Food & Water Watch Interview Questions
& Process

I got contacted about a month after applying and had an interview a week later with two staff members. They were really nice and conversational, but I could tell by the end that I wasn't getting a second interview. My background is in grassroots organizing, and I think they were concerned I wouldn't enjoy or do well with office-oriented, writing-focused work, even though the org is about grassroots activism. My advice for a research position: talk about your writing/investigating abilities in the context of a campaign, which I think was a mistake I made. They were intelligent and passionate, and the interview was enjoyable.

I got a call to set up an interview, then went in for the interview. I filled out an application form with basic personal info. We talked about my experience in campaigning & political activism & the key issues that I care about. It was a relatively laid back interview. They're looking for the type of person who is an activist that's willing to go door to door asking for support for a cause you really care about, who can also convince others that this cause is important. I'm going in for a "shadow day"/interview part 2 tomorrow to see what field work is about & what I would be doing. The whole process took about a week.

The first step was a phone call with general questions. Then, I had an in-person interview where the interviewer praised my past experiences and passion for the job. After that, I moved to an observation day. It was 6 hours of observing two staff canvassers going door-to-door asking for donations, giving info, and getting signatures. For the last hour, we did it ourselves. I was sent to a block with 20 houses, but only 6 had people home, and it was around 8:30 pm, so most were busy. I couldn't get many donations or signatures. Back at the office, the interviewer told me I wasn't hired because I couldn't get donations, even though it was due to circumstances outside my control like people not being home. This was despite them saying my background was a good fit. It seems you can be the best canvasser but still not get the job if people aren't home.

I talked to the director in charge, and they said they'd let me know. I followed up a few times to see if they'd hired someone. They got back to me saying they needed a second interview, which I agreed to. This whole thing was already on day 60. After the second panel interview, which seemed to go okay, it took another 90 days before I just pulled my application. They mentioned there were a lot of qualified people, making it hard to decide. I wouldn't want to work somewhere that struggles this much with communication and transparency. It felt like a major red flag, intentional or not, and I'm glad I dodged it. They still haven't filled the role more than a year after I backed out.