NYC Department of Small Business Services Interview Questions
& Process

I had two panel interviews with SBS executives. Then I had to do a budget exercise based on a prompt they gave me within an hour and then present it to the person I would report to.

I wanted to love SBS, I really did, but the interview process was just so awful that I'd be surprised if anyone good ever made it through. It was 4 rounds over two months, plus about 10 hours of writing exercises. They gave me a verbal offer and then... nothing. For months. I tried emailing and calling multiple times but got no response. Super unprofessional and slow, even for government work.

The whole interview thing took about three months. It started with a phone screen with the hiring manager, who was awesome. She gave me an assignment to complete. After that, I had a first-round interview with a panel, which also went pretty well. The final interview was another panel interview, and that one went great too. Honestly, everyone I interacted with throughout the process was fantastic. About a week after the final interview, an HR person called with a conditional offer. The catch was they offered me the lowest possible salary and a job title that was a step down from what I applied for. This was a real bummer because I was really keen on the job, but accepting it with that title would have seriously stalled my career progression. I have more experience than what's typically required for a Program Manager, yet they lowballed me on the offer.

It took the city six months from interview to start date. There are always hiring freezes and they end up losing out on good candidates. Most of the folks in upper management are there because they know someone who is a decision maker and has power of the pen.