Aspen Institute Coordinator interviews, decoded.

I applied online and heard back about two weeks later. Had a quick 15-minute call with the Hiring Manager. We talked about my project management background, why I'm interested in mission-driven organizations, my experience with project management tools, and working with diverse teams. I got a rejection email the week after.

I got to the second round with the program associate and program director. They weren't great interviewers, honestly. There were these awkward long silences where they'd just stare and say "hmm what should I ask next?" And every question I asked at the end, one of them would just say "I don't really know how to answer that." It was pretty obvious they had already made up their mind about not hiring me and didn't want to waste their time talking to me. They asked questions that seemed random and didn't make much sense.

The interview process was very clear and organized. I was contacted by someone in the office, and the interview was with the director. She was wonderful, very professional, and clear about what she wanted.