I interviewed at Answerlab in October 2017. Now after lots of interviews I know how I was treated was not normal by the end of it, but the process began very ordinary. I had two interviews via phone, one assignment to design a UX research study that I tested with a Senior AnswerLab UX researcher as a fake participant, and then a report from that "study". All this went well, but then I was asked to fly in to NY for an in person interview. Going to this interview meant taking the day off from work and school. It was one of the first interview opportunities I had, and I was unsure of the boundaries of asking or not asking what would be reimbursed for (meals, travel fare, ect.) The recruiter had been kind of curt so I just assumed leave it alone and know I would be paying for everything except the flight, which was stated paid in an email. At the time I was still in school and working two jobs that I needed to pay bills and tuition. Going to NY for this felt stressful. It demanded that I take the night off from work the day before, and the day off from school and work the next day. This was a big deal, but I felt like the risk was worth it since everything felt good up until that point. I woke up at 6 am to make my 8 am flight I arrived in NY by 10. I mapped out in google how to get to the address, where I could eat lunch, and how to best get back to the airport the least expensive way the night before and memorized it. So nothing could go wrong even if my phone died. I didn't waste any time and took the route straight there only to realize the recruiter gave me the address without the zip code in the email, and there is a matching address the office for my interview in Times Square in Brooklyn. I was in Brooklyn and in the wrong place. I panicked and got back on the subway to try and make it on time. My phone was low battery by that point and I was too worried about getting stuck and lost in NY to call the recruiter to let anyone know what was going on, plus I figured I could make it there in an hour in a half. Wrong. I got lost on the subway and ended up being 20 minutes late with my phone dead by the end of it. I was sweaty, dirty, and strung out by the time I got there. Not at all myself and incredibly embarrassed. Being from not a large city also didn't help my ability to navigate the situation. When I walked in the office one of the AnswerLab employees scoffed at me and rolled her eyes behind her computer. The questions were standard, I explained the mix up, but it was clear I was no longer being considered. One of my interviewers even commented on how my nails were dirty, which I felt was pretty classist and insensitive. One of the hiring managers also admitted that they felt uneasy with how fast the company was growing and that they didn't like some of the changes happening. I got the hint. There was a social gathering after the interview which was half heartedly attended and I had to ask to charge my phone during. By the end they had to reschedule my return flight, because they only gave me an hour to get from the office in Time Square to the airport during rush hour on Halloween evening in NYC. This is not possible no matter how savvy you are in New York at getting taxis or taking the subway. Again very stressful. Overall, the trip cost me more than it cost AnswerLab, and I didn't even get any feedback or food the entire time I was in NY. Needless to say I did not get an offer, and now looking back, after lots of other interviews (good and bad) I can honestly say that was the worst experience I have ever had at a company. I am hoping answer lab sees this, reconsiders their interview practices, and knows that not everyone coming to interview with you with talent and skills has the cognitive load of super user nor even a minimum wage salary, and you all are missing out. For all you newbie UX researchers' out there, don't let bad interviews get you down. Sometimes failure isn't on you and sometimes it really is a bad fit. You just get to learn about it much later.