Tribune Media Interview Questions
& Process

Right after I applied, the hiring manager reached out. We clicked instantly and I was excited for what was next. What wasn't clear was that it was only for local candidates and that I'd have to pay for my own flight to interview, which wasn't mentioned upfront. Also, the job title was pretty generic for the level of experience they were looking for, which is typical. I flew out for a great onsite interview with the hiring manager and the team. About two weeks later, they told me the role had changed and they hired someone more junior. It was a bummer. It's frustrating when the hiring process takes so long, especially when it costs time and money, even if there were business reasons. I loved the location, the facilities, and the job itself, but I'd be hesitant to apply again.

So, the job is basically customer service where you'll be answering phones, but there's also other tasks depending on your department. You need to be positive and talk about empathy and how you enjoy helping people. You'll probably have to take a spelling test, and they don't really tell you that you might end up placing classified ads over the phone, or maybe proofreading obituaries and taking them in over the phone, email, or fax, or even legal notices. The job title is kinda misleading.

The HR department seems a bit disorganized. I applied for an advertising sales job, and the online posting described it as working on integrated media (online and print). I had a phone screening where they asked basic questions like 'what appeals to you about the job?' and 'what do you do at your current job?'. They also asked about my ideal salary, which was a bit unusual for a screening. I was scheduled for an in-person interview that same day. The plan was to meet with HR first, then be introduced to 'other team members'. The HR person was 20 minutes late, and I ended up waiting in the lobby. I chatted with the security guard. Eventually, the HR rep met me and immediately took me to one of the managers. During this interview, I learned the job was only for online media (not multiple platforms as described) and that I'd be working remotely for the New York office, even though the job was based in Chicago. This caught me off guard. The people seemed friendly, but one manager yawned several times. It seemed like a decent organization, just a bit chaotic.

I had two phone interviews. The first one was with HR, and she asked the typical interview questions. I asked her a lot of questions, and she answered what she could. She mentioned the supervisor would talk about the job. Then I spoke with the supervisor, who gave me a quick overview of the job. I think it's a new internship, and he wasn't sure what I'd be working on. He mainly asked about my background.