County of Santa Clara Interview Questions
& Process

I usually don't leave reviews, but this one is necessary. You can tell a lot about a company's integrity and culture by how they treat applicants. I applied for the Communications Dispatcher position with the County of Santa Clara in November 2025. I was excited to have passed all the POST test qualifications and job requirements. I was then invited for an in-person interview on February 3, 2026, at the Santa Clara Communications Center. The interview went well, and the panel of employees were very nice and professional. The questions from the panel were really competitive. I felt confident about my interview because of my experience and personality. I sent a thank-you email the same day. Weeks passed (21 days) after my in-person interview, and I still hadn't heard back from the department. I followed up about my interview status and got an email the same day saying they would provide feedback soon. Six weeks later, there was still no word from the department about my interview. I checked the county's website again for new opportunities and saw that the Communications position had been reposted. I immediately emailed the department for an update about my interview. They told me to call the next afternoon. The next day, I was quickly told over the phone that I didn't qualify in my interview. I asked why, and the person quickly replied that I wasn't answering questions relevant to the questions asked. I knew that wasn't true. I asked when the decision was made that I didn't qualify, but the person wouldn't give me a date. As a leader, I reminded this person that they are the experts and know what's best for their department. I strongly encouraged them to be considerate of applicants looking for opportunities. Whether it's a yes or no, please follow up. Not responding to applicants is costly because opportunities are affected by the employer's follow-up status.

Okay, so for this assessment, you've got 130 questions and 2.5 hours to wrap it up. Should be plenty of time if you keep a good pace and stay focused. First up is a math section, just basic arithmetic like adding/subtracting big numbers, long division, and checking divisibility. Just brush up on your elementary math and you'll be good. Then there's reading comprehension; they'll read you a short story and you'll answer 15 questions about it. Really gotta listen closely here. After that, it's about directions – can you follow street directions? Knowing your cardinal directions and how streets link up will help. Finally, you'll need to know how to read a utility meter. It's actually pretty straightforward once you check out some online tutorials, they explain it really well.

You fill out an online application, and if selected, you take an online exam. You need at least 70 percent to pass. I barely passed because I didn't know much about the field; my major wasn't accounting. Then, I had an in-person interview where they asked about my upper-division accounting courses. After I answered, they realized I wouldn't qualify for the auditor appraiser certificate and stopped asking questions. They were friendly and told me I wasn't eligible and that HR made a mistake by letting me proceed. They gave me some career advice.

I applied online and the process took over two months. It started with a written exam at the county cafeteria with about 200 other people. Then, depending on your score, you might get to the next phase where you have to contact the department to set up your interview. The interviews are usually panel-style with at least 3 people asking the same questions, often printed out. Some departments do a phone screening first, but most just schedule an in-person interview. They usually let you know the results within a week or two.