Submitted application online and got the call for an interview a couple of weeks after. During the call, was told that they were only doing interviews on a Friday afternoon and I could pretty much take it or leave it. I had expected to interview with the hiring manager, but was surprised by a panel of about five interviewers from different departments whose presence for a very specific job wasn't quite clear. In every interview I've had before, I've been told ahead of time who I'd be interviewing with and what the day will look like. TPWD didn't do this. The interview itself was less about my own experience and skills and what I'd bring to the role and how I'd be as a colleague. It was more of a pop quiz about the minutiae of the agency itself, things that you can pick up during the first couple of days of work anyway. Questions were things like "Name three game species," "Who is the executive director?" and "Name three other divisions besides communication and marketing." Some questions were open to interpretation but phrased as if there were only one right answer. For example, "Name the three essential elements of a press release." THE three?? Because depending on your experience and how you were taught, you might prioritize some elements over others. One person asked about how I'd like my writing to be edited, and another gave me a situational question, asking how I'd write about two events going on in two parks during the same weekend. These more useful questions were few and far between. Everyone was friendly enough, but the interview felt rushed and they didn't really seem interested in getting to know me as a candidate or delving further in conversation. They were operating from a script. It all made sense later on when, after weeks of hearing nothing, I inquired about the position and was told they filled it. They couldn't even send a message saying, "Thank you for your interest. The position has been filled." I was told by a contact in another division that they just hired the intern who had been working there for more than a year and basically had no intention of hiring anyone else. The interview was just a dog-and-pony show to satisfy legal requirements to hold interviews. Not all roles at TPWD are filled by nepotism, and not all interviews are just a waste of candidates' time here. But look out for the warning signs. If the interviewer is really interested in you, they'll be flexible and work with you on a mutually agreeable interview day. They'll also give you a rundown of what the day is going to look like and who you'll be interviewing with. They'll also ask questions that seek to learn about who you are, not just random quiz questions that anyone can find the answer to on the website.