SBCSS Interview Questions
& Process

So the process was okay at first, I got scheduled for an interview and had to do a portfolio submission which took forever because they wanted very specific things. When I showed up for the interview, they were running late. I walk in and it's a panel interview, which they didn't tell me about beforehand, would have been nice to know. Lots of 'what would you do' type questions, which I think I handled okay. Then they made me design a flyer in 30 minutes, which is super tight but I got it done. Then it was radio silence for a week, and they only let me know I was rejected after I nudged them for an update. Also, I didn't get a vibe of diversity from this place, so just a heads up.

First I sent in my resume via email through EdJoin. Then, I took a written test with about 30 other people. You only needed to get a 70% to pass, and the interviewers wouldn't even see your score, just that you passed. After that, I got an email saying I passed the test, and then another email saying I got an interview. Finally, I had a panel interview with two women; one was my potential direct supervisor, and the other was a supervisor from another department. It really felt like they already had someone in mind for the job, which is common for government positions. They have to interview others for legal reasons, but from the start, it was clear I didn't have a chance, even though I was dressed professionally and had good experience and education. They told me upfront that the interview was only 20 minutes, so I should be mindful of that when answering. It was like a quick cattle call, moving people in and out before picking the internal person they'd already decided on.

It was a panel interview with five people. One person asked the questions while the others seemed disengaged, just looking at their papers and taking notes. The interviewer read questions directly from a sheet, and it wasn't a back-and-forth conversation. After answering each question, we moved on. The interview lasted 25 minutes, so about 5 minutes per question. When I asked for feedback later, I was told they wanted 'fresher' ideas, making me wonder if my age was an issue. It also seemed like they were looking for someone willing to work evenings and weekends so other staff could have regular day shifts. I asked the supervisor a question, and her vague, uninterested response made me doubt her leadership. Probably for the best I didn't get the job.

You have to pass the data quality technician test with a 75% or better to move on. If you pass, the next step is the interview. I applied August 13th and got an invitation to test 10 days later. Then I got invited to interview on September 9th, so it took almost a month from applying to interviewing. It's a panel interview with 5-6 people, and it lasts 20 minutes, which is the time they give you. The panel was friendly.