Palomar Community College Interview Questions
& Process

So, the interview had a very rigid structure. I was given 15 minutes in a room to prep for 10 questions that were pre-selected. Then, I went into a room with about 10 faculty members, and they went through the questions one by one. They didn't ask any follow-up questions. A part of those 10 questions was a 15-minute teaching demo, and I couldn't use any technology for it. I could use the whiteboard and give them a one-page handout. It was a positive experience overall, and everyone was really nice. I didn't make it to the second round. I wish the interview structure wasn't so rigid, like it would have been nice if the committee members had asked follow-up questions, but I guess HR might not have allowed that.

Submitted my application online back in April but didn't hear back from recruitment until late September. My interview was scheduled for three weeks later. I went in for the first interview and there were six people on the committee interviewing me. They gave me a skills assessment and then 10 minutes to get ready to answer about 16 questions. I was told I'd find out that same afternoon if I made it to the second round. I got a call the following Monday for the final round interview and was asked to come in the very next day because they said they only had that one specific time to meet with me. I had the second interview, this time with just three committee members. Again, I was told I'd hear back within 24 hours, but it actually took two weeks to get the final decision. I had to chase down HR via calls and emails, and they only replied to one of my emails.

I applied online and got a call from HR to schedule an in-person interview with the hiring committee. The process was really well-organized. HR sent me a detailed schedule which included a 15-minute test, 10 minutes to go over the questions, and 30 minutes for the actual interview. But even though it was organized, it felt super rushed. I checked in, then was quickly taken to another building and given the test before I could even relax. After the test and reviewing the questions, I was taken to another area to meet the hiring committee. When I walked in, they all looked bored and didn't greet me. I had to be the one to say hi and introduce myself, which was really weird. The interview itself was okay; they had the questions on the table, but each person read them aloud. They mentioned at the start that we only had 30 minutes, so I had to keep my answers short. This made it hard to fully explain my skills because I was worried about running out of time. I get they had other interviews scheduled, but their unfriendly vibe and the rushed feeling didn't make it a good experience.

I was told the interview was rigorous, so I spent hours prepping personal docs and a presentation (PowerPoint & leaflet). The process involved a written part on MS Word, 5 mins to prep for questions, a 30 min interview, and a final presentation. It would have been fine, but the interviewers were stale and disengaged, like they already picked someone. Such a waste of time!