IACP Interview Questions
& Process

I went in for an in-person interview. I was there for about an hour being interviewed. After that, they totally ghosted me. I tried following up about the job, but still nothing.

The interview process felt stiff and all over the place. When I asked about the project I'd be managing, they didn't give me much info and said I'd find out more once I started. It felt like a classic bait and switch situation.

Had 3 rounds of in-person interviews with 6 people total. First round was about an hour with 2 interviewers asking about event management and problem-solving, they mentioned other candidates but word on the street was that wasn't true. They called the next day to set up round 2, which was fast. Round 2 had the same 2 interviewers plus the hiring manager, covering similar ground but with some personality questions too. A colleague jumped in midway and asked cool questions, seemed like a great person to work with. Then 2 direct reports popped in briefly and made a good impression. The big question after round 2 was why they didn't promote from within, since two direct reports had been doing the work for 10 and 25 years respectively. This seemed to match Glassdoor reviews. They again mentioned other candidates but sources confirmed that wasn't true. The process ended with a verbal offer over the phone, just a salary figure, no formal letter. Follow-up email covered typical offer details like health insurance, 401k, cell reimbursement. They asked for a decision by Monday EOD and I said yes Monday morning, expressing excitement and readiness for whatever came next (background check, references, drug test, etc.). I asked for a modest $5k salary bump, which seemed necessary based on Glassdoor about underpaying. An hour later, I got a template email saying they were 'moving in a different direction' with no explanation or conversation, just good luck. Emails to HR and the hiring manager got no response, and the job was reposted, confirming there were never other candidates.

I interviewed with two different teams at IACP for Project Coordinator roles since there were openings on each. It was a typical interview focused on my past experience and how my previous job duties lined up with the role I was applying for. The salary was much lower than my current one, which I knew before going in, but I really wanted to join this organization. A strange question they asked was if I could 'handle' the pay difference.