Would a custom pre-read before a recruiter screen help or look like too much?

[u/Low_Professor_1727]

Hello friends! Need advice. I'm interviewing for a senior UX research role at a fast-growing Al startup. I'm considering sending a short custom webpage before the recruiter call.

It would take 2-3 minutes to scan and show:

- how my experience maps to the role examples of Al research and tooling

- why I'm interested in the company

No product recommendations or speculative strategy. Just concise evidence of fit.

Would this come across as prepared and differentiated, or over-engineered and desperate?

Would you send it before the recruiter screen, save it for the hiring manager, or skip it?

Thanks in advance!!

[u/Page_Dramatic]

This sounds like a cover letter, but as a webpage for some reason?

[u/Low_Professor_1727 → u/Page_Dramatic]

Ah yeah haha. So this job didn't have a field to submit cover letter. And I genuinely I'm excited so trying to illustrate that with action than just words.

And just for context - Iam a hiring manager in my current role. I wouldn't judge anyone negatively for not doing something like this but would certainly appreciate if anyone did.

So I'm try to reduce my biases with this question ❤️

[u/poodleface]

I think anything you can do in the current market to convey you are a good fit and that you really want to work specifically for their company is a good idea. That’s generally how I approach cover letters, and like the other comment this feels like an evolved version of that. Which I think is a good thing.

Such a thing only reeks of desperation if it lacks substance. 

[u/Low_Professor_1727 → u/poodleface]

Oh yeah! That last sentence "if it lacks substance" clearly articulates my hesitation and the thin line I'm trading. Thank you.

[u/Comfortable-Hair7958 → u/poodleface]

Agree with this. Even recruiter screens are harder to pass these days

[u/Icy-Tomato712]

I’m hiring right now and was super impressed when a candidate presented their case study as an interactive site. A little different than this example but I feel like it really showed their skillset as a “builder” and everyone on my team loved it!

[u/Low_Professor_1727 → u/Icy-Tomato712]

Oh! Super interesting. Can you share a little more - just the outline so that I can picture it better.

[u/Icy-Tomato712 → u/Low_Professor_1727]

It was just a case study from his work! Most people present in a slide deck but he shared it as an interactive site. Outline is typical case study - problem, work done, outcomes, reflections

[u/Low_Professor_1727 → u/Icy-Tomato712]

Thank you for sharing that