VMLY&R Interview Questions
& Process

It was pretty quick and straightforward, but not overly simple. Started with a recruiter call to see if I was interested, then a casual talk with the hiring manager. Once they felt my background and I were a good fit, I had a formal interview with the hiring manager and another person at their level. The last step was a panel interview that involved a task and presentation. The panel consisted of the hiring manager and six very senior individuals. The task was substantial and presented a real challenge.

The interview process was okay, but a bit disorganized. There were two rounds of interviews. I didn't get hired, which is fine, but I was annoyed with the reason given. I was told I was "too qualified" and "would probably be bored in the role." They said they're just looking out for me. I hate to be one of the few people in the ad industry that gets bored at work :) The "overqualified" reasoning is basically age discrimination. The fact that this company claims to embrace diversity and inclusion makes their reasoning sting a little more. I asked if I should inquire when opportunities for more senior roles arise. The HR rep said, "Yes, definitely email us if you see a higher-level role." Some of these roles did come up, I emailed about them and was ghosted. No response. In summary, the HR department engaged in either age discrimination or dishonesty -- maybe both. Do better.

A recruiter reached out about a role and suggested I speak with the director of the department I'd be joining. The director and I had a long chat, way over the scheduled hour, about the job and what they're looking for. I was happy to then meet with other team members, who seemed smart and friendly. But then, when it came to an offer, the recruiter told me the job was on hold because the client decided to keep the role in-house instead of outsourcing it. The recruiter then asked if he could check with his hiring manager about putting me forward for the role with the client. The whole thing was a mess and made me wonder if they were being discriminatory based on my personal information.

This was a terribly managed interview process and a complete waste of my time. I applied in September 2021 and didn't hear back until December 2021. My first phone screen was on December 17th. I ended up interviewing EIGHT times with this company for multiple teams and managers. They even changed the role I was applying for TWICE during the process, which should have been a major red flag. They never followed up with me or gave me any information about when I'd hear back, only to request another interview. I had to create presentations for two of the interviews. In total, I spent about 50 hours preparing, practicing, making presentations, and attending the interviews. I should have heeded the warnings from two former employees about this company. Ultimately, after all that time invested, I was ghosted by them. I was disgusted by the experience. On a positive note, I did find most of the people I spoke with to be pleasant. I'm not sure if the HR team is the issue, but I'm confident there are better companies out there that would value my skills.