I submitted a resume and cover letter online and was asked to take a written research test. Apparently my submission was not up to par as I was subsequently rejected as a candidate. Where did I go wrong? I have no idea because they offered zero feedback and ignored me when I asked for clarification. If you decide to do this test, keep in mind that while they may treat *your* time as an infinite resource to be casually expended, their *own* time is so important that it cannot be wasted on common courtesy. This job is frankly not a difficult job. I worked as a journalist for nearly a decade, have master's degree in public policy, and am a freelance legal and financial researcher for far more than what Ballotpedia pays. I was interested because, at the time, it seemed like an interesting civic project. Advice to management: 1. Asking people to give you their time and work product for free is insulting. I thought I was seriously being considered as a candidate. The total lack of grace with which I was treated suggests to me that I was probably only one of a dozen+ asked to take a time-consuming test. If you have to use a written test, it should in the final stage of your hiring process -- not at the beginning so as to avoid wantonly wasting people's time. 2. If someone spends several hours jumping through your hoops, the least you can do is spend even tiny a fraction of that time giving them an iota of feedback . Empowering people to engage in democracy through the "free and open sharing of information." Having gone through their interview process, it is difficult to think of their mission statement as anything but a total joke. I am betting the hiring process also provides insight into how Ballotpedia treats their employees.