I applied through an employee referral. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Systems Evolution (Boston, MA) in Aug 2011
Interview
I interviewed with 8 different consultants including the MD of the Boston office. All of the interviews were in-person and two were over lunch. Although it seemed like the interview process is extensive, it is a way for SEI to get to know you and for you to get to know SEI. With a small firm, this is important. The consultants asked me focused and direct questions about my experience.
During the interview process you have a chance to meet with a number of consultants with various tenure at SEI. This was great so I could get a mix of perspectives on the company and client experiences. They are very upfront about the model and discuss it in detail. Looking back, this is an important aspect of the interview process since SEI is different than the typical consulting firm. In the event you get an offer, it is important you understand and are comfortable with the model.
All of the interviewers were on time, so it was good that I got to each location about ten minutes early. During the interviews I got a great understanding of the culture at SEI. The consultants seemed like a tight knit group which was a bonus for me since I was looking for a company with a culture like this. Additionally, they were all pretty honest about client experiences...the good, the bad, the ugly...which I appreciated. Although their interviewing takes place in Starbucks, don’t let this fool you – they only take the best.
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Systems Evolution (Seattle, WA) in Oct 2025
Interview
I had a virtual interview initially. I didn't think it went particularly well, but received an invite for an in person interview at their Seattle office in a co-working (WeWork) space. When I arrived, it took a while for the interviewer to nail down a space to chat. It was a pleasant experience but admittedly felt weird being in an in person interview again.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
A question about how comfortable I am with networking, to grow the business.
Side note: This felt a lot like multilevel marketing and was a turnoff during my virtual interview as well. It's a very flat organization, and with that comes many challenges to move your career forward.
The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Systems Evolution (Boston, MA) in Sept 2024
Interview
The interview process is known internally as "The Gauntlet". Each interview has a different focus either culture, compensation, business model, or technical skills. I made it through six rounds over the course of 2 months before recieving an email saying I would not be moving forward. No detail, no feedback, no phone call. For a company with such focus and pride on a culture that is different than most workplaces ending the interview process this way could not be farther from the culture each interviewer was pushing. I can understand early stages ending the process this way but after 6 interviews including an in person interview some respect and detailed feedback over the phone would be nice.
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 5 weeks. I interviewed at Systems Evolution (Boston, MA) in Feb 2023
Interview
SEI is disrespectful of candidates time. Employees have to meet recruitment time quotas and it informs the interview process. To meet that requirement, prepare for multiple one-hour, one-on-one interviews across the three seniority levels. First interview is feeling out a basic fit. The second is about skills. The remaining six (!) interviews are about fit. Each interviewer asks the same questions and makes the same disclosures about SEI --employee owned, no travel, everyone expected to contribute to recruitment & biz dev. Making these panel interviews would save everyone time. Some interviewers were prepared. Others simply showed up and asked rehearsed questions. The quota shows. Are you a serious candidate or just a way for a principle to check a box on hours logged? You'll never know. After seven (!) hour long interviews, the eighth interview with the Boston office leadership. It was yet another re-tread of the same questions! I'm unsure how the eighth time I answered, What makes a good consultant, varied from the first through seventh time, but I guess it did. I received a call telling me they were declining to make an offer, and had zero feedback outside of, it's a competitive landscape.