I applied online. I interviewed at American India Foundation (New York, NY) in Apr 2026
Interview
During the interview, one Panelist exited the call unannounced thirty minutes early. I kept being asked questions that could have been answered upon reviewing my resume and application. I felt that no matter what I shared about my previous work experience and years of international development work, that the panel was not interested in learning about me or hearing what I had to say. I kept having to respond to mundane questions that had nothing to do with the duties and responsibilities of the Fellowship.
In preparation for the interview, I was instructed to specifically review the social media accounts and blog posts from former Fellows and be prepared to discuss their projects, my interests in them, and how they could relate to work that I might want to do as a Fellow. I was never asked about any of the social media accounts during the interview even though I was instructed to do so. I spent a lot of time reviewing the blogs posts from former Fellows and was prepared to discuss them, only to never be asked about them.
After the interview had concluded, I wrote a well thought-out “thank you” email addressed to the whole panel. I never received any confirmation that my email was received or any assurance that my thank you email was shared with the other panelists. It was later confirmed that my thank you email was never dispersed.
I applied online. I interviewed at American India Foundation (New Delhi) in Jun 2022
Interview
This was by far the most unprofessional experience I've ever had. After enduring seven rounds of interviews, things took a turn for the worse. The HR department kept promising to send the contract, but then they just disappeared on me. It felt like a rollercoaster of hope and disappointment.
And the reference check? It was just plain disrespectful. They asked intrusive questions about my personal life, like whether I had family issues that could mess with my job. What's even more frustrating is that my mentor and referee shared the details with me, and it was shocking and upsetting.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Can you work overtime? What are the maximum hours you have worked
You will usually ask to fill an online Google form and on its basis you will be asked for a further round of interview. The process usually takes 2-3 rounds.