Interview Experience for Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement – Consistently Disorganized and Disrespectful
I’ve now interviewed at Bryant University three times within a 10-month span, and unfortunately, each experience has been consistently disorganized, unprofessional, and frustrating. My most recent interview for the Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement role was by far the most disappointing — and honestly, the most telling.
The interview lasted over six hours straight with no breaks — no water offered, no time to regroup, and no consideration for the candidate experience. I was pushed through a packed schedule of back-to-back meetings where almost every person asked the exact same questions, making it clear there was little to no internal communication or coordination.
To make things worse, I was forced to interview during lunch while trying to eat, which made the entire conversation feel awkward and uncomfortable. At one point, I was left alone in a conference room and forgotten about, and when I finally went to find the person who was supposed to guide me to the next interview, she was sitting in her office, scrolling on her phone, and casually said, “Oh, I forgot to get you.”
One thing that stood out during each of these interview processes is that the majority of people I met with had only been at Bryant for 3 months to a year — which was concerning. That kind of turnover and lack of long-term stability raises red flags about the culture and structure of the department and the university as a whole.
Despite being told I would hear back by a specific date, no one followed up. I had to send three separate follow-up emails over the course of three weeks, and the only response I finally received was:
"Hi [Name],
Thank you for following up.
We have decided to move forward with other candidates. We all appreciate your enthusiasm for and passion for the role, but ultimately, with this being the most senior position on the team, are looking for someone with a min of 10 years’ experience."
That explanation made no sense — my level of experience was clearly listed on my résumé, which they had from the start. It felt dismissive and inconsiderate after investing so much time and energy into the process.
Across all three interviews over the past 10 months, the pattern has been the same: lack of communication, disorganization, missed timelines, and no respect for candidate time or experience. They seem unsure of what they’re actually looking for and have no issue dragging candidates through unnecessarily long processes with no real follow-through.
If you’re considering interviewing at Bryant University, I strongly suggest you think twice. The candidate experience is consistently poor, and from what I observed internally, that seems to be a symptom of larger issues at the institution.
