Children International Interview Questions
& Process

This was a virtual interview with a disengaged interviewer. It started with me being asked to go through my resume and the only question asked was about salary. It felt like I was being interviewed just to check a box or meet a quota, which gave me a very negative impression of the organization.

So after I applied online, the HR manager reached out to me by email. We had a phone chat, and then she sent me a writing test. After I sent it back, she got in touch again and set up the first interview. I met with the person in the role, my future manager, and a marketing person. It was about 45 minutes, and seemed like a chill place to work, not a lot of micromanagement. They were really nice, which made it less nerve-wracking. They said they'd update me in about a week, but they never did. I called the HR manager, left a message, no response. Then I emailed one of the interviewers, and she let me know they'd filled the position but that other roles might be a fit. The HR manager then called and set up a second interview for a different job. This time I met with the same manager, another writer, a designer, and an editor. We were in a conference room, they were all on one side, me on the other. Still pretty relaxed because they were joking around. The interview was about the same length as the first. Afterwards, I went to talk with the HR manager while they apparently discussed things. I was with her for about 20 minutes before she said I got the go-ahead to be offered the job.

I withdrew from this application process because it was one of the most unprofessional and inconsiderate experiences I've had, which is concerning for a humanitarian organization that should embody respect and integrity. I was ghosted after three interview rounds and multiple follow-ups. The recruiter canceled the screening interview twice at the last minute without explanation, despite knowing I was managing a humanitarian project for children in another country and that meetings were scheduled late at night for me. While my follow-up emails were ignored for weeks, I was expected to schedule interviews on short notice. The recruiter said the process would take about three weeks, but it stretched to two months with no updates. Much of the job description seemed written by ChatGPT, which is concerning for a writing role and suggests a lack of value for skilled writers and authentic communication. I also have ethical concerns about CI's child sponsorship model, which is seen as exploitative and outdated, commodifying children and perpetuating stereotypes. Their child sponsorship page feels like an online shopping site for children, creating false urgency and potentially causing distress for children whose identities are displayed publicly without their full understanding of the long-term consequences. Overall, CI's candidate treatment and fundraising practices don't align with the values of empathy and professionalism expected of a humanitarian organization.