Insitu Interview Questions
& Process

The interview was pretty straightforward. They really wanted to know if I could do the job and apply S1000D principles, which a senior writer should be able to do independently. I had to pass on this solid opportunity though. The area just isn't great for my career or personal life. Cost of living is insane, way higher than I've ever seen, and the pay they offered doesn't even come close to covering it, especially with Oregon taxes. I'd be losing about 20% of my net income compared to my current job in Florida. Plus, housing is way more expensive - $3k/month for a place I pay $1.1k for now. It would have been career suicide to take it. I spent a week there checking out housing, and they'd need to offer like 60% more to even get me to think about moving my family. Honestly, the interview itself was super basic. They asked a bunch of general experience questions, nothing specific about my resume. It felt like they really needed someone fast and were just asking easy questions. At the end, they asked about the local area, how I liked the office, and the company culture.

The interview process was supposed to include pay rates, but it did not. I didn't see them until after I was hired and what I was offered was nowhere near what was listed. Insitu has a record for underpaying their employees and is horrible at keeping records. They even mistakenly paid me another employee's wages once. I do not trust their accounting, as this is what led to my resignation due to their lack of accuracy of financial time and labor records and what was shown to DCMA & DoD Inspectors. I could not stay there in good conscience and now they are withholding pay I am entitled to receive.

The interview process was pretty standard. First, I got an email for a phone interview with HR. They talked about the job, the location (which is super important for working there), some benefits, and asked behavioral and experience questions. After that, HR said they wanted to schedule a second phone interview. The second interview was with two direct managers. They were nice and asked good questions, mostly standard stuff but with some specifics for the job like CPSR, FAR, contracting, and negotiations. They asked questions one after the other, and we had conversations. Then, about two weeks later, they invited me for an on-site interview in Portland with a stay in Hood River (it was amazing!). The third interview was pretty long, starting with a panel of leads/peers (ended up being 2 people instead of 3-4). They knew the industry, job, and company future really well. The questions were experience-based, like 'Describe a time...', similar to the phone interview but more like a chat among peers. After the peer interview, the two managers from the phone interview and an HR person did the final interview. This was a good time to talk about concerns, the job realities, and our experiences and opportunities. The managers were professional but kind, like an uncle coaching you. They asked direct questions and talked a lot about the company's future, how the job has evolved, and potential challenges. The questions were typical, but they were great at getting information through conversation, not just 'Tell me about a time' or 'Please describe' questions. Be ready to ask good questions. The team is open, knowledgeable, and really understands the community, living, company, industry, job, and requirements.

The process started with a phone screen with the IT Director, which was pretty chill. They mentioned having two contract roles open, one for Network Engineer and another for Systems Admin, and that my experience made me a candidate for both. Later, I had an onsite interview with the IT Director, Senior Systems Admin, and Senior Network Engineer. A lot of the onsite wasn't super technical; it mostly focused on whether I'd be happy living and working in Hood River, OR, a smaller, remote city. They also talked a lot about the company and their projects. I was asked more than once which area I preferred, networking or systems. I said something like, 'Whatever you need first, I'm fine with either based on what I've heard.' This seemed to go over well, and the Sr. Sys Admin only asked one question. However, the Network Engineer, who asked most of the questions, gave me a strange vibe. He got hung up on some big-name companies I'd worked for. Many questions felt like they were just prompts for me to brag about their infrastructure and the consultants who built it.