I interviewed to be the Assistant to the Chief Curator of Architecture and Design, and I have to say, it was hands down one of the most alarming and icky experiences of my professional life. Mid-level management deliberately abused their position and tried to coerce and manipulate me on several occasions. Looking back now, it doesn't seem like they had any real intention of hiring me whatsoever, yet they asked me to complete several take-home assignments and concocted a demeaning and dehumanizing interview process just to be mean-spirited. Asked me excessively detailed, heavily micromanage-y questions that would be impossible for me to answer so I was set up to fail. It also felt like mid-level management was subtly trying to psychologically pit me against and instill antagonism in me towards the person whom I was interviewing to be an assistant to, and I think also tried to instill antagonism in him towards me (very icky, manipulative, weird + counterproductive. A healthy working relationship is built on empathy and mutual respect, not hostility and divisive control. Likewise, a healthy working environment is built on psychological safety and not psychological manipulation). Several other colleagues at the museum were involved in the process, and it seemed like they were all manipulated and triangulated by mid-level management to do their dirty work and be deliberately nasty and disrespectful to me for no reason (flying monkeys). I overlooked the red flags and ignored my better judgment and instincts that told me something was off throughout the process because the person I was interviewing to assist seemed like a really intelligent and interesting guy, and I was genuinely excited about the possibility of making the connection. I also felt uncomfortable and bad for him to an extent because it seemed like mid-level management was covertly backstabbing and trying to undermine his position by pitting his own team (and assistant) against him to exert coercive control/covert manipulation on him on some level as well. (Also, just severely distasteful and an incredibly bad look for the museum to try and instrumentalize an interview process and job applicant for your corrosive triangulation tactics and petty in-fighting). At the same time, it was a severe abuse of power directed towards me and a very disheartening experience to learn that this museum allows its staff to deliberately try to exploit, cheat, and abuse young people who are earnestly looking for work and hoping to advance in their career. Wildly unprofessional and abusive experience all around.