C Span Interview Questions
& Process

It was a pretty standard interview at first, with some intro stuff about you. Then, about halfway through, it got more chatty and you learned about the network. You just gotta know the channel well, and it's pretty simple.

I applied in October and got an email in January to set up a phone interview with HR. She was really nice and answered my questions. Later that week, I had an in-person interview with the supervisor. He was a bit late but super polite and easy to talk to. We talked about my background, why I picked C-SPAN, areas for improvement, and my 5-year outlook. He also explained the job, how C-SPAN works, and its values, and patiently answered all my questions. At the end, I had to complete an assessment on Washington knowledge. The in-person interview was great, and I felt respected throughout. Even though I didn't get the job, I'm grateful for the learning experience and would still want to connect with their team due to their courtesy and respectful approach.

I applied online for the Washington Journal Production Assistant position, which is part of the Washington Journalism program at C-SPAN. The schedule for this job is 5AM to 1PM. After applying, I was contacted for an interview. First, I met with the HR manager. It was strange because she didn't ask me any questions and just gave me C-SPAN's health and PTO info. When I asked if she had any doubts about my qualifications, she said, 'If we did, we weren't have called you to come for an interview.' She also mixed up my name with someone else's while I was waiting for the next interviewer. The next interview was with the executive producer for Washington Journal. She complimented my experience but then made fun of me for taking temp jobs through a staffing agency, even asking, 'What is a temp/staffing agency?' She also stated that C-SPAN isn't a news organization, which confused me because most applicants know that already.

For the internship, I was asked about my production background, my motivation for seeking an internship, whether I'd get academic credit, and my living arrangements, plus some general stuff. Since it's a tech role, I don't think they focused on political knowledge. The company is a great place to intern; everyone's really helpful and offers guidance. I even had the CEO, Brian Lamb, spend about ten minutes chatting with me, getting to know me as an intern, which was surprising. If you're genuine and eager to learn the business, you'll likely have a good chance. My internship involved working across various DC locations like the Senate and House buildings, the Capitol, and the National Press Club. It was an incredible experience, and I'm thinking about reapplying for another internship and potentially a full-time job after college.