Brandman University Interview Questions
& Process

HR took over a month to reach out for an initial phone call. They asked about my background and my salary expectations. The pay offered was surprisingly low compared to other universities, which I kinda expected given the reputation of Chapman and Brandman for below-average salaries. The following week, I had an in-person interview. HR asked me to prepare a short, 5-minute presentation demonstrating how I'd explain a concept to someone. This was followed by a panel interview with three people who asked some really detailed questions. The final part was in a computer lab where I got a writing task. There was some confusion because the instructions given by the interviewer didn't quite match the prompt itself. Basically, I had to pick a scenario from a list and write an email response. I think this is a pretty standard process for an academic advisor, probably good for someone new looking to get experience. Just a heads-up, advising is done solely by phone and email, so you need to be okay with that. Also, the cubicle setup means it's pretty noisy, which might make it hard to hear students.

I applied online for this Academic Advisor job. The school doesn't list salaries but made me put my salary history on the application. An outsourced recruiter called me. They didn't know the salary range but said I was a good fit. I did the phone interview, and then they invited me to a panel interview a week and a half later. The panel had 3 people in person and the outsourced recruiter on the phone. They gave me a lot of scenarios and asked what I'd do. The interviewers were really nice and friendly, but the next day I got a cold, impersonal email saying I didn't get the job. No details were given. It felt unprofessional and like a waste of time. I later found out my salary expectations were too high for them. They should be upfront about salaries; I suspect they'd have trouble finding good applicants willing to accept their low pay.

So I applied online and then HR reached out for a phone interview, then another phone call, then I had a four person panel interview. I gave a 5 min how-to presentation, answered questions, and did a writing sample responding to an email. I thought it went great and they liked me, but I got rejected the next day. Seems like they need to be more honest.

I had an interview with HR first, which went well and I advanced. Then I interviewed with the EVP (just one person). Next, I spoke with 3 Marketing managers. Finally, I met with the team I would be working with (3 individuals). It felt like they gathered my best insights to select a candidate who already matched their preconceived ideal.