Center on Halsted Interview Questions
& Process

My first interview was on Teams with the person in charge of clinical mental health. He asked about my clinical background and theoretical orientation. The second interview (also on Teams) was with three people who worked at COH, including the man from my first interview. They all asked very interesting questions and they somehow made the process feel very comfortable. (I am not sure how, considering being interviewed by 3 people is usually intense. I recall they all had a good sense of humor; that helped!) The third interview was a phone interview with the director of the program. She gave me a very clear understanding of the role and asked me some challenging questions about handling crises and multitasking. Everyone who interviewed me was friendly, welcoming, and easy to talk to-- it was a positive experience!

The interview process was pretty standard, with questions about culinary skills, leadership, and management. I met with the director of the Center on Halsted and an HR rep. I think I was maybe overqualified, given I've got 4 years of management experience from a bigger foodservice job training program and 10 years in the culinary world. I talked about how much I want a career where I can help the community and support LGBTQ+ rights, but I might have messed up when I accidentally mentioned I'm not gay. Also, don't expect a professional call to let you know if you didn't get the job after an interview.

I got an email directly from Mr. M. Valle so initially I was impressed. The interview was set quickly and I was thankfully hired shortly after. I met with the Executive Director and my direct Supervisor - they know each other well, as I would come to find out. The interview was about 30 minutes, a bit more. But I am so well versed in interviewing, this felt like it went quickly.

I had to submit a cover letter, three letters of recommendation, a writing sample, my official transcript, and my resume or CV. There was an open house at the start of January and the application was due by the end of January. I got interviewed in February and got an offer at the end of February.