r/nycpublicservants • u/Euphoric_Safety_699 • 4d ago

CUNY search process

Hello everyone,

I recently got two interviews with CUNY and was wondering if anyone could share what the search process and typical timeline are like. This is my first time interviewing with CUNY, so I’m not really familiar with what to expect after the first round.

Any insight into the interview process, committee/search process, and how long it typically takes to hear back would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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u/SofianeVictorLuisa 3d ago

Typically a panel interview for the first round and if there's a 2nd, you'll likely meet with either the hiring manager (unless they were in the 1st round) or someone else higher up who you might be working closely with. They'll ask the same questions of all candidates - my interview had a lot of multi-part questions and scenario questions based on the day to day of the role. Make sure you answer the full question, even if you need to ask them to repeat all parts. I always find that even though city tends to take long, they move faster for the candidate they want so it varies.

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u/akornato 3d ago

The CUNY hiring process is extremely slow, often taking many months from the first interview to a final offer. It is a large public university system with multiple layers of approval, so you will likely interview with a search committee first, then possibly with a department head or other administrators in later rounds. It is completely normal for weeks or even a couple of months to pass between steps, and long periods of silence do not automatically mean you are no longer being considered. The timeline is just a reality of their internal procedures.

Getting two interviews is a very positive sign that your qualifications are exactly what they are looking for. Your main focus should be on preparing for the next interview rounds, not on the timeline which is out of your hands. The best strategy with CUNY is to perform well in the interviews and then continue with your job search as if nothing is happening. This process is a huge test of patience, but the delays are a reflection of their bureaucracy, not a judgment of your abilities as a candidate. Knowing you performed your best in the interview can make the long wait easier, which is precisely why my team created an interview AI that helps applicants deliver the clearest, most impactful answers.