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      Penguin Random House

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      Copywriter/SEO Manager Interview

      29 Aug 2018
      Anonymous interview candidate
      London, England
      No offer
      Negative experience
      Average interview

      Application

      I applied online. I interviewed at Penguin Random House (London, England)

      Interview

      I was contacted by Penguin's HR after sending them my C.V. for a copywriter position. They asked me to perform a written assignment - choosing two books from their back catalog and producing an SEO summary of both books, with a list of keywords use and an explanation of why I'd chosen these two particular titles. I sent the assignment back to HR and received a prompt response that they would be in touch soon to advise on next steps. From thereon, however, I never heard anything back from them. Contacted HR twice to ask if there was any feedback. Both emails were ignored. Given the assignment took a considerable amount of time (2 days) and meant sacrificing other work I could have been getting on with, I thought this was bad mannered and demonstrated a lack of integrity. Obviously, no reasonable candidate expects to receive personally tailored feedback to every piece of work they submit, though a simple "Sorry, this position has already been filled. We do not have any feedback at the time" takes all of 5 seconds to type out and send off. Summary: In my experience, this inability to communicate at the first hurdle is usually an indicator of something dysfunctional in the wider culture. This may not always be the case, but I've often found a strong correlation between the two. I would not therefore apply to any other jobs with this company in the future.

      Interview questions [1]

      Question 1

      They asked me about my previous experience and about my qualifications.
      Answer question
      2