Penguin Random House Publicity Assistant Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 24 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Penguin Random House.
Penguin Random House
Publicity Assistant
Entry Average Neutral experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Presentation
So I had a phone interview first, and then I flew up for an in-person interview. The phone interview was with the publicity manager and a publicist. Then for the in-person interviews, I met with those same two people, plus the two publicity directors, and then someone from HR. Since I was a recent grad, they really wanted to know about classes I took that were relevant, and why I wanted to work at Penguin Random House, why publicity, and why that particular department. It was a bit intimidating but overall a good experience. My biggest tip is to be super clear on what you want and why you want to work there. It's also tough to land a job if you don't already live in NYC.
Confirmed questions7 questions
- What are your news sources, particularly for publishing news?
- Can you discuss your past work experiences?
- Describe a mistake you made and how you fixed it.
Penguin Random House
Publicity Assistant
Entry Average Positive experience Accept offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
So the interview process started with a phone interview with HR, then I went in person to meet with the same HR person. After that, I met with the publicists I'd be working with. The questions were pretty much the same in both interviews. Each part was about 30 minutes. For publicity roles, they really want people who are excited and energetic. You shouldn't be shy, and you should totally ask the interviewers questions to get a conversation going.
Confirmed questions6 questions
- Can you tell me about your reading habits?
- What about your internship experiences?
- And your previous job experiences?
Penguin Random House
Publicity Assistant
Entry Average Positive experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Onsite Phone screen
Interview formats
Behavioral
I applied on the website and got a call from HR about two weeks later to schedule an in-person interview in NY. I met with the HR recruiter and two publicists I'd be working with. A few hours after that, HR called to set up a phone call for the next day with a third publicist. I interviewed on Thursday or Friday and then got an email the following Wednesday saying I didn't get the job. Everyone I met was great, and the overall experience was good.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Tell me about a time you faced a challenge and how you dealt with it.
Penguin Random House Publicity Assistant Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Penguin Random House interview reports.
“What genres of books are you interested in reading?”
Read reports →“What are your news sources, particularly for publishing news?”
Read reports →“What do you know about our imprint and our catalogue?”
Read reports →“What would you do if problems arose during an author tour?”
Read reports →“What types of media do you typically engage with?”
Read report →“What makes you want to pursue publicity instead of editorial work?”
Read report →“What are some organizational approaches that are not effective for you?”
Read report →“Why do you want to work in publishing and why publicity?”
Read report →“What are your goals for the next 5 years?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 24 Penguin Random House interview reports.