Clinton Foundation Interview Questions
& Process

I only talked to the hiring manager, no HR at all. The process was kind of slow. It started with a phone call, then they asked for a work sample. I put a lot of effort into my portfolio, but then I waited weeks to hear back. I eventually went in to meet five or six team members. Most of the interviews went okay, though some people seemed distracted or unprepared. It felt like they had already decided before I even came in because the person who did the initial phone screen didn't even interview me or ask how things were going. They kind of forgot about me. I was told a decision would be made within a week. I never heard back, even after sending a follow-up email. If you're going to take up more than two hours of someone's time for an interview, some basic courtesy is expected. A quick email saying you went with someone else wouldn't be too much to ask. The whole process could have been more professional.

HR only did the first screening call. The hiring manager, who is also the program director, handled the rest. Things moved fast from the HR call to the Skype interview with the hiring manager, with only a day in between. Then, the next step felt really unprofessional and showed poor consideration. I was asked to come to HQ for a meeting, likely about an offer, with only about 5 days' notice, even though I was out of state. When I asked about travel reimbursement, the director said she'd let me know. I started looking at flights and even packed. The day before the meeting, she canceled via email, citing 'jury duty' and asking when I'd be back in NY. I told her I wouldn't be back unless I accepted a job offer. She then replied she'd contact me after her 'jury duty'. I had already mentioned another offer I had, so this was a tight timeline. The jury duty excuse seemed fake. She never rescheduled. They could have just said they only wanted local candidates or weren't interested. Turns out, someone else I knew who had interviewed earlier and didn't make it past the first round was contacted again to continue interviewing because they were local. This whole experience was incredibly unprofessional, disorganized, and inconsiderate, which is disappointing given how reputable the organization seemed.

After submitting my CV for the Manager role, I first had a 1-hour phone chat about my consulting experience and skills. Then, I was sent a forecasting test. The plan was that doing well on this test would lead to an interview with a line manager. I was told they were very interested in my profile, partly because some of my former colleagues work there. I later heard I passed the forecasting test. However, they decided not to proceed with my application because they felt I lacked significant healthcare experience. This was surprising because healthcare experience wasn't listed as a requirement in the job description, and my CV clearly showed my experience, so I shouldn't have even been considered if that was a dealbreaker. I expected a more thorough process from the recruiting team.

I applied online and had to submit a resume, cover letter, two recommendations, and a writing sample. I also reached out to people I knew at school or personally for recommendations and referrals. I had one phone interview, and since most interns are college students, in-person interviews aren't really common. They offered me the internship on the spot! Then we talked about where I could fit in based on what was available and what I wanted to get out of the internship, because the one I originally applied for was already taken.