Otter PR Interview Questions
& Process

I applied and got an assessment email within an hour, which took about 45-50 minutes and included a personality test and two essay questions. A week later, I had a Zoom interview with the director of client relations, which went well and led to the next round. I was asked to submit a portfolio, which was reviewed positively. After two weeks of no contact, I reached out and was invited to a second interview at their shared workspace. This in-person interview was with the founders and HR director. The founders were late, and the HR director spoke with me first. When the founders arrived, they seemed distant. They had me present material as if they hadn't seen it, despite prior confirmation. The interview was awkward, with one founder disengaged. They also inquired about my ability to do tasks outside my stated specialization and the job description, which I interpreted as them seeking versatile skills for a growing business. I followed up via email, and although the response was polite, I was informed they weren't expanding the marketing department at the moment and were focusing elsewhere. The whole process took over a month to get this feedback, which felt less than transparent given the initial communication.

The interview process was great at first, I applied through Indeed and immediately got a response with a request to take an aptitude test, which took about 30-40 minutes. After that, I received an email to set up an interview, but then it got cancelled a few days later and they said to reschedule for a few weeks out. I did so, and finally got an interview about a month later. The person I interviewed with told me that we would go forward with next steps in the process, but I never heard back from them for over two weeks even though I sent two follow up emails. I was disappointed with the lack of communication, and the fact that they told me I wasn't fit for the role anymore even though my first interviewer said they would set me up for round 2.

This was by far the most frustrating interview process I’ve encountered. It involved multiple assessments, both before and between interviews, that felt unnecessary, as my portfolio, resume, and references already demonstrated my skills. I was explicitly encouraged to reach out for updates, yet when I did, my emails were ignored for weeks or met with an unexpectedly cold, terse response. At one point, I even wondered if my messages were getting through. After investing significant time and effort, the process ended with a brief rejection email, leaving me feeling that my time and work were not respected. While the interviewers I spoke with were polite, the overall process was disorganized, unnecessarily long, and a cautionary example of what to avoid in recruitment.

The interview was a good experience overall. I met with both founders face-to-face. They were very respectful and receptive, and I felt a good vibe from them from the beginning. After the in-person meeting, I had to write a pitch based on a prompt they gave me. The whole thing went pretty fast and without any issues.