My experience interviewing with Community Science was deeply concerning and, frankly, exploitative. Over the course of seven rounds of interviews (some lasting up to three hours each), I encountered a disorganized, repetitive, and extractive process that left me questioning the ethics and sustainability of the organization’s internal culture.
From the start, the process lacked clarity and cohesion. I was often asked the same questions by different people, with little coordination or continuity between rounds. The sheer volume of unpaid labor required to simply be considered for the role was staggering, culminating in a final presentation of my research to over 40 people. This was not a job talk; it felt like free consulting.
While Community Science prides itself on being “thorough,” the experience felt more like a test of endurance than a genuine search for fit. The layers of interviews were exhausting, and each round demanded significant prep, emotional energy, and time, without any acknowledgment or compensation. In total, I invested what amounted to multiple full workdays into this process.
What concerned me even more, though, was what this revealed about the organization itself. Despite its polished public image, Community Science operates more like a chaotic startup, lacking clear systems, internal alignment, or effective onboarding structures. During my conversations with team members, I was struck by how under-trained some of the field staff appeared, particularly those tasked with conducting community-based interviews. That level of unpreparedness was alarming, especially for an organization committed to research and equity.
The entire experience left me with the impression that unpaid labor, overextension, and institutional disarray are normalized within the organization. If this is how they treat candidates, I can only imagine the toll this culture takes on actual employees, and worse, on the communities they claim to serve.
This process gave me exactly the insight I needed: this is not a place that honors people’s time, energy, or expertise.
