A very involved interview process that gives some great insight into the culture of the company. The first stage involves a video screen. It's not a live Skype chat, but a video recording where you are shown some prompts and then record your responses. There are 4 prompts (what are your greatest strengths?, why did you choose your major?, etc.). You have 30-seconds to prepare your answer for each one and are given 60-90 seconds to respond. It can feel a little awkward talking to yourself, but this kind of screening is becoming more common so it's best to embrace it.
The next stage is a full-day interview at Clark HQ in Bethesda, MD. I interviewed with a group of 5 other candidates, all still in school. We met at HQ at 8:30 AM for an orientation to the company and to meet a few employees. Then, we split into 2 groups. One group went to tour a job site, and the other stayed in the office for four 45-minute 1:1 interviews. We then reconvened at HQ for a round-table lunch where we could meet more employees and ask questions. The groups then switched places in the afternoon.
I toured a job site in Arlington in the morning. We had a quick meeting in the field office where we met the project staff and could ask questions about the work they do. Then we were given a tour of the job site which was really cool. It definitely gave you a sense of how hectic managing a project can be. After the tour, we went back to HQ for a round-table lunch with more opportunity to ask questions, and then I went into the four 1:1 interviews.
The four interviews are certainly a bit draining, but I found them to be an incredible opportunity to ask what it's really like to work at Clark. I got great insight into the interviewer's career progression at the Clark, where they started, how they are evaluated, challenges the company is facing and how they are addressing those challenges. By the time the interviews ended at 4:30 PM, I was exhausted but had a notebook stuffed with valuable information.
About two weeks after the interview, I was presented with an offer which I accepted. They're pretty firm on starting salary, preferring for you to prove your value to the company before adding additional compensation, which makes sense. I was able to negotiate the signing bonus, however, so there is some flexibility with that piece.