I interviewed at Penguin Random House (New York, NY) in Mar 2025
Interview
Interviewer was very kind although honest. It went better than I thought, since I was very nervous. By the time I ended the callI was feeling proud of how I did.
They value experience above all other things, which was my issue.
As a college student about to graduate, the truth is I am lacking in experience, which is part of the reason I was shocked to hear back from them.
It took a month for them to answer my submission. I was worried it was a scam, since those are very popular online. The interview lasted for half an hour, give or take. Be yourself and explain what makes you unique as a candidate.
(1) Completed internship with PRH Editorial team.
(2) Applied for role with carefully tailored cover letter and CV.
(3) First round online interview with a robot.
(4) Second round online interview with an editor and senior editor.
(5) Third round interview in person with three senior editors.
(6) Never heard back....
(7) Followed up after 2 weeks only to receive an automated reply.
* I'm a strong candidate and took the process seriously because I cared about the role and was excited to have the opportunity. It is exceptionally disappointing to have been let down by such a respectable company. All that effort and preparation and care for an automated rejection email after silence for two weeks?? Wow. I don't have much else to say.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
All the questions were fair and trying to get to know me. E.g., tell us about yourself, what are you reading at the moment, tell us about your experience.
I applied online. I interviewed at Penguin Random House
Interview
Interviewed over Zoom. Prior to the interview, I had to read a couple of manuscripts and write evaluations of them. They got back to me about their decision within a few days of the interview. I appreciated that they had me practice some of the essential duties of the position and that they did not ghost me.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about a time something didn't go as planned and how you dealt with it.
I applied online. I interviewed at Penguin Random House
Interview
Interview process consisted of three rounds - initial interview , second interview with different members of staff and a third with a task which involved copywriting. The interviews were thorough but the staff were very friendly.