Cornell University Interview Questions
& Process

I interviewed with the head of career services at Cornell Tech and was ghosted. It's been two months since my interview in October with no updates. They didn’t ask about my recruiting experience or the internship programs I’ve managed, like successes or responsibilities. The interview focused on why I was interested in the role and what I hoped to find in my next job. When I asked about their management style and examples of supporting team growth or advocating for someone, they interrupted and asked why I was asking those questions. They claimed people who ask those questions have had negative experiences with management, even though they didn't ask about my past experiences. I thought those questions were relevant for understanding a potential working relationship with a manager. For a career services role, they shouldn't discourage curiosity, especially with students starting their careers. I realized I wouldn't fit in a culture that shuts down questions, so I was glad the interview was over.

Had a zoom chat with the PI. Then, about two weeks after, I was invited for an on campus interview that lasted a whole day. It started with a 1-hour seminar, and then I had several 1:1 meetings with lab members. In the afternoon, I was asked to give a 30-minute talk about my research proposal. After the interviews, I was sent an offer.

It was a three-part interview that went on for a month, with each interview being an hour long. The process felt smooth, and I got the impression they were keen to hire someone quickly. Because the role was really interesting, I was super flexible with scheduling, often getting interview requests with just a day's notice. The interviewers seemed nice, and I felt optimistic. But after these detailed interviews, I was ghosted following the last stage. I only got a response after chasing them up three weeks later (I was ignored on the first three follow-ups, and finally heard back after I reached out to another person who had been part of the interview panel). I get that companies need to pick the best candidate for them, but I do think keeping applicants informed after a multi-stage interview process is just basic courtesy.

It took a while to get through the interview process, about 6 weeks before I heard back. First, I had a Zoom interview with the DOA and ADOA. They asked standard questions for someone with admissions experience and were really enthusiastic about the programs and the role. The next step was a Zoom call with the VP and the person who would be training me. They sent over an outline beforehand, and I did a practice call with them for a program I chose. That was also a great experience; you can tell the people working there really like their jobs.