National Renewable Energy Lab Project Manager Interview Questions
& Process

I was disappointed in the interview process with NREL. I applied in mid-October and had my first interview with a recruiter via Zoom in mid-November. It was supposed to be 15 minutes but lasted 45 minutes, and the recruiter didn't turn on their camera. In early December, I had a second interview with the project director and two team members via Teams. I was asked to prepare a 25-minute presentation on my relevant past experiences and anticipate 30 minutes of questions. The day before, the recruiter asked me to submit my references within 24 hours. The team seemed unsure about the process; I was told to join 15 minutes early for tech checks, but no one showed up. The director seemed distracted and didn't ask many good questions. I was told to expect feedback within two weeks. After two weeks of no response to my follow-up emails, I finally got a call and email in late February saying the position was offered to someone else who had already started. The communication after the second interview was very poor.

I applied online and got an email from an HR recruiter to set up a phone interview. During the phone interview, it became really clear they were looking for someone totally different than what was in the job description, not at all like the outreach and communication stuff mentioned. Honestly, I was shocked by how hostile the recruiter was. She made me feel like I had totally wasted her time by applying for the job, even though she supposedly looked at my resume before scheduling the call.

It was a virtual second round with 4 people. They sent me a basic prompt to make a PowerPoint presentation. When I presented, it was clear they were expecting a different prompt to be presented. Also, when I talked about my education, it seemed like they dismissed the idea of me having a relevant skill because my certifications weren't from a top-tier university. I even felt like the whole thing was a charity case and a waste of my time.