New York State Department of Labor Interview Questions
& Process

Because this is a NY State job, they have to post it for a while and interview a certain number of people. The people who interview you aren't the ones you'll talk to about the job. The interview was pretty basic, but expect a delay in hearing back about the next steps. It took about three weeks for them to get back to me.

After a quick call to confirm the interview, I went in for an in-person interview with a panel of four people. We had to do a 5-minute presentation, and I got to choose if I wanted to go first or last. They asked about 15 questions, and the whole thing took about an hour and 15 minutes. There wasn't another interview, they just picked who they wanted and sent the rest to Albany.

To get a permanent job, you need to take a civil service test and get a high score to be at the top of the list. Then, if a location has an opening, they'll send you a letter asking if you're interested. If you are, they'll likely call you for an interview where they'll ask about your experience, customer service skills, how you work in a team, your assignments, and computer skills. But honestly, even if you get an interview, they probably already have someone in mind because of how civil service exams work for the top scorers. They pick the person with the highest score, so if you're third on the list with a score of 80, you won't get picked. The person with the better score gets the job. Your interview was just a formality.

This was a promotional interview, so it covered everything from my last 10 years, like my attitude, ethics, workload, ability to multitask, quality of work, interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, stress management, critical thinking, program development, and technical abilities. Ultimately, showing how much I wanted the job and what I'd do to get it made the difference – like coming prepared and proving my value!