BuzzFeed Journalist Interview Questions
& Process

So I initially applied for an Intern role, but when I showed up, they were actually looking for a full-time staffer, which was even better! I had an employee referral that helped me get the interview, but that was pretty much it. The first interview was basically to go over my resume and experience. The second interview was more about checking if I'd be a good culture fit, so I met with other managers and talked about which BuzzFeed content I liked the most. The third stage was a phone interview with HR for negotiations. They really emphasized culture fit, so it's important to just be yourself and not be too rigid.

The interview process included an edit test, a phone interview, and an in-person interview. The company seemed nice initially, but it's a competitive place and they seemed a bit arrogant. It's one thing to not get a job due to high competition in the media industry, but it's another to be rude to applicants. After the final interview, I was promised to hear back within a week. Six weeks later, I still hadn't heard back, even after a follow-up where I was promised an answer a second time within two weeks. This was especially surprising since they tweeted about needing more applicants the day after my interview. They had also mentioned in the interview that they wanted to be taken seriously as a professional news organization. In all my experience in this industry, this is the only time I've encountered such treatment, and it might explain why they aren't taken as seriously.

The hiring process was quite simple. After I applied to a job posting online, a recruiter reached out. The initial recruiter call was brief, and they asked about my background and if I had experience with fast-paced projects. Following that, I had an in-person interview that lasted about 30 minutes. It felt relaxed, and the atmosphere made it seem like everyone was on an equal footing.