Guide
Preparing for a job interview in Rwanda
An interview in Kigali is usually a conversation about the advert you already read. Prepare examples, leave time for traffic, and know what you want to ask.
Before the day
Re-read the advert and the employer's own page. Note the duty station, the contract length if they gave one, and the three tasks they mention most. You will be asked about those, not about a different job you wish they had posted.
Prepare four short stories from your own work or studies:
- A result you can put a number on, even a small one.
- A problem you noticed and what you did.
- A time you worked with people who disagreed.
- Something you did not know and how you learned it.
Each story needs about a minute. Situation, what you did, what changed. Practise out loud in the language you expect. If the advert is in English, assume the interview is in English unless they tell you otherwise. Government panels may switch to Kinyarwanda or French. It is fine to ask which language they prefer at the start.
Getting there
Kigali traffic is the usual reason people arrive late. Leave earlier than the map suggests, and save the office landmark, not only the street name. If it is a video call, test the link the day before and have a phone hotspot ready. Tell them if you drop, then call back. Silence reads as “not interested”.
Dress one step smarter than you think the office dresses. A clean shirt and closed shoes are enough for most NGOs and tech teams. A bank or a ministry panel is more formal. Carry a printed CV even if you already emailed it, plus a pen and a notebook.
In the room
Answer the question they asked. If you do not know, say what you would do to find out. Interviewers in Rwanda often include a practical question: how you would run a stock count, talk to a farmer, or explain a delay to a manager. Walk through the steps.
Questions worth asking them, if they have not already answered:
- Where is the work done on a normal week, and is any of it in the field?
- Is the contract fixed-term or open, and when do they expect someone to start?
- Who would you report to?
- When will they decide, and will they write to people who are not selected?
Salary is reasonable to ask once they have shown they want you, or if the advert invited it. Do not open with it. Do not ask them to guarantee a visa, a loan, or a job for a relative.
Afterwards
If you have an email for the panel, a short thank-you the same day is enough. Restate the role and one thing you can do. Do not send a new CV every two days. If they gave a decision date, wait until a few days after that before you follow up once.
An offer that asks you to pay for a uniform, a training seat, or “file processing” is not a normal hire. Walk away. The same rule is on every Akazi listing: the employer does not need your mobile-money PIN.