George Mason University Interview Questions
& Process

So the RA selection at GMU is pretty involved, like a marathon. You gotta start with this big application and get references. If they like that, you get invited to this interview day, which has two parts. First, there's an individual interview, like 20-30 minutes with some Resident Directors and current RAs. They ask you standard behavioral questions, you know, using the STAR method, and they're really focused on stuff like community, diversity, and dealing with conflicts. Then, there's this group thing that lasts about 2 hours. It's kind of a 'fishbowl' where they watch you and other candidates solve puzzles or plan events, and they're taking notes on how you interact socially.

The interview process was pretty organized and timely, all good until after the final interview. I had an initial interview, then was asked to do an in-person interview with the admissions team. After that, they said it was the final stage and asked me to do an assignment, which I did quickly. Weirdly, a job posting almost exactly the same was posted the next day (and the original job was still listed on their Careers site too). I emailed the person who interviewed me to ask if it was a different role or if the original job had been changed enough to need a new posting. She never wrote back. Since then, no contact, and on the application website, it says I'm no longer being considered. I'm not too surprised they ghosted me about the job I interviewed for, it's annoying but not that uncommon. What I am frustrated about is that they never answered my question about the other job. I don't know if I should even apply for that one.

I applied online and the position was put on hold for a bit because of budget and the holidays. A few months later, I heard back and had a phone interview. Then, I had two Zoom interviews: one-on-one and a panel. The last interview was in person and included a department tour. HR never told me the salary range, and the job description just said it was based on experience. The offer I got was not based on experience and was way below market. I declined and think they should list pay bands upfront.

I went through two rounds of interviews and the whole experience was great! The interviewers were super nice and helpful, which made me feel relaxed during the whole process. Their questions were really good and showed they knew the role and the university well. I really liked the interesting talks and getting to show off what I can do. All in all, it was a good and useful experience!