1⟩ Explain me what are your career goals as an Editor?
To improve my writing skills, because I believe as an editor or in life in general one can never stop learning or perfecting their craft. So yes eventually I want to become a lecturer.
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“Editor based Frequently Asked Questions by expert members with experience as Editor. These questions and answers will help you strengthen your technical skills, prepare for the new job test and quickly revise the concepts”
66 Editor Questions And Answers
2⟩ Tell me would you be open to doing ABC as part of your job?
I was once asked if I would be OK with writing the Table of Contents even though it had been years since the page was part of my job description. But I said yes, and got the job, and actually didn’t mind doing it until it was eventually taken off my plate a year or so later. Bottom line: Just say yes. Job descriptions are what you make of them once you get your foot in the door—until then, just prove that you’re someone who is willing to roll up your sleeves and get the job done.
3⟩ Tell me why do you want to work at ABC magazine?
Once I moved into the interviewer seat, this is the question I noticed other people stumbling over the most. Editors know you’re probably applying to 10 zillion other places, but they at least want to feel like you’d be more excited to work at their brand than, say, your hometown gas station. Challenge yourself to come up with something unique and personal. (When I worked at a teen magazine, 99 percent of people said they wanted to work there because they “loved it growing up.” That’s great, I thought, but why do you want to work here now?) Is it the magazine you always save space for in your suitcase? Do you love a particular writer? Did they publish a story that impacted your life in a meaningful way?
4⟩ Explain me an example of where you've been able to use your leadership skills?
If you are going into a management programe they might ask this. It can seem tricky if you're just out of university and you think you haven't had a job.
Leadership comes in all facets of life – through clubs or societies, through managing your local football team. Try to bring it up to date as much as possible rather than harking back to school days when you were a prefect.
5⟩ Tell me what’s your dream job?
Editors always love hearing a good answer to this question, but they also use it to see if your goals align with the position for which you’re being considered. Answer honestly, but try to connect the dots as much as you can.
6⟩ Explain me about a time when you have found your own story?
If you go to an interview for a trainee reporter role and haven’t found your own story before, then there is something wrong!
Being able to find your own stories is a key quality of a journalist, so make sure you have at least one example to show to the interviewers.
It doesn’t have to be anything groundbreaking, but a it should be a story that shows you can do the following: spot a story idea, have the confidence to pitch the idea to a newspaper, know who to talk to for quotes, are able to write the story without help and can take a picture.
All of this shows initiative and that you already have the basic skills of a reporter.
7⟩ Tell me do you read any blogs on writing and editing? Which ones? What do you like about these?
I have read blogs but I cannot remember any of them at this time. What I could say is that they did help me to improve my writing and editing greatly which is why I am here today.
8⟩ Explain me what’s one thing you’d change about the magazine?
This can be an intimidating question to answer on the spot, but that’s why I’m telling you about it now! Editors typically ask this in a very genuine way—an interview is an easy way for them to get feedback directly from a reader. Brushing up on a few back issues should spark a few ideas (and is good prep overall), but the key here is to use soft, constructive language. Instead of “I hate this,” it’s, “I’d love to see more of this.”
9⟩ Explain how would you handle sensitive writers who question every edit you make?
I would have a private meeting to understand how they are feeling and what they feel when I edit their work. I would explain that their work is very good (if it was!) and that editing it was just bringing it up to scratch with house-style. They don't need to take it personally as it is not a reflection on the quality of their work, it's just my job to do that.
10⟩ Tell me who would be your key contacts in the area?
I sometimes find this question a bit difficult because I think it wouldn’t be as simple as people in the police force, hospital staff or local councillors.
Think about others who could give a tip off for a story – for example key people in the area such as teachers, shop owners or other key members of the community.
Tell the interviewers how you would get to know people in the community so you’d be the first one they’d contact if a news story broke out.
It’s usually the people you least expect who give you a diamond of a story.
11⟩ Why do you want to work for us as Editor?
This is an opportunity to show that you know a little bit about the company, its background and training programmes.
12⟩ Explain me the hypothetical scenario?
There isn't necessarily a right or a wrong answer to these kind of competency-based questions. If you are just out of university, the interviewer knows that, and wants to hear you talk through your thought processes as you attempt to solve the problem.
13⟩ Explain me how did you get started as Editor?
When I was in junior college, I applied for a scholarship to work on the college newspaper, and I really loved it. There was a weekly newspaper in that town, and they advertised for a news reporter. I got the job, probably because I was willing to work cheaper than anyone else. But once I started doing this, I never looked back. When I went to my four-year college, I majored in communication and was on the weekly newspaper there. I started out as a staff writer. One semester I was sent to work in the state capitol, covering the legislature, and after that I covered college football. When I graduated, I went to work for a small county newspaper as a sports editor for two years, and then moved to another state and took a job as the news editor for a daily paper. This job, the one I have now, was the logical next step. It took me about 10 years to get to this stage in my career. It is mandatory to be able to do everything, and understand what the other people in the newsroom do. It’s not really effective to take direction from people who have never done the job you do.
14⟩ Tell me what personal qualities do you have that you feel would make you a good journalist?
Talk about your writing skills, your willingness to sometimes work irregular hours, your determination to succeed and to work to deadlines.
15⟩ Tell me how would you cope with door knocking?
Door knocks or ‘death knocks’ aren’t a myth and unfortunately these things happen more often than you may think. In case you don’t know, death knocks are when a reporter goes to the house of someone who has recently been bereaved to interview them.
I once heard a horror story of a journalist who went on her first death knock and someone opened the door, greeting her by chucking a bucket of water over her head.
Horrific huh?!
In my last interview I got asked how I would cope with door knocking and even though they sound like horrible things to do, you have to approach the situation with sensitivity but in a firm manner.
You have to respect the families wishes if they tell you to go away. Leave your number with the family, sometimes they will call you. Refer to the PCC code and talk about the ethics of journalism.
16⟩ Tell me name on thing that you feel you can do better than other Editors you have worked with previously?
I will not say that I am the best, I think that each person is has their own gift, mine is an undying will to keep going even when things that going my way, so if you choose me that is what you are going to get, a relentless worker.
17⟩ What books/magazines/newspapers do you read?
This can verifying your interest in writing.
18⟩ Tell us what do you like about what you do?
I think the immediate return on your investment is the best thing. Some careers, it may take years to see the results of your labor. But mine is there daily, waiting for me in my driveway every morning.
19⟩ Tell me how do you follow major news stories?
This gives you a a chance to demonstrate your awareness of television and radio news and of current affairs programmes.
20⟩ Tell me an example of when you have worked as part of a team to get something done?
In my last two interviews I never spoke about my experiences of working a part-time job at Costa Coffee, because I didn’t think they were relevant.
In my last interview, however, I was encouraged to talk about it and it enabled me to find the perfect example of working as a team whilst under a lot of pressure.
If you have an example of working as part of a team in a newsroom then use it, but if you don’t, think about the time when you ran the student newspaper or when you were at work and had to make 10,000 lattes in a day, whilst showing the new person what to do and talking to the customers at the same time.
