What I Learned During an Interview and Presentation for a Bid

I recently submitted substantial paperwork in response to a request for bid (RFB) to do evaluation work related to an NSF grant. I was selected as one of the top five finalists. To my surprise, this included an invitation not only for an interview but also for a presentation!

After my panic subsided, I contacted two colleagues and EvaluATE for advice on how to prepare. To my dismay, none of the people asked had ever had to do a presentation as part of an interview. So, having found my own way through this experience, I want to share my presentation/interview experience and offer some suggestions for future interviewees.

The job I bid on was related to an NSF-funded project. It involved individual evaluation plans for five colleges and universities, as well as an overall cohort evaluation of the project. The presentation I created consisted of ten slides that described:

• My understanding of the project
• My approach to evaluation
• My business’s skills and services
• Several relevant work samples.

Here’s what happened in the interview – and what I learned:

• The first question was “Why do you want to be the evaluator for this grant project?” The obvious answer was that I wanted the work! But what was really being asked was what unique aspects of their project excited me. Since I had never done this kind of evaluation, I emphasized both my expertise and my desire to expand my capabilities by undertaking a large project.
• They also asked about my approach to evaluation (even though I addressed this in my presentation) and how my company would handle the workload. If it is a large project, they will ask how you would approach the work across institutions. This is where I fell short or lost points in the interview. Since I hadn’t worked on a large project (equivalent to an ATE Center), I wasn’t able to give an adequate answer.
• The interviewer must ask questions the same way for each candidate to discourage any biases or unconscious favoritism toward candidates.
• Follow-up questions by the interviewer are not allowed.

I did not win the bid, but I came in third out of five candidates, missing second place by only a few points. The job went to a large evaluation firm with people scattered across the nation. Their presentation and proposal were excellent, and it was clear that their presentation had input from several employees. I felt that, overall, I did well but was out of my league in terms of the project’s size.