Texas Department of Criminal Justice Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was pretty simple. First there was a pre-screening call, then the actual interview, and finally orientation. It all took about a month and a half. The orientation was two days long, very informative, and everyone had to go.

I was interviewed by a panel of 4 people, and the team lead of the department I would be joining was among them, to see if I could be promoted to a supervisory position in that department. The interview focused heavily on my understanding of the department's policies and procedures, and how I would manage specific situations that might come up during work. Having done prior research, knowledge, and study of the policies and procedures was very beneficial.

It was a bit tough, I went in thinking I was interviewing for an admin assistant role, but it turned out to be for a mail room clerk. They expect you to deliver a closing statement at the end of the interview, which I wasn't ready for.

So I had an interview scheduled for 1:15 pm at the Holliday Unit in Huntsville, TX. When I got there, there were a lot of people waiting to be interviewed. While I was waiting, I overheard the lady who signed me in telling another employee that they had 50 interviews because 50 people applied, which seemed like a red flag because they weren't actually looking to see who was most qualified. I waited around 30 minutes and was finally called in for my interview. It was the warden of the Holliday Unit and the supervisor of the administrative department conducting the interview. When the interview started, the warden asked me, “Briefly describe a difficult situation and how you handled it.” I started to give my answer, trying to explain myself thoroughly to give them solid information about myself and my work experience. While I was explaining, the warden cut me off mid-sentence and said, “You’re giving me too much information...” Keep in mind, I was competing against 50 other candidates, so I was really trying to give as much information about my experience as possible to stand out and try to get the position. She cut me off during a later question because they were really only looking for one-word answers. Their faces showed no interest in being there, and they seemed to be rushing. I honestly think they already had someone picked out (someone they know personally, a friend) and were basically wasting the time of 50 people. I've never seen a company not want to know your experience and what you have to offer. I'm sorry, but you won't get to know me with one-word/sentence answers, especially with 50 people applying. This interview took place in December 2020.