Penguin Random House Sales Representative Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 14 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Penguin Random House.
Penguin Random House
Sales Assistant
Entry Average Positive experience Accept offer 4 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
I had four interviews total. First was a pre-interview with the recruiter, then I spoke with the Hiring Manager. The last two interviews were with the team members I'd be working with.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- What makes you interested in this position?
- What is your proficiency level with Excel and PowerPoint?
- Describe your methods for organizing your email inbox.
Penguin Random House
Sales Assistant
Entry Average Neutral experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
I applied online and heard back from the recruiter pretty quickly, within 5 days. They did an initial screen with some questions. Then I had an interview with the manager the following Monday over Teams. She went into a lot of detail about the role and seemed really focused on finding someone with strong Excel skills and good bookkeeping knowledge. It was a good conversation.
Confirmed questions7 questions
- Can you tell me about your strengths?
- Describe a situation where you encountered a challenge.
- What do you consider your most significant achievements?
Penguin Random House
Sales Representative
Entry Difficult Negative experience No offer 4 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Take home Presentation Group Technical screen
Interview formats
Technical Presentation Behavioral
I went through four interviews for this sales role. Three of those interviews involved multiple people asking questions, which felt like overkill. The process included a take-home assignment where I had to prepare a sales pitch for two provided books within a week. I had to suggest a sales number for the books, acting as a book buyer, even without historical data. The final conversation was with the VP, who asked for unique ideas for the publishing industry, suggesting younger people might have fresh perspectives. I felt uncomfortable, suspecting he was mining interviewees for ideas. He also asked a lot about my current job's organization, which seemed like he was trying to get competitive intelligence. Ultimately, they didn't hire anyone externally and opted for an internal reorganization, which makes four interviews seem like a waste of time.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- I was given two books and a week to prepare a sales pitch for them, acting as a book buyer and suggesting a sales figure without any historical data.
- The VP asked if I had any disruptive or unique ideas for the publishing industry.
Penguin Random House Sales Representative Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Penguin Random House interview reports.
“What is your understanding of accounting principles?”
Read reports →“Can you tell me about a challenge publishers are currently facing in the independent bookstore market?”
Read reports →“What kinds of books do you typically read?”
Read reports →“What are the biggest hurdles you see for Penguin?”
Read reports →“Describe your methods for organizing your email inbox.”
Read report →“What is your motivation for wanting to work in publishing?”
Read report →“How do you manage your time and tasks?”
Read report →“What is your proficiency level with Excel and PowerPoint?”
Read report →“What is your motivation for wanting to work at Penguin Random House?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 14 Penguin Random House interview reports.