I began the application process for Epic in early November, 2021. After going through the initial phone screenings, I was invited to a Q&A session with a pool of prospective applicants for the same role, with a current Account Manager. This went very well and I was one of the only prospective employees to actually ask questions about the position and organization beyond "what will I get paid?" After this Q&A, I was invited to take the well-known and discussed, Epic Skills Assessment - which is where my only issue with Epic begins. If you take the time to research this assessment and if you're reading my post, you likely have, you'll hear two opinions; the first, is that the test isn't that bad and for some is fairly easy, which I don't doubt, but astrophysics is also easy for some people as well. The second, more suitable for me, is that the test is an unnecessary waste of time leaving no indication of one's actual ability to do the job applied for. Now let's dive into my saltiness about this subject; One of the things Epic tells its applicants is that all employees (and I mean all) have to take the skills assessment - something I have personal doubts about (after all we all know the maintenance man was not hired on his ability to perform high-level reasoning, mathematics and coding questions in a timed environment.) And herein we have my qualm - I come from a world of project management and team leadership, inside and outside of organizations, meaning that I was in a decent position to be in an Account Manager role. However, at no time did any application or job requirement I read state that my hiring/proceeding through the interview process would be dependant upon my ability to write code, perform advanced mathematics or answer logic games akin to what can be found on the LSAT. I do understand the desire for an employer to want their employees to understand the products they are selling at an intimate level, however, if I were a coder or wanted a coding job, I would have applied for one - but I didn't. Such exams are not in any way standard for similar roles and this remains the only example I have encountered and by far the only time I felt my time was wasted. Epic, if you wish to hire mathematicians and coders, simply say so, however, there's no need to waste the time of applicants who can be devoting their time, effort, and resources toward applying and interviewing for positions elsewhere.

I had a very bad experience with my proctor for the exam ( a 4+ hour GRE like the test they make you take prior to a second interview). For one, I could barely understand her and she seemed offended if I asked her to repeat. Also, while Epic seems like a great opportunity sometimes small things show a bigger picture. For me, having the proctor need to have a 360 view on my room to ensure I moved my phone and make me use my phone to ensure I didn’t have sticky notes makes me feel like you don’t trust me. I just feel that yes, maybe some people will not be honest. But for candidates like me, it alludes to that everything I do at Epic will be under a microscope and it’s hard to want to perform your best when you feel you’re not trusted. It reminds me of the new Amazon watches to track employees. On LinkedIn and other sites, people were outraged. Not because they don’t work hard, but because if you don’t trust me, then don’t hire me. I hope this explains why I am withdrawing my application and gives you some insight for future potential candidates.