I started out as an intern at the Aspen Institute and worked my way up. The best way to get hired is via internal reference. They will look for internal hires before looking for external hires (and even with external hires, as most jobs in Washington go, it IS about who you know).

Made it to the second round with the program associate and program director. Neither of them were particularly good interviewers. There would be long pauses where they would just stare at me and say out loud, "hmm what should I ask next?" Plus, every question I asked at the end, he would answer, "I don't really know how to answer that." It was very clear they had already decided not to hire me, and felt as if they didn't want to waste their time talking to me. Asked questions with no ryhme or reason.