Columnist Interview Preparation Guide

Download PDF

Being an editor means you get to help people with their writing, and I like to read other people's work. I also just like helping people improve on what they already have.

This question should give you a sense of the content writer’s workstyle. You want someone who’s comfortable committing to deadlines and scheduling check-ins so there are no surprises when the final deliverables arrive.

This question is designed to give you a sense of how thoughtful a content writer is. Good writers should think both about the audience they’re writing for and also what the goal of the project is.

Editors always love hearing a good answer to this question, but they also use it to see if your goals align with the position for which you’re being considered. Answer honestly, but try to connect the dots as much as you can.

I enjoy reading my Toastmasters magazines for inspiration and newspapers so that I can know what is happening in the country.

The magazine industry is a small industry. If you did work with X person, again, KIP (Keep It Positive). Even if you hated X person. Even if he/she made you cry into your Michael Kors tote bag every day. Even if the editor interviewing you says nasty things, just KIP. “Yes, we did work together! I learned a lot by working with her.” Next question!

Great candidates should at least be familiar with a major style guide like the AP Stylebook or Chicago Manual of Style. Consider it a flag if this question elicits no response or an “I play it by ear” response.

A company that specialises in travel writing, that delivers excellent quality writing work, seeks to create a collaboration between writer and company.

A pretty straight-forward question, but now that you know editors like to ask it, think back through your list of clips and use the time to talk about something that sounds really impressive. Maybe it was an investigative piece you wrote for your school’s newspaper, or maybe you interviewed someone really inspiring for your blog. Talk it up! Here, editors really just want to see that you’re passionate about your work.

It’s important to make sure you’re getting the right tool for the job. If you’re looking for someone to write video scripts, you may not want a writer who’s primarily interested in writing listicles.

Since you’re interviewing for a job in publishing, editors want to know that you like to pick up a good book once in a while. Be ready to list off anything interesting you’ve read recently—books, blog posts, magazine articles. But don’t just talk about the magazine where you’re interviewing—editors have special brown-nose detecting powers.

I was once asked if I would be OK with writing the Table of Contents even though it had been years since the page was part of my job description. But I said yes, and got the job, and actually didn’t mind doing it until it was eventually taken off my plate a year or so later. Bottom line: Just say yes. Job descriptions are what you make of them once you get your foot in the door—until then, just prove that you’re someone who is willing to roll up your sleeves and get the job done.

I try my best, nobody is perfect but I like to be on time for anything.

I list in order from the most important to least important.

I almost dealt with similar situations on a weekly and sometimes daily basis during my time as editor at Urban-Econ. I would have got a 40 page report from a Russian manager with a very technical writing style, and needed to edit the entire document in less than an hour. With time, I learned what to look for, and speed read forward and backwards for spelling mistakes, and sentence structuring; however their was no time to waste.

This is a question about judgment. Does the professional understand the difference between drawing on legitimate, thoroughly vetted sources like The New York Times or peer-reviewed journals, compared with unverified sources such as personal blogs?

I love asking this question really early in the interview--it shows me whether the candidate can think quickly on his or her feet, and also reveals the person's level of preparation and strategic thinking.

I often find you can learn more about people from the questions they ask versus the answers they give.

This can be an intimidating question to answer on the spot, but that’s why I’m telling you about it now! Editors typically ask this in a very genuine way—an interview is an easy way for them to get feedback directly from a reader. Brushing up on a few back issues should spark a few ideas (and is good prep overall), but the key here is to use soft, constructive language. Instead of “I hate this,” it’s, “I’d love to see more of this.”

Good writers are also good readers. Great candidates might mention popular writing blogs, major magazines, or novels. The main thing is that they should demonstrate that they’re active and engaged readers.

We tend to assume people who have held a role enjoy all aspects of that role, but I've found that is seldom the case.

Getting an honest answer to the question requires persistence, though. I usually have to ask it a few times in different ways, but the answers are always worth the effort. For instance, I interviewed a sales candidate who said she didn't enjoy meeting new people.

My favorite was the finance candidate who told me he hated dealing with mundane details and checking his work. Next

My greatest strength is also my greatest weakness, I do not give up which means that I am a perfectionist. To improve this I stop, take deep breath and accept the fact that nobody is perfect.

This question helps me get a full picture of the candidate's work history. What keeps the person motivated? Why, if the person has, did the person jump from job to job? And what is the key factor when he or she leaves?

The answer shows me the person's loyalty and reasoning process. Does the person believe someone always keeps him or her down (managers, bosses, etc.)? Does the person get bored easily?

There is nothing inherently wrong with moving from job to job--the reasons are what matters.

☛ At times your work load may feel unmanageable. Describe a time when you recognized that you were unable to meet multiple deadlines. What did you do about it?
☛ Tell us about an idea you started that involved collaboration with your colleagues that improved the business.
☛ When you had extra time available at your last job, describe ways you found to make your job more efficient.
☛ At times you may be asked to do many things at once. Tell me how you would decide what is most important and why.
☛ Tell me a time when you identified a problem with a process and what steps did you take to improve the problem?
☛ What processes or techniques have you learned to make a job easier, or to be more effective? What was your discovery process and how did you implement your idea?
☛ Give me an example of a new idea you suggested to your manager within the last six months. Describe steps you have taken to implement your idea.
☛ Tell me about a time when you went beyond your manager's expectations in order to get the job done.
☛ Tell me about a time when you identified a new, unusual or different approach for addressing a problem or task.
☛ Describe a project or idea (not necessarily your own) that was implemented, or carried out successfully primarily because of your efforts.
☛ How do you react when faced with many hurdles while trying to achieve a goal? How do you overcome the hurdles?
☛ Everyone has good days and bad days at work. Take your time and think back to a really good day you had and tell me why it was a good day.
☛ How do you maintain self-motivation when you experience a setback on the way to achieve your goal? How do you do it?
☛ If you find yourself working with a team that is not motivated, how do you keep yourself motivated and motivate others?
☛ Describe the work environment or culture in which you are most productive and happy.
☛ Tell me about the job position that satisfied you the most. How about the least? What made each one more or less satisfying to you?
☛ What goals, including career goals, have you set for your life?
☛ Describe for me a situation where you had a positive effect on someone. What did you do? How did the other person react? Why do you think what happened, happened?
☛ What is your preferred work style? Do you prefer working alone or as part of a team? What percentage of your time would you allocate to each, given the choice?
☛ Describe the actions and behaviors of your current/former manager or supervisor that you respond to most effectively?

☛ What do you like to read on your own time?
☛ Describe a time you found and pitched your own story.
☛ Share some examples of your best work.
☛ What was your role in putting together [this work sample]?
☛ How do you cope with the stress of tight deadlines?
☛ How do you ensure accuracy in your work?
☛ What publishing software have you used before?
☛ How often do you use social media? Which sites do you use the most?
☛ How would you rate your ability to use technology for storytelling? What are your strengths and weaknesses in this area?
☛ Describe a time you worked with a multidisciplinary team to tell a story.
☛ What do you know about our publication? What could we do better?
☛ Who would you consider to be our competitors?
☛ How familiar are you with our staff writers? Whose work do you follow and why?
☛ What current stories that are relevant to our publication?

☛ Why do you want to become a columnist?
☛ What do you hope to gain in this job?
☛ What will your work add to our publication?
☛ How do you stay up to date with the latest world news?
☛ How do you combat negative feedback from viewers?
☛ How do you work with an editing team?
☛ What is your experience with social media?
☛ Do you prefer working in an office or at home?
☛ What do you believe is your role in the community as a columnist?
☛ How do you work under stress?
☛ Are you looking for a part time or full time job?
☛ If you could start your career over, what would you do and why?
☛ What is your ultimate career goal?
☛ Where do you see yourself five years from now?
☛ Why is this job right for you at this time?
☛ What do you like to write about?
☛ What makes your writing unique?
☛ Why do you believe you are a good fit for the job?
☛ How do you describe your writing style?
☛ Why do you want to write for this newspaper?
☛ Why do you want to live in this city/state/community?
☛ How do you plan on getting readers to read your column each week?
☛ What do you consider your specialty topic to write about?
☛ What credentials do you have to make people trust you?
☛ What are your salary expectations?
☛ What are your benefits expectations?
☛ What is your experience with pagination?