The first interview was a phone call with an HR, nothing special. He introduced me to the position. Then I received 3 fictitious tasks (helping students of different majors apply to the schools). After I finished it and sent it back, I received an email telling me, "We don't have any students that match your expertise and academic affiliations. This, unfortunately, means that we can't match you with any clients right now." That's very funny. I am applying for a part-time position, and neither the fictitious tasks they gave nor the conversations I had with HR revealed that I only have a certain area of expertise. At the end of the email, they asked me, "Would you mind if I kept your information on file and reached back out when we have a good match for you?" Aha, I finally know what they are doing. Classic Bait and Switch Tactics.

They give you an overview of the job then ask you to write responses to 3 prompts over a period of up to 5 days. They review your response along with your compensation requirements then offer next steps or not. I was hesitant about continuing because they only pay $25-45/hour for someone with a graduate degree and 5+ years of experience.