The Seattle Times Interview Questions
& Process

I got contacted by a recruiter right after applying. They seemed impressed with my background so I was moved to the next round straight away. The next round had pretty easy questions. The two interviewers couldn't answer my questions about other projects I might work on beyond the first one. I was ghosted after the interview.

I had a screening call with a recruiter, then a virtual interview with the hiring manager, and finally an in-person or virtual interview with two team members. Everyone was professional and easy to talk to. The recruiter was really helpful with my questions and prepared me well. All the questions were relevant to the job description. The second and final interviews were about 30-60 minutes each. They wanted the last interview to allow me to interview them too, to ensure it was a good career fit for me.

The interview process was super long and had a lot of tech problems. I sent in my resume, cover letter, and some work samples via their online system, Smart Recruiters. After about a month of no response, I got an email from someone asking me to re-apply because the system had issues. Then, someone else sent the same email about system problems. So it seemed like they had communication and tech issues. Later, an Editor from The Seattle Times emailed to set up a phone interview. We had a long talk, maybe an hour, covering a lot of ground, but it was pretty standard stuff. We discussed my past work, reporting and writing samples, and my favorite pieces. It was a good, detailed chat. They told me I was one of 12 people they were interviewing out of over 250 applicants. They also mentioned the process would take a while. A month later, I hadn't heard back, so I emailed them. Apparently, the editor had bronchitis, which further delayed things, and she was behind on initial interviews. She invited me to ask questions. Communication was back and forth for a few months. Then, I got an automated out-of-office reply for about a week or two. When she returned, I saw she had viewed my LinkedIn. A few days after that, I received a very generic, automated rejection email from her co-editor and an HR person via Smart Recruiters, sent to all 250+ applicants, saying the process took 'months' to 'carefully consider.' This email was sent over 20 times, which was another tech glitch filling my inbox. I felt strung along and wished for a simple, direct rejection email since I got so far. I sent a final email thanking them and mentioning the glitch, but got no reply.

It was a pretty straightforward interview process. First, I had a simple phone screen with a recruiter. They clearly explained all the steps involved and we spent some time discussing the role and the company. The recruiter answered all my questions honestly and with a bit of humor. After that, the next steps were a call with the team and then a final call with a Director in HR. I really liked how transparent and passionate everyone was, even though I didn't end up getting the job.