Refinery29 Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 57 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Which role are you interviewing for?
26 roles · 57 reportsCandidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Refinery29.
Refinery29
Editor
Mid Average Negative experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Take home
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
An HR rep from the company contacted me, and we set up an initial phone conversation. After that, I had a Zoom interview with the hiring manager. Soon after, I was given a long edit test to finish. The edit test was long but typical. After I sent it in, the company ghosted me for over a month. I sent two follow-ups after three weeks of no response about the position, about a week and a half apart. I ended up contacting the hiring editor who told me they had moved on with another candidate. This is the second time this brand ghosted me after an interview / edit test process. Given how long these edit tests take, I wish the HR reps would have had the decency to send an email informing us of the status of our interview process. It was frustrating, to say the least.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Can you bring any freelancer relationships to this role?
- What makes you want to work for Refinery?
Refinery29
Director
Director Average Negative experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Technical Other
The HR aspect of the process felt disorganized. I found myself needing to chase them for updates, and at times, felt completely ignored. There was this anxiety-inducing cycle where HR would assure me I was a lock, only for delays to pop up later. It seemed like hiring decisions were influenced by internal popularity rather than qualifications. A positive moment was my conversation with the EIC. However, other interviewers throughout the process gave off a vibe of exclusion, and HR didn't seem to offer any support or explanation.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- What are your general thoughts on X?
- Could you complete this edit test?
- We have a few more interviews lined up for you.
Refinery29
Marketing
Entry Average Negative experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Take home Presentation Panel
Interview formats
Case Presentation Behavioral
It started with a phone interview, then I was given a case study. After that, I met with two people, a manager and an SVP, to present and discuss the case study. The interview itself was fine; they gave really positive feedback and said they wanted me to come back and meet more people from the team and they'd be in touch soon. I sent a thank you email right after and then a follow-up a couple of weeks later. It's been almost 3 months with no response, and they actually used my proposal from the case study online about a month ago. Super disappointing and unprofessional.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- Can you share some ideas about branding?
- What thoughts do you have on engagement strategies?
- What are your thoughts on potential partnerships?
Refinery29
Editorial Intern
Intern Average Positive experience Accept offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Take home Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral Presentation
I reached out to someone I know who used to intern at Refinery29 and they passed my resume to an editor who was in charge of hiring interns. I then had a phone interview with that editor. During the call, she asked about my previous internships and how I'd use those skills at R29. After the call, she asked for story ideas and writing samples. I sent those over a few days later, and got an offer a day or two after submitting them.
Confirmed questions4 questions
- Tell me about your past internship experience.
- How will you apply your previous skills to R29?
- What are your story pitches?
Refinery29 Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Refinery29 interview reports.
“Can you write code to detect if two words are anagrams?”
Read reports →“Who's a celeb or influencer that you feel embodies the R29 brand?”
Read reports →“Which celebrities do you believe align with the Refinery29 brand image?”
Read reports →“How would you edit this video for Snapchat?”
Read reports →“What are your go-to beauty brands?”
Read report →“What distinguishes Refinery29 from its competitors?”
Read report →“What is your favorite thing about Refinery 29?”
Read report →“What's your take on Refinery29?”
Read report →“What do you like best and least about Refinery's Snapchat?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 57 Refinery29 interview reports.