My plan has always been to interview for jobs after I finished Flatiron School. But when the perfect job comes along, you have to apply for it. It was PT, remote, paid well, and was working for an organization that had a mission I believed it. It checked every box on my list. So I fixed up my resume, wrote a cover letter conveying why this would be the perfect place for me to be, and got a start-up founder to write me an unsolicited letter of recommendation for this position. That’s how badly I wanted this job.

When you hear people talk about tech interviews, they describe them as what seems to be the most horrifying experience. This position wasn’t a developer job, but it would be working with developers, so I was still a little terrified. Let me take that back, I was a lot terrified. I was actually sick to my stomach three minutes before the phone interview. But all that was for nothing. It turned out to be a fantastic process, and here’s why:

It was a conversation

From the beginning, it was clear that this interview was for us to get to know each other. We’d both get to ask questions and talk about our past experiences. If he liked my answer, he told me. I didn’t hang up that first call wondering whether or not I did well. He invited me back for a second interview during the first interview.

The questions were meaningful

There were no boiler plate “What are your strengths and weaknesses,” or vague and intentionally tricky questions. It was all about understanding who I was and what my approach to problems would be.

I was interviewed by the person who I’d be working with

Granted, this is a really small organization, but when you’re interviewed by the person you’re working with, you also get a really great feel for whether or not you’d want to work there.

The salary was posted with the job

To me, this is always a good sign. The company wants to be transparent and doesn’t want to waste your time. This is how much they value you.

Even though I ultimately didn’t get the job, it was a really great process, and I’m really glad I’d learned about this organization and the work they’re doing. It was also good preparation as I move forward to the end of my curriculum at Flatiron School. I know that not every interview process will go this well, but my hope is that when I do find a job, it’s with a company that values their interviewees as much as this one.