Echoing Green Interview Questions & Reviews

Interviewed Oct 2011 in New York, NY (took 2 months)

I applied through the standard process. I heard from an outside recruiter offering me an initial phone interview. The recruiter was fantastic throughout the process and the initial interview with her really helped me prepare for the subsequent interviews. The part that did not prepare me well was our salary discussion. She asked my range and despite every effort not to give a number, I felt forced to do so. She said that my number was higher than what they were thinking initially. Assuming that this was a negotiating process, I said that that was ok and I still wanted to move forward, I would be willing to negotiate for the right job. After that interview I was invited to Skype interview with a VP at the company (scheduled about two weeks from first interview). The VP was 10 minutes late and she wasn't as easy a personality as the recruiter. I had trouble finding a way to connect with her. She brought up salary at the end and told me that my number was much higher than what they were able to pay (different language than the recruiter - much higher and able to pay) and seemed very put off by range. I had done my research and was confident that I was asking for a reasonable amount. Nonetheless, I was offered an in-person interview (again, scheduled about two weeks out). In the interim, I was sent two writing assignments. I paid my own way to New York. The interview was schedule in three parts - 1/2 hr each with the VP and a senior associate from the development side and a senior associate from the program side. Again, the VP was running late. The interviews ended up lasting 2.5 hrs, not 1.5 hrs. In addition, the development senior associate included the Director of Development. The Director of Development was personable and it made the interview "easier," the Senior Associate kept asking what seemed like first round interview questions, not third round. The Program Senior Associate was very relaxed and the interview with her was more like a brainstorming session. The VP was no more personable in-person than she had been via Skype. We did not discuss salary at the in-person. I heard from the recruiter less than a week later that I did not get the position. I was given no helpful information as to why not.