Static Media Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was pretty straightforward, mostly checking if my background and skills fit the role. They asked me to give example answers for situations I'd face at work. Also, they gave me a few days to think about their offer.

So, I have 7 years writing blogs and landing pages for DIY/home improvement, plus I worked with a Fortune 500 company on their landing pages. Applying for a Features Writer role at House Digest, I figured I was a lock. I knew about the company's Glassdoor reviews but still went for it, thinking it'd be easy money given my DIY knowledge. The phone interview happened, and the interviewer went over everything. I asked what stood out about me, and she mentioned my tech articles. But when I asked about my home improvement samples, she claimed I didn't have enough experience in that area, which was weird because she obviously hadn't reviewed my portfolio. Then came the test article. I wrote it in a House Digest style, following all the rules and showing what I learned. The test guidelines didn't mention anything about style or tone. Before submitting, I asked the editor on Slack about the style and tone, specifically if it should be conversational. She agreed. So I submitted the piece and waited. The editor, the same one who okayed the conversational style earlier, got back to me saying I wasn't a good fit due to my style and tone. It felt like a lie. My guess is they rejected me out of fear I'd replace her, which aligns with claims that Static Media uses writers as a content mill without nurturing talent.

The interview was super quick, they mostly just told me about the job like I already had it. Then they talked about a paid trial, making it sound easy. It took a week to get the paperwork, and then another week for the editor to even start the trial. So, it was a slow process. When I got the style guide and writer's hub, I was really confused. It's weird that a content mill would have such strict standards and detailed instructions on everything. Even though I had doubts, I decided to do the trial. They approved my pitches with some feedback. I took all that feedback and spent about 10 hours on the article, including uploading it and picking photos. I kept thinking, 'All this for so little pay?' A few days later, I got rejected for grammar and sourcing errors, and they said they couldn't offer me the role. I checked, and there were no grammar issues. Sourcing can be fixed with feedback. Plus, I have 20 years of experience, so this doesn't make sense. After reading other reviews, I think I dodged a bullet. I'd avoid this place if you want to be paid fairly and not deal with nonsense. It's too much work for almost no money. There are much better companies for freelancers.

This was the worst interviewing experience I've ever had. It took four months! I've been a professional writer and editor for years. When someone finally contacted me, I decided to go ahead and do their writing trial. Don't waste your time with these bunch of unskilled liars! They are the bottom of the barrel, and you don't want your name associated with them. The feedback I received was so inept and idiotic that it felt almost comedic. People should reject them and whenever you see the company's ads, you should report them as fraudulent to whatever site they are on. I feel bad for the younger people who take these "editors'" stupidity as a measure of their writing ability. I have handled many freelance writing teams in my lifetime -- and these editors are incompetent imbeciles. STAY FAR AWAY FROM FRAUDULENT STATIC MEDIA. Horrible editors. Horrible people!