The University of North Carolina System Interview Questions
& Process

I initially had a phone conversation with the Principal Investigator to discuss general topics and my prior research. Following that, we scheduled an in-person meeting. During the one-on-one interview, the Principal Investigator inquired about my past PhD and Postdoctoral work. This discussion was quite direct, given my research closely aligned with the intended work at UNC. A few days after the individual meeting, I delivered a presentation to a group of Investigators. At this juncture, I was confident about securing the position, and it felt more like a formality.

I interviewed for multiple positions at UNC, including a production assistant role in one of their centers where they produce media content. After sending in some work samples, the interview process was pretty standard. They asked about my interest in the specific center, how my previous experiences aligned with their projects, and my future aspirations since I'm looking for an entry-level position. Even though they were nice and professional, I didn't get an offer. It was still a valuable experience, though, as it showed me what they look for, which helped with subsequent applications.

I applied through the UNCA HR website and got called for an interview about two weeks later. The interview was on campus with three committee members, two from admissions. They seemed pretty bored, like they didn't want to be there, and acted that way from the start. I was told I'd hear back in a week, and even after a nice reply to my thank-you email saying 7-10 days, it took almost two weeks with no word. I emailed them again after the 10 days, still no reply. It really gave me a bad impression of the office and the school when I found out from the staff website that they hired someone internal. Maybe that's why the committee seemed bored, as if they already knew who they were hiring, which made me feel like my time wasn't respected. About a week after that, almost three weeks post-interview, I got a standard letter from HR saying the job was filled.

I applied online. A week after I applied, I had a phone interview with 2 people. The interview went well and I felt comfortable. After another week, I had a second interview with two people. I liked this interview more than the first one, but I had a feeling they had someone else in mind. After 2 weeks, I got a rejection letter saying they selected another candidate because although I was well qualified, I wasn't as highly qualified as the candidate they selected who had about 20 years of A/R experience.