PowerAdvocate Interview Questions
& Process

I applied for a software engineering role in early June. About two weeks later, I got a notification to complete an online quiz or a take-home assignment within a week. Even though I'd read reviews about them ghosting candidates after this stage, I decided to proceed. I ended up doing both the coding quiz (around 1.5 hours) and the take-home assessment (about 12 hours). I submitted them and got a confirmation that they were received. It's been about six weeks since then and I haven't heard back. Last week, I noticed the job was reposted as a new listing. So, good luck to anyone else applying.

It was an online interview with two rounds. The first round had two junior associates who asked pretty standard questions and a presentation slide deck where I had to roleplay as if I were clients. The second round consisted of multiple 1-hour interviews with more senior partners. They also asked routine questions and I had to give a 30-minute presentation/pitch for a new business idea, with only 48 hours to prepare.

I found the job posting online, did some research on the company, and then reached out to a second-degree connection on LinkedIn who provided some insights. After applying, I didn't hear back for about three months before being invited for an interview. On the day of the interview, I coincidentally met the CEO upon arrival. It's a smaller company with a friendly atmosphere, modern offices with an open layout and exposed brick. The interview took place in an available office. I met with four people consecutively: a recent hire and an experienced individual at a similar level to the role I applied for, then my potential manager, and finally the consulting unit manager. Everyone was approachable and professional. The questions were reasonable and not overly difficult, and I had good conversations with some of them. Although I didn't get the job, they were kind enough to inform me of their decision within a week. I suspect my concerns about the significant travel (80%), the demanding hours (the new hire mentioned averaging over 50 billable hours weekly), and the below-average pay (as reported on Glassdoor) might have influenced my own hesitations and potentially my performance. The workplace and colleagues seemed great, and the work itself was interesting. If I were younger or less concerned about those factors, I would have pursued it more assertively. I was also disappointed.

It was a three-stage interview process. I spoke with a current HR Assistant, the HR Manager, and the VP of HR. It was pretty casual, and the interviews were held in a conference or meeting room whenever people were available. Any extra stuff like background checks would only happen after I accepted the offer.