Business Insider General Intern Interview Questions
& Process

Had an initial phone call that went well and I was given the next steps and timeline. But, they didn't send me the editing prompt until I asked, and then after I got the prompts and confirmed, I heard nothing back. I tried to follow up with my interviewer and got ghosted. The prompt took a few hours to complete, and it's unprofessional to waste someone's time before even telling them about the role. It would have been great to get feedback or any reason why they decided not to move forward or why there's a delay in communication.

I thought I had a good chance because my initial HR screening went really well. They liked my ideas and personality and then gave me an edit test. For a 6-month fellowship where getting a job afterwards isn't guaranteed, I wouldn't expect someone to do an 'edit test' that basically means pitching five stories they might use even if they don't hire you. I spent 3-4 hours on it and I've noticed my story ideas on their website. I didn't get the job. I reached the final round with my potential managers, but honestly, they were not welcoming at all, very blunt, rushed me, and were quite abrasive. From what I've heard from friends who work there, they tend to talk about junior hires behind their backs, which makes sense given my experience. It turned out to be a good thing because I would have been unhappy working at Insider. I was devastated for a long time about not getting hired and couldn't bring myself to apply for jobs for three months. They ghosted me after two interviews and making me pitch so much. I found out they hired someone else through a Twitter job announcement. Ultimately, my friends there say it's all about clicks and page views, not real substance or good reporting. They also cut departments that aren't profitable. So, if you're considering applying here, be ready to look for another job during the fellowship, as they only give two weeks' notice before layoffs.

I interviewed for two fellowships. One cut me after the first interview. I received an offer for the other. Each started with a 15-30 minute informal phone interview. About two weeks after the first interview I was contacted to do an edit test in which I had to pitch five stories and write one during a four hour time period. Around a week later I was offered a second interview with two more senior editors. This was a video interview, though still pretty informal. Two weeks later I was offered the position.