calls when they should be leading the conversation.
Maybe you were raised to stay humble. Maybe you’ve been passed over so many times, you learned to keep your wins quiet. But when that first recruiter calls? That’s when the money talk starts, way before any official offer shows up.
Recruiters decide how much a company should pay you before you even meet the hiring manager. If you sound unsure, they’ll put you in the lower salary range. If you come in confident, they’ll push to get you the best package.
You’re not here to sound grateful, you’re here to sound like the best investment they’ll make this year.
Here’s what you need to know before talking to a recruiter:
Recruiters Set Your Salary Before You Even See an Offer
Let’s get one thing straight: Recruiters don’t just schedule interviews. They decide if you’re worth top dollar.
The second you play small, they mark you as a mid-level candidate and put you in a lower salary bracket. The second you own your skills, they go back to the hiring manager and push to get you the pay you actually deserve.
So stop treating recruiter calls like a casual chat. This is your first salary negotiation—before numbers even hit the table.
Ready to set the bar high? Work with Dr. Vee, salary negotiation coach for Latinas in tech.
Don’t Assume The Recruiter Won’t Understand Your Technical Work
Latinas in tech often play it safe in recruiter calls by thinking that talking about their expertise will make them sound arrogant. Meanwhile, their peers are out here hyping up basic skills like they invented coding.
Recruiters understand technical roles more than you think. If you keep things surface-level, they won’t have enough to advocate for you.
Instead of saying:
"I worked on backend development."
Say:
“I led the backend development for a microservices architecture migration, focusing on improving API response times and integrating CI/CD pipelines for automated deployments.”
See the difference? One says “I’m junior, maybe I contributed.” The other says, “I’m the expert.”
Ask For Clarity On What Level Of Detail They Want Before You Answer
Now here’s where you can take control of the conversation. Instead of guessing how deep you should go, just ask.
Try:
“Before I dive in, would you like me to focus on high-level strategy, or would it be helpful to get into the technical details of how I built this?”
Or:
“Happy to walk you through a detailed example, but let me know if you prefer a broad overview first.”
This does two things:
Shows you’re thoughtful and aware of time.
Puts you in the driver’s seat and now they’re guiding you, and you’re not over-explaining or under-selling.
Too often, I’ve seen women wait for permission to share their brilliance. Instead, lead the conversation by checking in on their needs and then confidently deliver.
You’re Interviewing Them Too
Recruiter calls aren’t just about them evaluating you.
You should be evaluating them too.
Do you even want to work there? Or are they offering another “great opportunity” that somehow pays below market and expects you to be a one-woman engineering team?
It’s importnat for you to ask questions back:
"How does this role interact with other teams?"
"What kind of technical challenges is the team focused on solving right now?"
"What are some qualities of candidates who’ve succeeded in this role?"
And if you’re worried about being too direct, don’t be. Confidence is part of negotiating from a place of power. You don’t need to apologize for wanting to know if a role is right for you.
If you’ve been holding back because you don’t want to sound "too much" this is your reminder that you could never be too much. You are enough.
FAQs: Before Talking to a Recruiter
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Walk in like you belong at the top of the salary range. Research the company, know the role, and be ready to talk about your impact, not just your tasks. Have your salary expectations locked in before the call no more “whatever you think is fair” responses.
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Never give a number first. Flip it back on them:
“What’s the range for this role?”
“What’s the typical pay band for this level?”
If they push, give a firm number based on market research—not vibes. Always aim higher than your bottom line—because they will lowball you if they can.
You’re Not Just a Candidate, You’re THE Candidate
If you’ve been downplaying your skills because you don’t want to sound “too much,” let this be your wake-up call:
You are not too much.
You are not overstepping.
You are exactly what they need.
Walk into that recruiter call like you belong in the highest salary bracket. And if you’re not sure how to do that yet? That’s what coaching is for.
Negotiation starts before the interview. Get the salary strategy built for Latinas in tech.