maslansky + partners Interview Questions
& Process

The process spanned over a month and involved multiple interview rounds with different team members, including HR and a VP. Additionally, I was asked to complete a Writing Assessment and a personality test (Rembrandt).

I applied for the role and heard back about 2 months later, with the whole process taking about 3 months from start to finish. First, there was a 30-minute phone screening with HR that went super well; they were really good about keeping me updated, which is a rare treat these days. After that, I had a take-home written assignment to do, and then an interview with an SVP that lasted a bit over an hour. Even though the interviews seemed to go fine, they ended up going with other candidates. It's a bit weird though, because the job's been up for 4 months now and they still haven't filled it, making me wonder if these are just ghost listings and they aren't actually looking to hire anyone right now.

The initial phone screening was pretty standard. But the in-person interview was a mess and went on forever. I had four different senior people interview me, one after the other, each for an hour. It was a four-hour ordeal with the same questions asked over and over. It would have made more sense for them to all meet with me at once for an hour and actually coordinate their questions. They all said they'd ask different things based on what they were looking for, but one guy had zero questions prepared and was just making them up on the spot. This unprepared interviewer 'tested' me by having me look at a drink machine and analyze it using a torn piece of paper he provided to explain my analysis. He said this analysis was for a client and would show 'how I thought.' He immediately took my analysis on a receipt and went back to his desk. I started to realize this was a marketing agency more interested in catchy marketing phrases and focus groups than actual language analysis. At the end, the HR person asked me about working with pharmaceuticals, which was a big red flag and surprised me. She must have noticed my reaction and started explaining they were expanding into that area. Ultimately, I didn't get the job, but I think it was for the best for everyone involved.

I had a phone interview where they asked me about my past experiences mentioned in my cover letter. They also asked some behavioral questions. The main focus was to understand my background, and they also asked a couple of questions specifically about Language Strategy. One question about a specific word choice was a bit tricky because I wasn't expecting it.