The White House Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 42 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Which role are you interviewing for?
10 roles · 42 reportsCandidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at The White House.
The White House
Janitor
Entry Difficult Negative experience Decline offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Onsite
Interview formats
Technical Behavioral
It was pretty much what I expected. Had to clean a lot of rooms, different colors. It was easy to get lost in there. Met some good people and they provided really good tools for the job. It wasn't an easy interview though, had some tricky cleaning questions.
Confirmed questions1 question
- How do you clean a toilet
The White House
Presidential Innovation Fellow
Executive Average Positive experience Decline offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Presentation
You begin by submitting a federal-style resume. Then, there were webinars to attend. Following that, a virtual interview took place, split into two parts with two interviewers each. After this, there would have been agency-specific interviews. Unfortunately, with the change in administration, this program is likely discontinued. I chose not to proceed further after the election results.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Can you share an instance where your understanding of user research or behavior was incorrect?
- Describe a situation where you introduced a new solution or approach in a complex organization, facing resistance from some members.
The White House
Intern
Intern Average Neutral experience Accept offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call
Interview formats
Behavioral
To intern at the Office of Science and Technology Policy, you must apply via the OSTP website. The process can be lengthy as it takes time for the office to get back to you. During the interview, you will be asked about your preferred division to work in. I suggest researching the divisions and their respective policy work.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Why are you interested in interning at OSTP?
- Are you able to commit to the required work hours?
The White House
Scheduler
Entry Average Positive experience Accept offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Background check Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral
Even if your office preferences don't match, they'll contact you if they think you're a good fit. You might hear from multiple offices. Some will email to set up a time, others might just call you out of the blue (no caller ID!). It's really tough to find info on these offices because it's not public. Checking out the website and talking to former White House interns could be super helpful. After the interview, you might not get a response for up to 3 months; people usually hear back around April or May.
Confirmed questions5 questions
- Which presidential initiative do you like the most?
- What would you do if you were walking and POTUS was walking the other way?
- Who's your most admired President?
The White House Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from The White House interview reports.
“How do you clean a toilet”
Read reports →“Who's your most admired President?”
Read reports →“What would you do if you were walking and POTUS was walking the other way?”
Read reports →“What are your thoughts on Trump?”
Read reports →“How would you react if you saw Donald Trump in the hallway?”
Read report →“Can you explain the DHCP process?”
Read report →“What would you say if you ran into Barack Obama in the hallway?”
Read report →“What action would you take if you encountered the President nearby?”
Read report →“What are your opinions on current presidential policies?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 42 The White House interview reports.