A few weeks after applying I was emailed about an interview, they wanted me to come into the office for a talk. I was interviewed by the supervisor for the job and he seemed like a guy dedicated to building impressive web based tools for ARUP. I showed him many of the office efficiency tools I've built and the dashboard for it. He wanted me to have a second interview with his supervisor and asked me to look into some data conversion systems and three.js.
Repeat again with a second interview just before the Holiday break. They enjoyed my thank you note and we talk more about what I built and what they want to build. I break down some of the ways to structure the system they want to build. This time they say I'm the top candidate and they want me to discuss salary and benefits with HR. They told me to write up and mail them an essay on their company founders "key speech" and that the office would be slow over the Holiday Break, so don't worry if it moves a little slow.
I work on the "Key Speech" essay over Christmas and tell my family I'm sure I've got this job. They told me I'm the top candidate and they wanted HR to talk salary and benefits. I send off the essay to them by email the next day along with another Thank You Note in the mail.
I give them some time, I know that there was only three work days over new years, anyone could have easily been off for two weeks. I email at the two week point to inquire if they received my essay, and no contact. After we get past the three week point, I get a standard reply letter about seeking other candidates from their HR. I went three weeks with no contact after sending two handwritten thank you notes after each interview, written for the company an essay over christmas, and 2 emails awaiting a reply. After that, the top candidate awaiting a salary and benefits email, gets a standard reply "we are seeking other candidates."