Ultius Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process is the worst, and shows you the type of company this is. I did a writing sample, which was fine. Then, I had a three hour phone-interview block, and you better realize it's in standard time, not savings. They called at 2:59 into the 3 hour block. Why? This is the writing business. If a writer is good, why make them wait 2 hours and 59 minutes into a 3 hour block. That's not interviewing, it's playing games. The interviewer has no info about the company on her Linkedin, and ZERO writing experience. The place is shady -- darn near doing college kids' work, so this isn't surprising. I got the job, but only after playing that game. I have another editing job and am published in two magazines, so this job was just for more money. Good thing, b/c that interview process turned me off. I almost said "no thanks," but figured once I got the job, I'd do the work and take the money (though it's not that good for an established writer). Most good writers would have moved on. That tells you about the quality of writers here -- it's a sweat shop, using young or out-of-work writers. No writer with a good career is here. This is about profits and the interview process shows that. I suspect this company won't last more than four or five years. I doubt I'll do much more and won't give notice. This place isn't worth putting on your resume unless you are desperate. It may hurt you if you are job searching. The interview process lets you know that from the minute they test your willingness to wait 3 hours for a phone call, even though you've proven your skills with your resume, cover letter, writing samples, and skills test. That's insane.

Applied online and was asked to submit a 2 page paper. Submitted it and was informed my application would not go forward as they put it, 'your sample paper missed a number of key points we were seeking.' Thats fine. I emailed them to ask exactly what points my paper was missing but was told, "We take multiple areas into consideration between your sample paper and your qualifications. While we would like to respond to every applicant who asks the specifics as to what could be improved on, we are unable to do so because it would take too much time. Even though you were not chosen for this job, it doesn't mean you are a bad writer, it just means you are not the best fit for this position." That really left a bad taste in my mouth. Is a candidate is willing to spend 30 min to an hour writing a sample paper, the company must be willing to over what criteria the paper did not meet. Really low and pathetic of them to treat job seekers this way.

I was a freelance writer for Ultius for a year. The pay wasn't great, but they told writers they needed new editors and encouraged us to apply. I did, and I got an interview. The interview didn't go so well, and I wasn't surprised I didn't get the job. Honestly, I'm not sure I would have taken it anyway because one of the interviewers was really rude. He was condescending the whole time during the online interview with his tone and face. I figured working for him would be awful. I ended my writer contract soon after. So, I'm telling other writers to find editing jobs somewhere else.

The interview process was longer than I thought, but it showed me they were serious and the job was legit (since I found it on Craigslist, I was a little worried). First, I submitted my resume. Then, I had to write a three-page paper about why music is important in childhood education. They really liked my paper and said it was written perfectly. After that, I had a phone interview, which I passed. Then, they sent me a bunch of files about company policy, how the website works, and what they expected from writers. I also had to take little quizzes to check my comprehension after reading each file. Once I finished that, I was officially hired and ready to start working.