Human Rights Watch Mock Interview

Master 35 Human Rights Watch interview questions covering advocacy, research ethics, and crisis response.

WRITTEN BY ISAIAH SWANSON
QUESTION 1 OF 35

Why do you want to work in the nonprofit sector when you can earn more money working in a profit driven corporate environment?

Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson is a volunteer recruitment professional who has interviewed, trained, and supervised thousands of volunteers supporting dozens of nonprofit programs helping families in crisis, homebound seniors, and victims of natural disasters.
How to Answer

Many nonprofit organizations cannot afford to pay the big salaries of profit-driven organizations. The interviewer wants to know that you are okay with potentially earning less than the average person in your field. Talk to the interviewer about an experience that illustrates your passion for the specific work of Human Rights Watch.

Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson is a volunteer recruitment professional who has interviewed, trained, and supervised thousands of volunteers supporting dozens of nonprofit programs helping families in crisis, homebound seniors, and victims of natural disasters.
Example Answer

"Although salary and benefits are important to me, I derive the most satisfaction in my career if I am passionate about the work I am doing. I am grateful for the research skills I developed during my time as an intern with a large real estate firm, but it was my time using those skills to create a stakeholder-focused development plan for a small village in Uganda that gave me a purpose. At the end of the day, I want to come home knowing that my work contributed to the improvement of humanity in some small way. That brings me a much greater sense of fulfillment than I ever had when I made more money."

Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson is a volunteer recruitment professional who has interviewed, trained, and supervised thousands of volunteers supporting dozens of nonprofit programs helping families in crisis, homebound seniors, and victims of natural disasters.
Example Answer 2

"Every person needs money to survive, and I am no different. What makes me unique, however, is my motivation for working hard. When I come to work, I want to be focused on the mission. For every task I set my mind to, I want to contextualize its place within the overall mission of the organization. This allows me to see the measurable, positive impact my work has on the lives of others, and this gives me the fulfillment I seek in life."

Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson is a volunteer recruitment professional who has interviewed, trained, and supervised thousands of volunteers supporting dozens of nonprofit programs helping families in crisis, homebound seniors, and victims of natural disasters.
Avoid This

Avoid being overly negative about money in your response. Acknowledge that while money and benefits are important, you are not exclusively motivated by the desire to make money. Then, highlight your connection to the mission without diminishing the motivations of others. This is an opportunity to share the values that motivate you rather than those that do not.

Talk with humility when explaining these values. You want to be confident and proud of the things that motivate you, but you also want to be careful not to use self-righteous language.

Previous Question Next Question

35 Human Rights Watch Interview Questions & Answers

Jump to any question in the set.

01 Why do you want to work in the nonprofit sector when you can earn more money working in a profit driven corporate environment? DISCOVERY 02 Although we don't offer many volunteer opportunities with Human Rights Watch, we do have a robust internship program and want to work with individuals who value volunteerism. Walk me through your volunteer experience. DISCOVERY 03 At Human Rights Watch, we aim to hire individuals who can wear many different 'hats' in our organization. What other job functions could you perform? OPERATIONAL 04 How do you encourage generosity in others, whether it be their ability to contribute financially or with their time? SITUATIONAL 05 At Human Rights Watch we want people on our development team with a strong affinity for sales and fundraising . Have you ever had a fundraising target from a previous nonprofit employer, and how did you hit that target? SITUATIONAL 06 At Human Rights Watch, we want to hire those who are passionate about reporting global human rights abuses. How do you connect with this aspect of our mission? DISCOVERY 07 We want to know what you are passionate about. If you could work for any cause, what would you choose? DISCOVERY 08 In your opinion, how can Human Rights Watch continue to leverage social media in its fundraising efforts? TECHNICAL 09 Do you know anyone who has worked for Human Rights Watch before? What kind of feedback have you received on our organization? OPERATIONAL 10 Do you have experience recruiting interns and/or volunteers? While Human Rights Watch does not rely on a great amount of volunteer labor, we do pride ourselves on our internship program. DISCOVERY 11 In your opinion, what are the greatest challenges in our global community? DISCOVERY 12 Many nonprofits take an apologetic approach when asking for funding. What is your fundraising approach? SITUATIONAL 13 Do you have experience with writing grant proposals? TECHNICAL 14 Tell me about your greatest work-related accomplishment. SITUATIONAL 15 Tell me about a contribution you made to the last team you worked on. SITUATIONAL 16 Give me an example of a time you went above and beyond. SITUATIONAL 17 Salaries are not typically as competitive with nonprofits as they are with corporate positions. What are your salary expectations? DISCOVERY 18 Do you feel performance should be rewarded over experience? SITUATIONAL 19 What is your philosophy regarding work-life balance? DISCOVERY 20 How do you prioritize multiple projects when they all seem equally important? OPERATIONAL 21 Tell me about a time when you took the initiative to improve work related procedures. OPERATIONAL 22 Rate your communication skills from 1-10 with proper examples backing your given rating. DISCOVERY 23 Would you say you are a better verbal or written communicator? SITUATIONAL 24 What experience do you have using team-based messaging applications? TECHNICAL 25 How do you like to encourage ideas in others? SITUATIONAL 26 At nonprofits like Human Rights Watch, budgeting is an important part of our financial reality. How have you managed a tight budget in the past? OPERATIONAL 27 When have you shown great integrity at work? DISCOVERY 28 On a scale from 1 to 10, how honest are you? DISCOVERY 29 Have you ever been advised by a fellow employee or supervisor to lie about a situation? How did you handle this ethical dilemma? SCENARIO 30 Human Rights Watch is a fast-paced environment where employees often juggle multiple projects and responsibilities. How do you handle stress on the job? SITUATIONAL 31 Are you applying for any other jobs? DISCOVERY 32 How does Human Rights Watch fit into your professional development plan? SITUATIONAL 33 Do you have any additional questions about Human Rights Watch and the work we do globally? DISCOVERY 34 What unique experiences, skills, or characteristics do you have that you believe would make you a valuable asset to Human Rights Watch? DISCOVERY 35 What suggestions do you have for Human Rights Watch to improve as an organization? OPERATIONAL
Isaiah Swanson
Written by Isaiah Swanson
35 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS · HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
See membership