Book of the Month Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was long with a bunch of steps: First, a "Pre-screening assessment" (IQ test) and a self-recorded video interview. Then, a Zoom interview with the recruiter, followed by a Zoom interview with a designer. After that, a design project and a personality assessment, both very detailed. Then, a meeting with a designer to discuss the design project and provide feedback. Following that, I revised the design project based on the feedback. Finally, a round of interviews at the office where I met with four people for 30 minutes each. Everything was going great until then. The people I spoke with were nice, enthusiastic, and thorough. I felt good about my chances, especially since I was overqualified. Right after the fourth and final in-person interview, the CEO wanted to have a last-minute meeting. Luckily, they had scheduled an extra 30 minutes "just in case." The CEO had an intense vibe and asked questions that were pretty patronizing and elitist (which made sense later; some of the people I interviewed with went to Harvard, and another went to a top art school). The next day, I noticed they had reposted the job on LinkedIn the day before my final interview, which really showed the company's integrity. The following week, they emailed me saying they decided to go in a different direction and didn't give a reason, even when I asked. The whole thing took over a month, though the holidays took up about a week. I know getting a corporate job is super competitive now, but the whole process felt self-important, overdone, and honestly disrespectful of my time and energy. I think I dodged a major bullet.

It was not extremely hard, but there were a lot of steps. The interviews were easy enough - mostly behavioral and general questions. However, it felt like there were so many online assessments. I had to take one at the beginning of the process and two more after my interview. I also hated the video responses they made me do. It feels very impersonal. They also have a very extensive case study step, but they pay (not much but something at least).

I went through a pretty detailed application process for the Editorial Assistant Rotational Program at Book of the Month. It involved meeting with people from different departments, submitting a written application, taking an online timed test, and doing several interview rounds plus a project. Each step gave me a better idea of the actual job, what kind of learning and leadership works well there, and how the apprenticeship mentoring is structured. The Book of the Month website says they're dynamic, ambitious, and intentional, and my interview experience showed that these qualities are key to everything they do, including hiring. By the time I got an offer, I felt really sure I was a good fit for the role and the company because the whole process was so specific, challenging, and supportive.

It was a 5 step process, but I only made it to step 2. The first step was a video interview with 3 basic questions and a 2 minute response time limit. Then I had an interview with their in-house recruiter where she asked about my design experience. She also mentioned that BOTM is transitioning to a full return-to-office policy and that Q4 is their busiest period. The next steps were an interview with their only Product Designer, a paid take-home test, and finally an in-person interview where you get to see the office. They really focus on ensuring you're a good fit for them and they're a good fit for you.