Recruiting was earnest and friendly; the company appeared similar to Teach for America initially. I brought up concerns about being an out of state applicant, and the recruiter reassured me that relocation and other accommodations would be discussed during the interview. I was invited to a group interview (which, again, seems similar to TFA in rigor and preparation), but as it was on Wall Street, I could not attend-- it was an 11-hour drive from where I live. The interview was to take place only a week after I was asked to respond, and I could not make travel arrangements in that time. When I brought this up, I asked if there were any options for out of state applicants (such as regional interviews, since they were recruiting across the country). I was told that I would be able to do a video interview instead. Only a few hours before my interview, I was told that their video service was having issues (yeah, right), and that I'd be having a phone interview instead. This raised some red flags, which were confirmed by my conversation. The interviewer seemed completely unaware that this was not a phone screen and was in fact my actual interview. The call lasted ten minutes, she asked me only two questions about myself ("why us?" and "tell me about your experience"), and at the end of the call she asked my availability for... a group interview?! During the conversation, she was rushed, disorganized, and clearly uninterested in what I was saying. I don't expect an NYC-based organization to cater to my travel circumstances, but if they are going to recruit so aggressively from out of state, they need to actually try to make interviewing accessible. Barring that, at least be transparent about your recruiting. The disorganization of their hiring team made it clear that they are not prepared to recruit from outside of NY. The fact that they tried to obscure their lack of accommodations for out of state applicants shows they care more about maintaining an image as a selective/prestigious company than about the people they work with. Ultimately, I would have preferred to reschedule the group interview than have it replaced with a rushed phone interview that does not provide an opportunity to demonstrate my fit for the position. Super unprofessional, and a very disappointing experience. Still feel like I dodged a bullet, though!

The interview was timed online. They give you time to think about your question and then you have to turn on your camera and record yourself. This was the first round interview.