New Canvassing Experience Interview Questions
& Process

I applied on Indeed and was immediately scheduled for a group interview the very next day. It was pretty informal; they mostly just gave us more info about the job. The director, who is also the hiring manager, assessed our potential through our conversations, looking for genuine passion and good communication skills. A more formal interview is planned for later, where we'll get to practice the actual job. This first 'interview' is also a paid orientation day. We learned the NCE canvassing methods in a group setting using a PowerPoint presentation. After the lesson, we had time to get comfortable with our script and then practiced it with the other trainees. If you present confidently, you pretty much have the job.

I arrived 10 minutes before my 12:30 interview and there were already 5-6 people waiting. After signing in, we had to sit through a long presentation. The interviewer, Daniel, was unprofessional the whole time. I waited 1.5 hours before my one-on-one interview. It was clear within seconds I wouldn't get the job because he didn't write anything on his notes sheet. While I understand I might not have been the best fit, the unprofessional way it was handled was frustrating. It doesn't make sense to make everyone sit through a presentation and then wait based on arrival time; why not email the presentation and schedule individual interviews? For a company that talks about ethics, wasting people's time feels unethical. The unprofessional hiring manager is a bad look for the company, so I'm glad I didn't get an offer.

The interview process started with a 30-minute group interview. I was initially told the hours were 9 to 5, which seemed okay given I'm a college student. However, during the individual interview, I was then told the actual hours were 11 to 7. I wouldn't have continued if I wasn't led to believe the job was mine and the hours were flexible. The next part was an 'orientation' which was also part of the interview process, though I wasn't informed beforehand. This was a group Zoom session. I disclosed that I'm autistic and might stim or turn off my camera, which could be perceived as distracting or disinterested, although it's not intentional. I was told it was fine. This 'orientation interview' lasted from 11 to 6. I was absorbing the information like in a normal orientation, but because I wasn't aware it was an interview and had disclosed my disability, I was disappointed by the follow-up email. They said I wasn't a good fit because NCE is a 'charitable donor company' and needs to be responsible for the fundraisers they deploy. Despite my past success as a fundraiser, my disclosed disability became a deciding factor, which felt discriminatory and dehumanizing. If you're autistic or have ADHD, I'd advise against interviewing here, as they don't seem to care about accommodations and the 'orientation' is actually an interview.

It was short. The first round was a group interview, so take your time and be yourself. They will select candidates for a second interview if they think you'll be successful in the field. After the second interview, you'll go to orientation. There, they'll give you info about the charities and your script.