1. Tell us how do you keep up to date on your target market?
Even if the target market of their last job is totally different than that of the one they're interviewing for, this will show you their ability to find and keep up to date with relevant trade publications and blogs.
2. Tell me how do you research prospects before a call or meeting? What information do you look for?
Neglecting to use LinkedIn to research clients is not a viable option in today's sales environment. Ensure that candidates are searching for personal commonalities in addition to professional information so they can tailor their communication as much as possible. Looking into company trigger events would be the cherry on top.
3. Tell us your Strong and Weak points?
Although this question is normally asked in a written submission but it's quite relevant as it can be used to convey a good impression when handled with tack. Obviously you will easily jot down your strong points like organic SEO writing, discipline, creativity, originality, consistency, team work and so on but what about the weak points. Aha..here lies the sticky point. Write the weak points in such a manner that they seem like your strong ones. For instance you may say/write that you are a stickler for deadlines, grammar, creativity and originality and so on. Just remember you should only convey such points which will either give a good or neutral impression and not any negative one.
4. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now as News Writer?
As a successful writer possessing wide experience and ability to consistently write high quality write-ups that are relevant yet simple to grasp. Anything you might want to add here.
5. Tell me can you write in someone else's voice?
Some people are brilliant writers when expressing their own opinions or narrative. However, if you ask them to write for a specialized manufacturing facility, for example, they may struggle to alter their personal styles to fit the more technical perspectives required by the company. Ask to see samples of work your candidate has written and examine the voice and tone of the pieces. If there are various clients or topics he or she has written for, do they all sound the same? Or was the writing style adapted to accomodate how various clients wanted to come across?
6. Tell us what types of content have you worked with before?
In order to determine whether or not your candidate will be able to create all the different types of content for your company (e.g., blogs, emails, landing pages, etc.), you should figure out what kind of content creation experience they've had in the past. If they've already written hundreds of blogs, you know you can trust them to write one for you. Ask for a portfolio to see examples of their previous work.
7. Please write a short article on the given topic (test)?
As a candidate for content writing job this small test is to be expected. But don't get nervous, remembering that you have written enough content previously (even if you have no formal work exp.) to write the small piece. Be cool and calm and take your time to write a good, simple, relevant article without any grammatical errors. Any error will definitely give a negative impression, so avoid it like plague.
8. Tell us what was/is the profile in your previous/present company?
This question is relevant only for candidates with previous content writing experience. If you have written on variety of topics then it will be definitely better than having written just one type of content as most companies want writers for all types of writing jobs and not just one or two. Still, hardcore technical writers will not be expected to have a wide writing range except for their own domain. For others it's advantageous to present yourself as generic content writer and not specialized unless the job demands so; for instance, travel writing job. Apart from the writing part also mention other associated responsibilities like, finding keywords, URL suggestion, title tags, page layout decisions, content selection, handling a team, editing etc.
9. Tell us what is your favorite place in this city?
The Lincoln Park Zoo.
11. Tell me how you would add to our publication?
I put my energy and knowledge to your esteemed institution.
Certain companies and roles call for people better at farming or hunting, but look out for a person who performs one of these tasks to the exclusion of the other. Both are vital to selling well.
14. Tell me if I told you, our writers must write in a blog, would you be okay with that?
Yes, for me being a journalist is being everywhere. As long as there are readers hungry for truth, I will be there- writing.
15. Explain me how would you approach a short sales cycle differently than a long sales cycle?
Short cycles call for reps that can close quickly, and long sales cycles require a much more careful, tailored approach. They're drastically different, and your candidate should recognize this.
16. Explain me do you know something about Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
Although content writers aren't supposed to know much about SEO but if they do it's a added bonus because writing and SEO go hand-in-hand and website popularity depends on the right balance between the two and not just one of them. Obviously if you have mentioned SEO as one of your skills then be prepared for some searching SEO questions from the interviewer. Even if you mention SEO as a separate skill as distinct from SEO content writing, mention it after your writing skill and not before that. But handle all SEO related questions with tact. If the interviewer just has some basic SEO knowledge then you can convince him/her quite easily by talking about on-page and off-page optimization but if the interviewer has in depth knowledge then you will need more than just SEO basics. So it's advisable to state upfront your comfort level with all things SEO.
17. Do you know what are some ways you optimize your content for SEO?
Just like it's important for copywriters to know what they're talking about, it's also important that they know how to say it. Because your content will be primarily published online, you'll want to hire someone who knows how to maximize SEO with the use of long-tail keywords, attention-getting headlines, meta descriptions, reputable links and image alt text. Of course, it won't be hard to teach a good writer how to do this, but understanding these practices and having experience using them never hurts.
18. What is your favorite writing topic?
Social Issues.
19. Please explain what role does social media play in your selling process?
Social selling is becoming more important in all industries. If the candidate has not used social channels to research prospects or look for leads in the past, make sure they have a willingness to learn.
20. Explain me will you complete a writing assignment?
An interview with a potential copywriter is an audition. Don't be afraid to give them a writing assignment, and give them a couple days to complete it. That will give them time to research your topic and give you an opportunity to see how well they grasp your industry and, more importantly, their technical skills and style. Is their submission riddled with industry speak and jargon, poor grammar, or bad flow from one thought to the next? Their writing assignment may reveal more about him or her than a portfolio full of previously written works.
21. Top 15 News Writer Job Interview Questions:
☛ What are your current writing projects?
☛ How do you manage deadlines and priorities?
☛ How much do you write about our industry?
☛ How do you handle writing about “boring” topics?
☛ How do you capture a brand's voice?
☛ What is your experience with community management and social media?
☛ What are some of your favorite social media tools?
☛ What is your experience with analytics, metrics and tracking content success?
☛ How do you make content SEO-friendly?
☛ What is your approach to keyword research?
☛ What is your experience in technical writing?
☛ How do you research a target audience?
☛ What is your experience with non-text content (images, infographics, etc.)?
☛ Are you familiar with the Penguin and Hummingbird algorithm updates? How did they affect your content strategy?
☛ What do you know about our company?
22. Role-specific News Writer Job Interview Questions:
☛ Why do we invest in producing content that we give away for free?
☛ How do you think people discover our content?
☛ What's the importance of voice for a brand?
☛ How would you go about giving voice to a brand?
☛ If I told you you need to make 50 pieces of content per week what would you say?
☛ How many pieces of content do you think you could deliver in a week?
☛ How would you go about prioritizing one piece of content over another?
☛ What new content would you recommend for our marketing operation?
☛ How do you go about improving SEO for content?
☛ What's the value of an infographic?
23. Operational News Writer Job Interview Questions:
☛ There can be a considerable amount of repetitive work - how would you stay motivated?
☛ How do you maintain attention to detail?
☛ How do you approach proof-reading material?
☛ What would you expect from us as your employer to keep you motivated?
☛ Tell us how your background and experience makes you a fit for this role?
☛ What do you know about this company?
☛ Who are our customers are and where are they located?
☛ Where would you ideally see yourself a year from now and in three years from now?
24. Please explain what's worse: Not making quota every single month or not having happy customers?
Depending on your company's goals, either answer could be the right one. But beware of reps who will prioritize quota over truly giving customers what they need -- or withholding from them what they don't.
25. Tell me have you worked on a writing team before?
When you work as a copywriter for a company, sometimes a project will pass through five different sets of hands before it's ready for publication. When that's the case, it's important to hire a candidate who's comfortable writing in a team environment and is willing and eager to receive constructive feedback. Likewise, if you're looking for a candidate that can shoulder the weight of the content creation duties alone, make sure he or she has prior experience being the sole lead/project manager.
