First I had to complete an online application, including my expected salary range (there was no salary range posted with the job listing, so I stated my expectation based on my research on Glassdoor, etc., my years of experience, education, and comparable jobs in the Washington, DC area). Then there was an initial phone screen with the HR recruiter. She said she was looking to fill the position "yesterday" when I pointed out that it had been listed since October (this was in February). I was asked to provide extensive income information to document what I assumed would be Abt's billable rate to USAID for my time. Next came a phone interview with three staff members, including the woman who would be the immediate supervisor. It went very well with questions back-and-forth, and comfortable laughter. Next came an invitation for an in-person interview, which required me to travel to DC. I was not told until after I had booked and paid for my transportation and accommodations that "the policy" limited Abt's reimbursement for my travel to reimbursement for the train and only one night's hotel stay--I traveled 400 miles each way, and arrived on the weekend for the Monday morning interview. I was surprised, and not pleased, that I had to absorb the rest of the cost. The in-person interview required two stages: (1) a writing test, in which I was expected to write an executive summary for a 10-page USAID request for proposals (since the executive summary is the final portion of a proposal that gets written, and the most important and challenging, I hoped the main aim was to gauge my "raw" writing, and not, unrealistically, whether I completed the executive summary in such a short time); (2) the two-on-one interview went very well, with a VP from the division and a senior project officer. They asked questions about my work style, ability to manage stress, etc. I asked about work-life balance, something Abt touts as important on its website. I was told that it is "aspirational" and that Abt tries to make up in "flexibility" (e.g., remote work) for the imbalances I gathered are common. After the interview, the HR recruiter told me I would hear back by the following Tuesday. As of Friday, three days later, I hadn't heard anything and sent a "just checking in to see if you have everything you need" email. I finally had an e-mail the following Thursday, more than two weeks past the time I expected a decision to offer (or not) the job. I was not offered the job, but was assured that I made a very good impression on everyone and invited to stay in touch.