ITHAKA Interview Questions
& Process

The interview was pretty standard with some questions about the job and my experience. However, one question about how I felt undervalued on campus due to a cultural reason immediately disqualified me. This was odd because the role is for Ithaka S+R, which researches cultural communities and academic institutions. Asking about negative experiences seemed to go against their mission of inclusion, as it could disqualify people who haven't faced such issues, even though they could still contribute to research and help colleges. The interview was going well until that strange question, and I wasn't considered further.

The interview process involved an initial phone screen, followed by a meeting with the hiring manager. Then, there was a technical challenge interview that included pair programming on a new feature, and a cultural interview. The process concluded with a final interview with a hiring manager. While not bad, the process felt a bit drawn out. It seemed like a few of us made it to the final round. I received a generic rejection email after a week and a half, only to see the same job posted a week later. It would be helpful to understand the reasons for the rejection of final-round candidates, though I don't expect to find out.

I got an email to set up a 30 min Webex call for the next week. The interviewer was late and the questions felt really generic. I thought my experience was a good fit for the role, but apparently not. I asked about the timeline at the end and was told I'd hear back the next week. I didn't, so I followed up with the recruiter the week after. That same night, I got a generic rejection email saying they moved forward with other candidates. Then, an hour later, the recruiter emailed again saying she'd follow up with the hiring manager the next morning. I was confused and asked for clarification since I just got rejected. She confirmed I was rejected. It's confusing why she'd say she'd follow up with the HM if I was already rejected. I asked for feedback but never heard back. It was a disappointing experience as I was really excited about this role.

The interview process was a half-day event that included a 15-minute presentation. I had one-on-one interviews with three individuals: someone at the same level as the role, my potential manager, and the team director. They were very upfront about the job and their expectations, which I appreciated as it avoided the usual interview games. Despite not getting the job, I found the experience valuable, though it involved a significant amount of unpaid work with 3 phone calls, an at-home assignment, and the half-day interview.