The first interview was a phone call with a managing editor. I received a one-line email asking me to call him. I called and there was no answer, so I emailed and texted. No response there, either. After two more calls, we finally chatted three days later. About a week-and-a-half after the initial interview, I received an email from a "senior recruiter" (SR) congratulating me on being selected to come for an in-person interview.
The email came on a Monday night, and I was asked to come in Tuesday or Wednesday. (I didn't even see the email until Tuesday morning, so I chose Wednesday.) The email specifically asked if there was an issue with coming in-person, and as I don't live in Chicago, I explained that I wouldn't be able to come in person.
I said could do [X] a.m. Wednesday. SR responded to confirm and said he looked forward to speaking. The time for the interview came and went, and I was never contacted again.
I blocked out time for our call and after waiting more than 30 minutes (and having prepared more beforehand), I emailed SR. He didn't respond to my message asking what happened, either. This is all documented on emails that came from official Sun Times accounts.
I never received an apology for the colossal waste of time the whole process was. Even the first interview was very casual and almost uncomfortable. Probably the most unprofessional process I have ever been part of, especially considering how well-known the publication is. This is probably indicative of why Block Club and the Tribune are taking their lunch money every day, and it may be time to change the slogan.
