Public Interest Network Interview Questions
& Process

The process involved completing some short answer assignments about your interests and views on specific political topics. Then, you interviewed with a mid-level employee, and subsequently with a senior-level employee. The first interview went really well and covered everything, but during the second interview, it felt like the interviewer wasn't engaged, hadn't prepared, and was trying to ask tricky questions with no real answers.

This was a 3-interview process lasting over 5 hours, and unfortunately, it ended with a boilerplate rejection email and no offer. It seems like they're really looking for someone willing to sacrifice everything for the job. I did my homework and checked Glassdoor, which showed a 3/5 rating, so I specifically asked about work/life balance and pay. The interviewers for the 2nd and 3rd rounds explicitly stated they don't believe in work/life balance and told me to 'just don't think about it.' I expected lower pay for a nonprofit, but I wasn't prepared for an organization that operates like a sweatshop from the past. On top of the very low pay for the Denver area, the office is inconveniently located downtown, and they still require admin staff to be in the office 5 days a week, which seems contradictory for an environmental nonprofit. It's a shame because they could attract much better candidates if they modernized their practices and culture, but for now, they seem committed to a high-turnover model.

So, I applied for the admin assistant job back in early December, and they got back to me the very next day. Sounds fast, right? But then they hit me with this questionnaire they said would only take 20 minutes. Turns out, it was 5 short answer questions plus a writing sample, and I had to get it back to them in just 2 days. I did that, and then they wanted me to interview with someone who was honestly not great at interviewing. They asked me stuff about environmental issues and just said 'okay' after everything I said, which was super off-putting. Then, at the end of that interview, surprise! More short answer and math questions, due by the end of the next day, so only 24 hours. That's when I decided to peace out. They said there were 2 more interviews after that. It's just way too much for a job that only pays $36k in Denver, especially when you're expected to work long hours without overtime. They basically tell you you don't value the work if you want more money and expect your views to align with theirs, even though they say they're open to ideas. It was just not a good experience. I get wanting applicants to do some prep work, but this whole process was time-consuming and a lot when you could easily find another job at an environmental org.

My application was responded to quickly, and I was given a writing test. After about a month of no communication, I was surprised to get invited to three interviews, with another writing test included. The interviewers were nice and asked good questions, mostly about politics, and were upfront about the expected 40-50 hours of work per week and the low salary. In the end, I decided the work culture wasn't right for me, so I skipped the third interview.