Children's Defense Fund Interview Questions
& Process

It's a typical process you see in the job market. You'll have a few interviews with people at different levels in the company. They ask normal questions about your experience, your background, and why you want to work for CDF.

My interview process lasted 2 1/2 months. I went through a phone screen, panel interview, an assessment test, a final interview with the CEO, then my references were checked. During all these steps there were 2-3 weeks in between of no updates/no communication. 3 weeks after my references were checked, I received no update. I then respectfully withdrew from the process. A couple of days AFTER I withdrew, I was contacted by HR to inform me that the recruiter on their team that I was working with was no longer with the organization, and I was asked would I reconsider "staying in the running." I said I would reconsider if I am able to be provided with a timeline of when they would be able to make a decision or provide next steps. Two days later with no explanation, I was told they were not moving me forward! I feel this experience was extremely unorganized and lengthy. To have made it to reference checks, then received no update or communication for 3 weeks following, to withdraw, then to be asked to reconsider staying in the running, just to be told we will not be moving you forward, not sure what game CDF is playing, but it was very disheartening and a HUGE RED FLAG. Based on this initial experience, I'd say it doesn't show the organization in the best light, so maybe me not getting an offer is a blessing in disguise. The last thing I want to do is join a toxic work environment!

I was pretty excited to hear from CDF about a Policy Associate job in Oakland, CA. I've always thought highly of their history and work. In the end, I went through three interviews and was one of three people they were considering for the role. My first phone interview seemed to go okay, but I really didn't like it. The interviewer was totally robotic; they didn't even bother asking how I was or how my day was. That was my first warning sign. I did like my second phone interview though. They were friendly, down-to-earth, and even had a sense of humor. So, I was really looking forward to an in-person interview. But, I was about to finish grad school and hadn't worked since starting my studies, so I couldn't really swing the over $700 for a cross-country trip. I asked if they could help with the costs or maybe do a Skype interview instead. They ended up agreeing to Skype, which I was happy about since the interview only took about 30 minutes. I still found the first interviewer to be impersonal, and another interviewer barely looked up and only asked me one question. So I didn't really enjoy that interview either. They wrapped up that interview by saying I'd probably hear back within a week. After a week passed with no news, I waited another two weeks because it was around the holidays and New Year, so I figured they might need some time off. So, I sent a follow-up email on the first Monday of the new year. After still not hearing back for another two weeks, I sent another follow-up email, and they replied the next day saying they'd offered the job to someone else. I'd already figured that was the case, but it took them five weeks to tell me. After that third warning sign, I'd already decided I'd probably pass on any offer I might have gotten. All those red flags pointed to an organizational culture I don't want to be a part of.

I reached out in May and sent my resume. They emailed me back a couple of weeks later, but I had to decline because I had already committed to an internship for the summer. Once my summer internship was over, I followed up via email to let them know I was available for the Spring. I interviewed in November and was asked some basic questions. A few days later, I got an email saying I got the internship.