I initially applied online for the Junior Architectural Designer position in Baltimore, MD, in October and 4 weeks later I received an email from an associate stating they wanted to meet with me further. We scheduled a meeting and on the day of the interview I arrived 10 minutes early. The receptionist greeted me and sat me in a conference room where I waited for some time until the first two associates arrived. We chatted a bit and then I began to explain my professional and academic experience. Moments later the third interviewer walked in a little late and greeted me. I continued to express my background and we reviewed my portfolio. Their attention was constanly interrupted with staff entering the conference room asking banal questions which consumed quite some time. This was absurdley rude. We continued and I began to ask them questions about the firm, workflow, type of projects, etc. The interview lasted about an hour and we wrapped up our conversation. I was informed that I will hear their response from the receptionist, and I asked if I may contact them for any further inquiries, with that they responded negatively and said no. The following day I sent a thank you note to all three associates and one of them responded 'this is a no for me.' Insanely unprofessional and absurd.

During the Gensler prescreen, the recruiter primarily confirmed my basic information, including my current location, graduation date, visa status, and whether I would require company support for OPT or other work authorization. They also asked about my interest in the position I applied for, my openness to other related roles, and my potential start date. The prescreen did not cover my portfolio or technical skills; it mainly focused on gathering background information to determine whether to move forward to the next stage of interviews.