The four kinds of interview you will meet

In Somalia and Somaliland most jobs are decided by one of four kinds of interview, and many employers combine two of them on the same day. Knowing which one is coming is the first step, because each is prepared for differently.

• Panel interview: three to five people ask the same questions to every candidate and score each answer on a sheet. The most common kind for NGOs, UN agencies, banks, telecoms and government.
• Written test: 45 to 90 minutes on paper or a computer, usually before the panel. Common for NGO and UN posts, finance roles and teaching jobs.
• Practical task: an Excel exercise for finance and data jobs, a short lesson for teachers, a coding task for developers, a driving test for drivers, a design brief for designers.
• Phone or online interview: a short screening call from HR first, or a full panel on Zoom or Teams when the manager sits in Nairobi or Geneva.

A common pattern for a programme or finance post at an NGO in Hargeisa or Mogadishu: a 60-minute written test at 9:00, a break while it is marked, and a 40-minute panel for the top five at 11:00. Plan your whole morning, not one hour.