Mercatus Center Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was long, but seemed necessary for both parties. It started with an interview with an HR rep, then I was asked to complete a project which took me about 5 hours or so. This was to assess my writing skills. Then, I interviewed with the hiring manager. After that, I interviewed with the COO, and then did two back-to-back panel interviews with various employees across the organization.

I got an email on April 26th saying I passed the initial screening. Then I booked a phone screen with HR for May 2nd, which went well. Next was an interview with the hiring manager on May 16th. After that, I was asked to do an editing test and send it back within a week, which I did on May 22nd. On May 31st, the HR person emailed saying the process was taking longer due to the team being busy but that I was still being considered. A week later, on June 6th, I was told they chose other candidates. I'm annoyed I was kept waiting so long.

Got an email about 2 weeks after applying online. Responded and HR emailed back 10 days later to set up an interview, but they used the wrong first name. I was told nothing specific to prepare. The interview happened 7 days later. The HR person was rude from the start, no intro, no thanks, and didn't ask about my background. Then they asked about white papers, and when I explained my professional interests, they cut the interview short, saying I wasn't prepared. I offered to finish or reschedule, but they refused. Unprofessional experience, makes me wonder about the company culture.

I had a brief 30-minute phone chat. I asked about what comes next and was told there are potentially four more interviews if I move on. They emphasized wanting someone who's really serious about working there.