The Dodo Interview Questions
& Process

I was super excited to apply for this animation/video editing role at The Dodo because I love their work. But honestly, the interview process was a mess and felt unprofessional. The job had been open for a bit when I found it. I decided to go for it anyway and even made a video cover letter with animation and editing, doing the filming, editing, illustration, animation, and voiceover myself to show I could do it, all tailored for The Dodo. Since I have a full-time job, I could only work on it after hours, and it took me almost 3 weeks to finish, which was about 6 weeks after the job was posted. Luckily, it was still open, so I sent it in. Then, almost a month passed with no word. I figured they didn't even want a video cover letter, so I wasn't bummed, just happy to add more to my portfolio. A few days later, HR emailed me for a phone interview. This was like 9-10 weeks after the job was posted. It went well with a senior HR person. They said the next step would be a chat with the hiring manager, followed by an edit test if the manager liked me. But, just two days later, BAM, an edit test appeared with a 3-day deadline. It's for animation/video editing, and animation takes way longer than just editing. In my defense, I had already committed to a freelance gig the night before with the same deadline, which I couldn't back out of because I'd signed a contract. Plus, I still have my full-time job. I took the freelance gig because I wasn't expecting the edit test so soon, and I was hoping to talk to the hiring manager first to understand the role better before doing another spec project. If HR had given me a heads-up, I wouldn't have taken the freelance job. Because The Dodo's deadline was so tight, I felt I couldn't reschedule the test. I wasn't ready, but I really wanted the job based on the description and my love for The Dodo. So, I took a day off work, didn't sleep much for a few days, and got both the freelance work and the spec edit test done. Submitted about 10-11 weeks after the job was posted. They liked it! The next step was a call with the hiring manager a week later, which went great. He had a lot of questions about ideas for the new channel, and I had some I was excited to share. I really thought working with him would be awesome. He liked me! Then, a few days later, I had an in-person meeting with the hiring manager, CEO, and Creative Director. I had to take vacation time for this. It also went great! This was supposed to be the final interview. So, in total, including the two animated projects I made, there were 5 steps. I sent thank you notes after each stage. This was 12-13 weeks after the job was posted. Then, silence. I followed up by email about two weeks later, and they said they hadn't decided but would 'talk soon.' This was 3 weeks ago, so 16 weeks after the job was posted. A few days ago, I saw the role on their website changed from Motion Graphics to just Video Editing, and I applied. It disappeared the next day. I still haven't heard anything, not even a notification about the role change. I don't know if I blew it in the last interview, but things were going well before that. Even if I did mess up, after 5 interviews and taking time off work, I'd expect at least a rejection email or a heads-up about the role changing. I don't want to keep chasing them. I have other opportunities I'm pursuing, so I should focus my energy there. But I'm really upset and disappointed because this was my dream job. It's one thing to have one interview, but I created full projects and met with several people over multiple rounds. It was a huge time and energy investment. I was genuinely excited about this role and thought I'd be a perfect fit and got along with everyone. To be ghosted like a bad date is just... wow. Especially after they asked for free projects and ideas. I still love and support The Dodo and their mission, but this hiring process was just too long, disorganized, and unprofessional.

I put in my application in August, and they got back to me a few days after Christmas. It seems like they hold onto applications and revisit them later, which I think is a good approach. Then, I had a video call with a recruiter. They explained the role and asked me some questions. It was pretty straightforward and friendly, a relaxed conversation. The next step was a trial where I had to make a video in their style using their workflow. Unfortunately, they didn't select me to move on after that. It's a shame, but the job had a ton of applicants. The whole thing, from them reaching out to me finding out I didn't get it, took about two weeks.

Had a preliminary phone interview with HR. She was a bit late, showing up 10 minutes after our scheduled 15-minute call. She mostly read the job description verbatim and emphasized it was a 'one-woman show' type of role, though she did mention office bagels and that dogs were allowed. The job posting didn't mention it was a union position, which I only found out when I inquired about benefits. The HR rep seemed quite taken aback by my salary expectations, which I feel are quite reasonable given the 'one-woman show' nature of the job. She stated the hiring manager would need to discuss salary with me to see if it aligns. I haven't heard back since.

Before they would even consider me for an official interview, I was asked to complete an editing test. This test required me to source my own story, interview footage, music, and graphics. They also asked about my salary expectations or day rate. After putting a lot of effort into the video, they didn't even review it and just told me they weren't moving forward with my application. I suspect my day rate, which was consistent with what I've charged other clients, might have been the reason they cut me from the process early on. I really wish they had communicated that upfront before I spent so much time creating an original video for their editing test.