American Institutes for Research Project Manager interviews, decoded.

I met with four senior level folks. We talked about my project management skills. They wanted to know about my technical skills. They asked about my education background and my past experiences. They asked if I worked on multiple projects simultaneously and if I had experience with people outside of engineering.

I applied online and heard back from a recruiter within two weeks. They called me for a quick 15-minute phone chat. It went pretty well; the recruiter was nice and professional. Then, the recruiter set me up for a 30-minute phone interview with the hiring managers, who are researchers, the very next day. Honestly, it was kind of a letdown. There was some awkward quietness, and the whole conversation felt pretty bland and uninspiring. As they talked more about the job, I started losing interest in the role and the potential colleagues.

The interview process was quite straightforward. I had 5 interviews in total, and they were all pretty casual. I got an offer within a few days after my interviews, so the whole thing was pretty quick.