Defense Information Systems Agency Interview Questions
& Process

So, before the interview, they had me write up about 3 projects I worked on where I ran into problems and how I sorted them out, plus links to those projects. Got called for an interview pretty quick after someone referred me. It was in person with a panel of 3 people, and they all took turns asking a bunch of questions. It felt pretty chill, and they talked about how they could help me get better at video skills and train me up. Their studio setup was really something else. The hiring manager stuck around after the tour and we chatted more casually for a while. The weirdest thing was, by the end of the week, I checked online and the job was canceled. No one told me, not HR, not the hiring manager, and the website didn't say anything either.

I interviewed with DISA for a cyber excepted service role, which was different from my usual competitive service experience. I prepped for the interview and they asked me five questions in about 30 minutes. Based on this, I got a GS-15 technical job offer, which felt unusual. The offer letter mentioned I could negotiate extra leave and a higher starting step for strong qualifications. The hiring manager actually called and said she'd push for a Step 10 and extra leave. I did the drug screen and paperwork, but then HR came back with an offer that gave me only a $4,000 raise, which was less than the standard two-step rule, and told me to take it or leave it. Disappointed, I decided not to uproot my life for such a small increase and a title change when I already have a good GS-14 job elsewhere. A former employee warned me about working for DoD and DISA specifically, noting that the worker protections of the competitive service don't apply in the excepted service there, making it feel like 'at-will' employment. She also mentioned rumors of DISA potentially closing down. Someone from DISA at my gym shared that they've pulled hiring bonuses last minute before people started, and that when they moved from VA to MD, they didn't offer relocation assistance, claiming it was the 'same locality' despite a 2.5-hour commute. He also said the cyber excepted service is often advertised with benefits like higher steps, more leave, bonuses, and moving help, but you usually only get them if you know someone inside, calling it a 'bait and switch'. It felt like a waste of time overall.

I applied online in early August and had my first interview in late September. The first interview was with 3 attorneys, lasted about 90 minutes, and was conversational. Two weeks later, I had a second interview with just the general counsel. This second interview was awkward; the GC seemed disengaged and unprepared, giving a general overview of the position without specific questions. Afterward, I was shown around the office to meet the other attorneys. I was told I'd hear back in 2-3 weeks, but it took DISA over 9 weeks. During the wait, my follow-ups to the contact person were ignored (phone, voicemail, and two emails).

The interview wasn't too bad. It was a panel interview where each person asked a series of questions. All of the questions were directly related to the job. I was given scenarios and asked how I would handle the situation so there were no right of wrong answer for some of the questions. It wasn't super formal and I felt relaxed, but in my case it was a phone interview so that probably made it easier.