Hiring process was long and bureaucratic even though there were few applicants as the starting salary was very low for a professional position. Interview was held by a panel of six persons. One of the panel members, who represented the Equal Employment Office was not very friendly. I suspect that was because I'm not of a minority race.

The situational questions presented during my interview were particularly valuable. These questions required me to think on my feet and come up with solutions to hypothetical scenarios that I might encounter as a Transportation Planner at Caltrans. For instance, I was asked how I would handle a sudden traffic congestion issue or what steps I would take to improve transportation efficiency in a particular area.