University of Houston Interview Questions
& Process

We started with you introducing yourself, then we talked about your schooling and what classes you took. After that, I had you tell me more about your main projects, like what tech you used, what was hard, how you figured stuff out, and what happened because of it.

It was a student intern position for the department, not just for one professor. We talked about previous experience, educational background, and personality. They asked about leadership qualities and more about values. Also discussed educational background, hobbies, etc.

The interview was a phone screen with the hiring manager, who has been at the university for over 20 years. Initially, I felt the manager didn't embody the university's values. They reviewed my LinkedIn profile beforehand, which is standard. During the conversation, their main focus seemed to be the 'look' of my resume, rather than understanding me, my motivations for applying, or my interest in the position. As someone experienced in hiring, I urge this employer to reconsider their hiring managers, including those in HR. Simply highlighting a long tenure isn't attractive to talent anymore. While it's great to spend a career at one place, don't penalize candidates for having diverse experiences with multiple employers or for not meeting arbitrary aesthetic standards. The manager then mentioned the requirement for employees to pay for parking and stated the salary was fixed, despite the job posting showing a range. When I mentioned my expectation to be at the higher end of the range due to my experience, they claimed the large range was only posted because it was mandatory. This is another red flag, as in talent acquisition, you control the range posted for a role. I was disappointed with how this phone screen was conducted, especially by a seasoned HR professional. I hope I never become like that.

After submitting my application and attending an initial interest meeting, I went through a group interview with other candidates. We were presented with hypothetical scenarios and had to discuss potential solutions. This was followed by an individual interview where they asked about my potential and how I would collaborate within a team. The overall selection process felt straightforward and included team bonding, training, and character-building activities aimed at developing leadership skills.