
Start Early Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 18 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Which role are you interviewing for?
11 roles · 18 reportsCandidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Start Early.
Operations Assistant
It started with a phone interview, and if they liked you, they'd call you for a second, in-person interview. I got to the second interview and they asked me a bunch of behavioral questions. They told me they were really interested and I'd hear back soon for the next step. That didn't happen, I got rejected the next day. I get picking someone else, but don't lie to people. It felt like a waste of my time and too competitive for a job that didn't even pay that much.
- Tell me about a time you got constructive criticism that you didn't agree with.
- What's your ideal management style?
- Describe a situation where you failed and how you handled it.
Coordinator
The first interview was great, both in person and over the phone. But then, the follow-up interview/contact was much harder, which was pretty frustrating. I emailed my original contact a bunch of times, and she never got back to me. They used this call-in system that was super buggy and never worked with my phone. Also, they didn't tell me anything about a different position they wanted to talk about, and just pushed me into a phone interview without any warning. It was a bummer because everyone I met in person was so nice and communicated really well.
- Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself?
- What made you interested in applying to our company?
Program Associate
I had one phone interview with an HR rep and then one in person interview with two potential supervisors. The organization doesn't have the best rep around Chicago. It's known as an org with no upward mobility, low pay, unnecessarily competitive, and people who aren't there for the mission but instead to tote their degrees and say they 'work for good.' But I figured I should find out for myself. It was absolutely the vibe that came off in the interview. When I asked what their favorite part of the job was, they answered the people. Great answer, except they went on to talk about 'all the phds and experts' they talk to on a regular basis, and that everyone who works there is an 'A' student reaching for that A+. They never talked about the mission. They also expect people with a masters degree to fall into administrative roles.
- Can you tell me what you enjoy most about this role?
- Could you elaborate on the type of high-achieving individuals you interact with?
- Describe your interactions with PhDs and other experts in your field.
Program Associate
So, the interview process was like, first a phone screen, then an in-person interview with three interviewers from the family engagement team, and then another in-person interview that included a writing exercise. I actually didn't get to do the last in-person interview because I took another job offer, but the interviews I did have were really great and everyone was amazing!
- What is your understanding of The Ounce?
- What motivates your interest in joining our organization?
Start Early Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Start Early interview reports.
“What is your understanding of The Ounce?”
Read reports →“What are your thoughts on individuals with master's degrees filling administrative positions?”
Read reports →“What about Ounce sparks your interest?”
Read reports →“What are your thoughts on reflective supervision?”
Read reports →“Tell me about a time you got constructive criticism that you didn't agree with.”
Read report →“What salary are you looking for?”
Read report →“What's your method for carrying out a user interview?”
Read report →“How do you think about and apply race equity in your work and personal life?”
Read report →“Could you elaborate on the type of high-achieving individuals you interact with?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 18 Start Early interview reports.