Interbrand Interview Questions
& Process

It was a very thorough process with multiple stages, about 3 on average. It felt open and positive, structured, supportive, and direct. First, there was a recruiter call and a chat with the direct lead. Then, I met with the direct lead again along with some senior leaders. The final stage was a chemistry session with my immediate colleagues. The mix of formal and informal interviews was good; the formal ones gave a sense of importance and reassurance, while the informal ones really showed the positive and collaborative culture.

Had an interview with a recruiter which was followed by three weeks of silence. Then they said it went well and asked for a "test" assignment that most candidates take 2-3 days to finish. They liked my work. Next were interviews #2 and #3 with potential coworkers, which also went well. The fourth interview was with the group manager and was supposed to be 30 minutes but ended up lasting an hour. After that, there was absolutely nothing and no response for three weeks. I sent a polite email asking for an update, but received no response.

The whole process took a long time, about 2.5 months. Even though the recruiter stayed in touch, I felt like I was being strung along and had to chase them for updates. Some interviews also got rescheduled very last minute. It started with a screener, then a creative assignment, and finally interviews with the hiring managers. I was really let down by one of the hiring managers; they seemed totally disengaged, moving around their living room and lounging on their couch during my final interview. I guess some people are just like that. I would have liked to see the same enthusiasm and professionalism that I brought as a candidate reflected back at me by the interviewer. If they really want you, they'll speed things up. If not, they'll ghost you. If they lose interest, they'll keep you hanging and then disappear when it's convenient for them. I was super excited about Interbrand at first, but I'm glad I'm moving on to a better opportunity where my time and passion are actually valued. Remember to see this process as you interviewing them, not the other way around!

So I had this junior strategy consultant interview. First up was a 30-minute phone call, split evenly between German and English. After that, they invited me to their office in Cologne, though I had to cover my own travel costs. The in-person interview in Cologne lasted about 1.5 to 2 hours, including an hour-long interview and 40 minutes of case work. They said they'd get back to me in a few days, but it took a whole week for me to follow up via email with two employees. Another week passed, and I had to call them again to ask for their decision. Ultimately, they told me they were giving the job to an intern. Throughout this whole thing, they kept trying to offer me an internship, even after I made it clear I wasn't interested. Turns out this 'well-paid' internship was just minimum wage, which is legally required in Germany anyway.