Bulletin Intelligence Interview Questions
& Process

I applied on their website and got an email in about a week for a phone interview. The HR person was really nice and made it easy. She said the job was basically reading articles, finding themes, drafting them in their format, and sending to a boss. It didn't sound like an analyst job at all, especially not for someone with a doctorate. And, it's ONLY nightshift: 10pm to 6am. She did mention they're flexible with the hours (like 11am-7pm) and maybe later remote options. Then she moved me to the next step: testing. A few days later, I got links for short online tests (psych and cognitive) and then a timed writing test to email back. Everything had to be done at once, which I'd pre-arranged with HR. The writing test involved reading news stories on the same topic, pulling out info, and then drafting a document like a sample they sent. It was super dry and boring--definitely not an analyst role, more like an editor. Then I waited over 5 weeks for the written test to be graded, and heard nothing. Another 2-3 weeks passed (so 8 weeks total from applying), and I got a generic email saying they weren't moving forward, with no reason why my testing/writings weren't on track or what went wrong. No feedback at all.

I found the posting online and applied a couple of days after it was posted. It disappeared shortly after. The original posting mentioned the job could be done remotely with good internet, but the official website posting didn't have this info. I felt like I was just a "quota" or "token" interviewee squeezed in before year-end. The process was supposed to be a phone screening, then testing (personality, cognitive, and writing), and then the actual interview. The phone screener wasn't from the analyst department and couldn't answer my questions, seeming annoyed. I did learn that training would be two weeks onsite in Reston, then remote. They prefer analysts to attend quarterly meetings in person, though the job is remote. I got an email the same day to schedule testing, which surprised me given the screening. The personality and cognitive tests are by Wonderlic. The cognitive test is timed (30 questions in 8 minutes), as is the writing test. They sent a sample Bulletin summary to use as a guide for the writing test, and sample reports are available online. The task isn't really analysis or a summary, more like quoting interesting sections from articles because users can click links to read them. The format involves quotes like "The AP reports X." You're given several articles on one topic for the writing test and have 45 minutes. The articles are long, so reading takes up a lot of time, leaving about 20-25 minutes for the summary. My strategy was to pick the best article for base info and use others for missing important details. It's easy to lose time switching between articles to find quotes. I'd recommend highlighting sections in Word or Adobe Acrobat while reading to save time. I didn't highlight but did okay, though I should have tried harder if I really wanted the job. Two days later, I got an email saying they weren't moving forward due to my background and writing sample. No "real" interview happened. It's frustrating to waste time when you weren't really considered. I think they should interview first, then test if both parties want to proceed. I've applied to a larger company with better benefits and a remote option, and they are seriously considering me.

Applied online and got an email about setting up a phone interview about 2 days later. First was a phone screen for 30min. Then an assessment test at the office and an in-person interview with HR for 1 hour. The next step was a 2nd interview with an executive for 1 hour. After that, there's a background check and references (forms to fill out if you pass the 2nd interview). Finally, a job offer. You have to take an assessment test when you first arrive. It's 50 questions and you have 12 minutes. I think I may have answered about 18 questions. They keep all the results secret. HR asks standard questions like '5 words to describe yourself,' 'Strengths & Weaknesses,' 'How would you handle a situation' (with examples), and 'how other people would describe you and your work ethic.' They don't ask much about previous jobs or projects. Overall, it was a bland interview with no hard questions and little enthusiasm from the interviewers. I got negative vibes from my 2nd interview. The interviewer mentioned the CEO and started talking about how they don't offer 401(k) matching, saying employees are already paid to do a job and the company shouldn't interfere with their finances. RED FLAGS started popping up everywhere! I realized I couldn't see myself working there, especially since employees save for retirement and the company doesn't seem to support their workers. I knew I would decline even if I passed the background checks.

The interview process was a bit unusual. The interviewer seemed really focused on getting assurances that I wouldn't use my potential connection with Bulletin for social media promotion if I got the job. It felt like a lot of time was spent on this, especially since we hadn't really gotten into specifics about discretion yet, and it seemed like they might not have even reviewed my resume properly, which was kind of awkward.