Charles Koch Foundation Interview Questions
& Process

The phone interview was quite confusing. The recruiter, who I believe was a Business Manager, seemed very impatient and didn't explain the role or what the organization does. She just started asking questions. She was also unresponsive and came across as rude. It was surprising that an NGO would hire someone who seems so dispassionate and unethical. The questions were generic and not really related to the job. I tried to ask about the business and the organization's work, but the recruiter didn't seem to know much and gave short answers. It felt like the recruiters were inexperienced and untrained, not really knowing what they were doing. This kind of HR representative can damage the company's image. I used to think highly of this institution, but not anymore.

Since I was an alumni of Koch educational programs, the interview process was the standard one for them: a Skype interview after submitting an online application. However, this time, after the interview, I didn't get any notification about my acceptance within the expected timeframe. I emailed the interviewer, but got no reply. A week later, I emailed again. They replied saying they had already informed me that I was waitlisted, as if it was my fault for not receiving the email. It felt really rude, and nobody apologized for the mix-up.

I sent in my application through their website. The application needed 2 references, a list of my publications, some open-ended questions, and a short video. I felt the video was a good way to show my personality. I heard back within two weeks with an invitation to a video interview that went on for over 30 minutes. The questions were tough, like a storm of them, at least 10. Many questions tied back to my initial open-ended answers or my thoughts on the press and government. Since the Charles Koch Institute is a think tank, this made sense, but I was bummed that the interview left little time to learn about the program from the interviewer or to ask them questions. By the time they asked if I had questions, I was pretty worn out. I got an email rejection about a week later. They did invite me to consider other opportunities, but I didn't go for them because I'd read reviews from others who pursued those options and felt they wasted their time. I also looked more into the company and founders and realized it wasn't the right fit for me.

First, you submit an application with four short essays on your policy views and political philosophy. You also need to upload a 2-minute video explaining what you can get out of the program and how it'll help you grow professionally. About a week later, you'll find out if you're moving to the next round. This next stage is a video call where you'll answer more questions about your policy views. After that, you're accepted into the program, but only if you can find a role with a partner organization. They'll give you access to a job database to find roles with partner organizations, and then you'll have to go through those individual interview processes (usually just phone interviews). Once a partner organization accepts you, you're officially in the Koch Fellow Program.