Ketchum Account Manager Interview Questions
& Process

Applied for an Account Supervisor role in the US. Got a call from NYC HR about 2 weeks later to confirm my interest. First interview was a 30-minute call with an NYC-based VP-level recruiter to go over my resume and learn about the job. About a month later, I got to the next round and had 30-minute phone calls with each of the five team members I'd be working with. They asked general questions, not really tied to my resume, and seemed unprepared. Some questions were funny, way off base, and didn't acknowledge I was overqualified. About a month after that, I got to the next round (making it a 4-month process so far), after chasing the recruiter multiple times for updates, who mostly ignored me. This time, I went to the office and met the same team members, asked the same questions, and sent thank-you notes that were never acknowledged. After another month of chasing them, I made it to the final round. They ended up offering the job to someone else. Overall, a 5-month hiring process for an Account Supervisor is a huge red flag.

Everyone I met at Ketchum was a rock star. The company is known for developing smart young professionals who often move on but many return. The process was straightforward, efficient, and informative regarding timelines, when subsequent meetings would happen, and who I'd be meeting. I spoke with an HR person from NY who felt very connected to the LA office. I then met the woman who would be my supervisor, and she was very direct with me throughout, which I really appreciated. It was the most seamless interview process I've ever experienced, not necessarily the easiest, but definitely the smoothest.

I worked with a recruiter first, then had a phone interview. After that, I met with three team members together for an hour. This was a panel interview, which I don't prefer. The two less senior members deferred to the most senior person and seemed disengaged. They also talked a lot about the person who previously held the role and expressed sadness over their departure, which I found off-putting. Before the interview, there was a lot of back and forth about client needs. I sent a follow-up email after the interview but didn't hear back from any team member.