Cato Institute Interview Questions
& Process

The recruiters are pretty laid back. You'll have a chance to meet with the director of the student program and also the directors of the departments you're interested in. The student program director will ask some general questions, while the departmental directors will dive into more academic and policy-related questions.

Applied, then got an email about two weeks later for an interview. The first interview was with my potential employer and was very amicable. The second interview was with a panel where they asked me about my research skills, which felt intimidating at first but became more conversational and enjoyable later on.

The interview was conducted over Zoom and lasted about 30 minutes. Much of the work was actually in the application, which was quite long. The Zoom interview was mainly to discuss the books you've read that influence your philosophy, and if you disagree with any parts of libertarian theory. You'll also talk about which departments you're interested in. They'll also ask about your future goals and when you're available.

I went through two interviews. First was a phone screening with the HR director. After that, I had an in-person interview a week later with the team's director and assistant director. I thought it went well, but then there was silence for two months. I kept reaching out, but they never had any updates. Eventually, I heard nothing, which aligns with my friends' experiences at Cato. One friend had four interviews and was ghosted, only finding out they didn't get the job when another friend told them someone else was hired. Cato's hiring process seems disorganized and uncaring, possibly an institutional issue given their reputation. It feels a bit snobby and unprofessional.