Center for Strategic and International Studies Research Intern Interview Questions
& Process

I had two phone calls with junior staff, one to go over the position details, and another to summarize my experiences. After that, I had a phone interview with an expert. The expert asked me questions about their research to see if I had done my reading, but didn't ask as much about my background. My experience suggests that experts want people who can quickly integrate into the team and already know the field and their research.

Pretty typical process. I sent in my cover letter, writing sample, and resume online, and within a week, they called me for an interview. The interview was with two junior staff members, and the questions were what I expected. The interview was followed by a 24-hour writing assignment, and within a week, I got the acceptance. The bad part is that I only had 3-4 days to decide whether to accept or decline the internship.

I got an email saying I got an interview for one of the CSIS centers I applied to. The interview was pretty standard. They asked me about my school background, languages, how I work, and my strengths and weaknesses. It was kinda surprising that two people interviewed me, but it turns out that was unusual because the program manager was leaving and the new one wanted to meet me too.