PETA Executive Assistant Interview Questions
& Process

About 2 weeks after I applied, they got in touch and laid out their thorough interview process, asking if I wanted to keep going. I said sure, and then I had to do 3 projects. They took a lot of time, but one of them was cool because it let me be creative. Once I submitted those, I had a phone interview. The person I talked to was nice, but she thought I might be too qualified for the role. I found out roughly 2 weeks later that I didn't get the job because she felt I was overqualified.

The salary was shockingly low, below a living wage. The hiring process was also strange. The initial phone interview felt rushed with very few questions, not even basic ones like 'tell me about yourself,' so I couldn't really sell my skills. The next part was a 'working interview,' which was more like a test than usual. I had to do several writing-heavy tasks in a Google Doc with a time limit. Some sections included questions like 'why do you want to work here' and 'why should we hire you.' It felt like they prioritized quantity over quality because of the time constraints and the sheer amount of repetitive tasks.

The hiring process lasted approximately three weeks. It started with an email invitation to complete some assignments, which were very time-consuming, taking over 30 hours. Following the completion of these assignments, I was invited for a two-day unpaid "working interview." I was employed at the time and my then-current employer found it confusing for an interview to last two days, especially since my assignments had already been reviewed without any feedback. Nevertheless, I attended the working interview and was given more tasks, although I was told it was just to gauge my fit with the environment. Three interviewers asked me the same questions repeatedly. After not receiving any communication, I emailed PETA to inquire about the status and was informed that my "background and experience" did not align with their needs. This was confusing as I assumed my resume had been reviewed beforehand, given the extensive assignments. I requested clarification for my records but received no response. Research indicated that others had similar experiences with "free labor." The organization needs to be more ethically business-minded; people have lives and financial responsibilities. If unpaid labor is desired, interns should be hired, as there was much discussion about free labor. I am disappointed with this experience and the lack of communication.