Halfaker and Associates Interview Questions
& Process

I was contacted by recruiters who were very keen on hiring me, even telling me they loved me. I'm a disabled military veteran with two Master's degrees and over 11 years of experience. I was even given a start date and a benefits package. The interview itself was a 45-minute phone call with the team I'd be joining. They asked about my background and seemed interested. The recruiter reiterated their strong interest, mentioning they could expedite the usual two-week hiring process to give me an answer within 5 days. On the fifth day, I received a rejection email despite being told I'd get one by the end of the day. Shocked, I called the recruiter, having turned down two other offers for this role. He explained they liked me but preferred another candidate, and that I wasn't chosen for either of the two open positions I was considered for. He promised to look for other opportunities for me, but I haven't heard back, leaving me very disappointed and feeling like it was a cruel joke.

So, the interview process is pretty standard. First, you'll chat with a recruiter, then with the Senior Program Manager you'd be reporting to. They'll want to go over your experience, education, certifications, and accomplishments. They'll also want to check your experience and knowledge related to the job. Then, they'll throw in a few unexpected questions just to see how you think and reason. It's about 30 minutes, no biggie, but make sure you: - Do your homework on the company: founder, values, services, etc. (seriously, if you don't know anything about the company and you're going for a PM role or higher, you're not getting the job). - Research the contract/client agency and, if you can, the specific project. - Brush up on ALL the skills listed in the job description. Don't say you don't know what something is; if it's on there, study it so you can at least talk about it intelligently.

Started with a recruiter call, she was nice and knew her stuff. Then had a phone interview with 5 associates. They asked some tough questions but also cracked jokes, which was nice. The call was about 35-40 minutes and flew by. After, the recruiter called to check in and said they wanted an in-person interview. Met some employees two days later for what felt like a good panel interview. The BA and Scrum Master asked more hard questions, but I think it went well. My advice: do your homework on ceremonies and how you run them, and if they give you project info, learn it.

I had a phone screening and then an in-person interview that lasted about an hour. It was a pretty straightforward interview and I enjoyed talking with them. They offered me the job right after the in-person. The offer letter took a few extra days because of salary negotiations, which I thought was a bit confusing. But overall, I was happy with how things went and my recruiter was great at keeping me updated.