I applied online. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at RAND (Santa Monica, CA) in May 2008
Interview
All-day interview meeting with all levels of people, from HR to Research Assistants and Researchers. Everyone is very polite and encouraging and wants to see what you bring to the table and if you are a good fit with the culture. While everyone is very busy with their own work the atmosphere is very cooperative and you get the feeling that they love what they do.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Talk about your research experience, educational background, etc. Pretty standard but thorough.
I applied online. The process took 3 months. I interviewed at RAND
Interview
Applied online. Took about 2 months to hear back. Contacted for an interview and to schedule 4-6 hours on one day. Interview pushed back by RAND two weeks. Heard interview schedule the night before. 1.5 hours of info sessions, 3 interviews. Two with more senior researchers (30 min each) and one with current RA (45 min). 15min-1 hour breaks in between interviews. Everyone was very nice and friendly. Seemed more like a vibe check.
Interview questions [3]
Question 1
What kind of research methods are you familiar with?
Several rounds of interview first with manager, then with researchers. Process was very long but typical. Also took a test before the interview. Researchers were really nice asked about previous and current research experiences.
Submitted my CV, Cover Letter and writing sample. I went through 2 rounds of interviews with Rand. The second round was back to back calls with the research leader followed by HR.