CAL State San Marcos Interview Questions
& Process

The interview was conducted over Zoom. I received an interview invitation three weeks after applying. It was a panel interview with three interviewers: the supervisor and two colleagues. The interview covered basic questions, team-specific questions, and collaboration. It was very straightforward, simple, and clear.

We'll start with some casual questions, mostly about how you'd teach students to solve problems and walk them through concepts. We want to see your expertise, how you teach, and your past industry experience. Knowing the kinds of questions you might get asked can help you get ready with answers that show off your skills and prove you'd be a great tutor.

The interview was good, but I was unsure about how they would use the data from ERP Systems and databases and the corresponding formulas. It was hard to figure out what they wanted with the report for the position. It would have been easier if they had been more clear about their goals so I could propose solutions. I wasn't sure what their specific interests were.

The interview process was a full day with multiple group sessions. It started okay, but one session felt off with one interviewer against four. It wasn't the best use of time. I had to do a big presentation, about 25-30 minutes, and the questions felt all over the place, making it hard to get into a good flow considering everything they wanted the presentation to cover. I only had 12 minutes for lunch, and I was starving. I prepped with snacks and planned to eat light because lunch was still part of the interview, but I had to grab the food and rush back. What really got to me was the lack of follow-up. I was supposed to hear back within a week. I followed up after about 1.5 weeks, figuring they might be busy. Still no response. Another week went by, and I followed up again, thinking maybe they offered it to someone else. No response. Finally, after 4 weeks, I got an automated email from HR saying they went with another candidate. As a finalist who came for an all-day in-person interview, you'd typically expect a call. The job even reappeared on the job board a few months later, suggesting they might have had a failed search. It really left a bad impression that they wouldn't even take 10 minutes to tell me they found someone or that the search was ongoing. I've had hiring managers call me about failed searches even when I was a finalist, and I've received more personal emails when another candidate was chosen. This lack of communication was completely unprofessional and unexpected. The job was reposted less than a year later, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise and their true colors were shown!