The Trevor Project Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was confusing and strange. It felt like they weren't eager to hire interested people but more focused on fitting a certain look. I don't think anything I said would have mattered. The hiring manager was pretentious and talked about their 20 years of experience. It was awkward because they didn't ask about my background or my interest in the role. They skipped right to tough interview questions, like they were just checking a box for HR, not actually looking to hire or get to know me. My advice for interviewing Black and queer people is to try to get to know them without making it feel like a formal exam. Interviews should be about learning why the candidate is a good fit and how the organization is a good fit for them. Interest goes both ways. It makes me question the company culture and if it's toxic. It also made me feel like they don't often hire Black or brown people.

The whole interview process took 3 weeks, and then I was rejected. It involved 1 set of emailed questions, a project, and 3 interview rounds. First was the hiring manager, then the team for a culture fit check, then the project. The final interview with the hiring manager was to discuss the project. They said the long process was because they are 'intentional' about hiring. It seems like a really inefficient process for an established organization. They know their GlassDoor rating is low and their process is poor, but they haven't changed it. It was a waste of my time, and I feel like I dodged a bullet because the manager mentioned a high turnover rate due to management changes. They were concerned about my response to unethical situations and maintaining optics. Team members alluded to 'typical non-profit shady things,' which is concerning. I'd avoid them until they improve their process. Also, don't use pronouns unless confirmed. I slipped up with a fictional character, and the hiring manager really grilled me on it, asking for evidence of their pronouns and my assumptions.

I applied online and a month later, HR reached out to set up a phone screen. They missed the first meeting, so we had to reschedule. HR said they'd follow up within a week. Soon after, I got an email saying I was moving on and got a list of questions to answer in a few days. These questions were basically the same ones from the phone screen, but I did them anyway. A week later, I got a generic rejection email that mentioned meeting the team, which was weird since I only talked to HR. If I knew there wouldn't be more interviews, I wouldn't have spent my time writing out answers to questions I'd already done.

I put in my application online back in July 2019, and then finally got an email in April 2020 to schedule an interview. It's a good idea to maybe jot down your answers for the application in a doc just in case they hit you up. I set up a virtual interview that lasted about 45 minutes. I heard back from them about two weeks after that. You'll have to answer questions about your mental health, how connected you are to the community, how you take care of yourself, if you can commit for a whole year, and how this job will be good for you.