Whatcom Community College Interview Questions
& Process

With prepared answers for interviews, I was able to go through questions, doing fine with connections and follow up. I can see my employers tend to ask more questions and interest in my past projects.

The interview process at Whatcom was ridiculously long, spanning 2 months and involving three separate interviews. Even for an entry-level position, the college president gets directly involved in hiring, which is a sign of extreme micromanagement. They also contact references extremely early in the process, right after the first interview, potentially jeopardizing your current employment before you even know if you're still in contention. This is highly unusual, as reference checks are typically a late-stage step before an offer is made. Whatcom doesn't seem to care about the impact on your ongoing career if they reject you. It's a chaotic environment that serious applicants should avoid. This drawn-out, 80-day ordeal is not worth it when you could find a job elsewhere and be working much sooner.

Applied online and got a call about a week later to set up an interview with the committee and to schedule an evaluation test with HR. The first two meetings went well and I was contacted to interview with the head of the Federal Grants program. Within a week I was contacted and scheduled an interview with the Vice President and someone else that worked closely with the Grants program. Submitted authorization for background check and was told I would be contacted to set up a final interview with the Dean. Waited a week without hearing back- emailed Jane in HR and she called an hour later to tell me they filled the position. 4 interviews over 7 weeks, background check (absolutely nothing to raise alarm, the company sent me a copy of the report) then ugh. Wasted so much of my time.

It was a three step interview process with long waits in between. I get that employees need to meet the President, but maybe there is another way to do that instead of dragging things out.