I did a phone screen interview with Jimmy Ozaeta, Senior VP of Mission Advancement at YMCA - Metropolitan Los Angeles. During the call, Mr. Ozaeta told me the actual max salary was lower than what was listed on the job description. The job description listed a salary of $75K-$85K but Mr. Ozaeta stated they would not go above $80K. If that was the case, why did they list $85K on the job description? That $5K makes a difference. I wouldn't have wasted my time on an application had I known that. I found that to be misleading and unethical. I also got the sense he was deliberately leaving no room for negotiation at the offer stage. Also, I came to find out that YMCA doesn't offer any retirement benefits your first two years of working there. They offer a 10% match only after two years of employment.

I had a phone interview first with an HR specialist and then was brought in for an in-person interview with a small panel. They wanted to know about my leadership style and my experience in fundraising. They asked me to talk about my experience writing grants for educational programs. My interview was at the end of the day so I think they might have been tired from doing interviews before mine. I was traveling from out of town so I asked for accommodations beforehand. They got me a very nice hotel room.