What I look for in second-round interviews

First-round screens test whether you can talk clearly and your experience roughly fits what they need. Second rounds test whether the team wants to work with you.

The biggest thing I see candidates miss is thinking that the second round is just a "harder first round." The questions fundamentally change and the expected answers change.
They want to see how you think on your feet when someone pushes back, not whether you memorized the STAR framework.

The people who advance ask sharp questions about the team, the project backlog, and who they would work with directly. The people who stall give the same polished answers they gave in round one.

Practice by talking, not by reading. Saying your answer out loud five times changes the delivery completely.