C4ADS Interview Questions
& Process

First there was a resume screen, then a written test. After that, I had a 45-minute interview with two staff members. There was some time between each round; I waited about a month for the test, then three weeks for the interview, and two weeks after that for the offer. All the interns had spent at least a semester studying abroad or working somewhere adventurous (like Eastern Europe, the Middle East, or Latin America), so I made sure to work that experience into my interview answers. I felt like the interview really set the tone for the role and prepared me for the environment I was walking into.

It was pretty straightforward. There was a written test first, then two rounds of interviews that focused on competencies. Each interview took about 45 mins to an hour. They were good about getting back to you quickly after each one. The questions were generally pretty easy and directly related to the stuff in the job description.

I applied in early March and heard back two weeks later about a take-home assignment with a deadline. After submitting that, it took another two weeks to get an email for a 45-minute interview. A few days after that interview, I got another email asking me to complete a language test, which included speaking and writing parts. Then, just a couple days later, I got an email saying I made it to the final round, which was an interview with two senior staff members. The whole process felt kind of weird because it seemed like they asked everyone the same questions, no matter the job. I was never asked anything about my research background, how I do research, if I have experience with corporate records analysis or GIS, or what my research interests are, even though the job was specifically about a certain research area. I thought I'd get hard questions about the topic and technical questions about how I'd do the job. Instead, the first and second interviews were mostly personality questions (like hobbies, talking about a personal interest, or something unique about you not on your resume) and some basic behavioral questions (like how you view change or a time you set a goal). I left both interviews feeling like I didn't get to show what I can really do because questions about my hobbies don't really show my analytical skills or experience in the subject matter, though I guess they're focused on cultural fit. When I asked questions, the interviewers gave really short answers or just repeated what I said. For example, I asked one interviewer why they joined the firm and they just pointed out why I wanted to join. That felt off, especially since they seemed to want us to talk a lot. I got a standard automated rejection email after the final interview. On a positive note, everyone I spoke with seemed really passionate about the firm and their work, were happy in their roles, and genuinely seemed like good people. The benefits also seem good, so it looks like a great place to work if you can get in.

I had a Skype interview since I couldn't make it in person. Two analysts started by chatting about the company's work in a really relaxed and detailed way, making me feel like I'd already got the job. After I asked some questions, they started the interview. They asked about my research background, both qualitative and quantitative, and then checked my language skills. For languages like Spanish, which are more common, they were more thorough. They gave me a Spanish article to translate out loud. After that, I had to speak with someone in the office who was fluent in Spanish. Then, they moved on to testing my less common language skills.