What skills do you hope to gain from this job?

"I hope to learn from this job how to dig deeply into stories and find ones that the community really cares about, and not just the easy ones anyone can find. So many talented minds work here and I want to gain their knowledge of investigation."

The candidate should find room for improvement in his or her work, and talk to the hiring manager about where they aspire to be in the future. The candidate should be passionate about growing and learning to achieve a future goal. Also, this will show the hiring manager that the candidate has considered the skills required of the job and where they fit within that criteria.

How do you prioritize stories and events to schedule?

"I am a great journalist and know I can find stories that are of interest to this region and this community. I like to find a mix of stories both national and local that other stations do not have, but also incorporate popular stories with a fresh take."

The researcher must know what stories and information are top priority in the news industry, and can prove they can filter information that will benefit stories. The candidate should discuss how they will choose stories and information based on their keen skills of story writing and journalism.

What are your benefits expectations?

"I hope to be compensated for my long drive. You're hiring for me for my strong researching skills, but I am traveling a long distance to do so."

Oftentimes in the news industry, workers get compensation for their time other than just a salary, such as gas money, parking, or other compensation. The candidate may want to suggest other benefits they are interested in so they can come to an agreement.

Are you able to work nights and weekends?

"I will be able to work any and all hours necessary to get the job done."

Jobs in the news industry often require working weekends, late nights, early mornings, and long hours. The candidate should discuss their availability working various hours.

If you could start your career over again, what path would you choose?

"If I chose a new career path, I would become a teacher because I work well with children and find that I enjoy learning new things from them each day. In news researching, I also love learning new things each day and that's why I believe this is the perfect job for me."

The candidate can express what other skills they have to make them a worthy worker through discussing what other careers they would choose if they left news. The candidate should talk about what other careers have been interesting to them and what skills they possess to set them apart from others.

What is your writing style?

"I believe my writing style is concise and short, punctual writing. I am able to get across the facts in the simplest way possible without leaving out facts, and this will help those using my research so they best understand what I am trying to say."

The candidate is not only applying to a job as a researcher, but also someone who must write information in clear fashion so that reporters who use it will understand the most important aspects. The candidate should talk about their writing style and experience and how it fits with being a researcher in the news industry.

What are some other careers you find interesting?

"I once thought I wanted to be a politician because I love talking to an audience and love writing in ways that draw in audiences. I think this skill will make me a good fit for the news industry."

The candidate can showcase other interests they have and other skill sets they possess to make them a unique candidate. The candidate may talk about other careers or jobs they once considered or tried out and what skills they gained and made them a similarly good fit.

Have you ever taken a job in a company you regretted?

"I once took a job as a cook in a restaurant but realized I did not like the late hours at night. I find that I work best in the morning, and I hope this makes me a good fit as a morning side researcher or a day side one."

The candidate has the opportunity to discuss what other careers or career paths the candidate has tried, and why they were not a good fit. The candidate should talk about what qualities of their personality are good for the current job, and why those qualities were not good fits for other jobs.

Are you able to go above and beyond for the job?

"I want to prove my worth and better my own skills in this industry, so I know I will be able to go above and beyond. Sometimes researching requires longer hours than normal, and I hope to prove that I will do whatever it takes."

Oftentimes, a job requires a candidate putting in extra time, hours, effort, and energy so they can be outstanding and do great work. The candidate should describe ways they have gone above and beyond in previous jobs and why they are so dedicated to the job and doing more than is asked of them.

Why do you want to work in the news industry?

"I want to work in news because it is fast paced and I work well under stress and lots of movement."

The candidate has the opportunity to discuss what it is about news that makes them passionate about coming to work each day. The candidate should discuss their favorite features of news and what qualities of their personality fit within the industry.

Why is this job right for you at this time?

"I believe this job is right for me at this time because I am looking forward to learning more about the news industry. I have great skills at researching online and want to learn more about how to investigate."

The candidate should answer honestly why they have decided to choose this job at this time of their life. Whether they are entering this career field late in life, breaking into it for the first time, or some other reason for moving into the position, the candidate should explain what has brought them here and why they know it is the perfect next move for them.

What are your salary expectations?

"I hope to make between $30,000-$32,000 since I have prior experience in the news industry and can deliver great stories to your newsroom."

The candidate should present the hiring manager with a range of salaries they expect to make in the job based on their prior experience and worth. A news researcher in a starting position may make anywhere between $20,000-$40,000 depending on where they are working and the size of the company they are working for. The candidate should be realistic with their price range and discuss where they hope to aim to come to a decision.

What unique skills make you the best candidate for the job?

"I am unique because of my prior experience in this field. You can set me apart from the rest because I have worked in the news field for many years and I know the kinds of stories that are important to find and how to help reporters investigate that others may not have experience with."

The candidate should identify a few traits or skills that make them a unique hire compared to others. Perhaps the candidate is great with people, works well under stress, or something else that is unique to them as a person in the professional setting and makes them a desirable worker. Discussing these special traits will make the hiring manager aware of why the candidate rises above the rest.

Why do you want to be a news researcher?

"I want to be a news researcher because I love news and I want to grow my skills for finding news stories. I want to find great stories for the reporters here to work on."

A hiring manager is looking for someone who is passionate about news, researching, and all of the skills that are necessary to be a news researcher. While being a news researcher may be a stepping stone to a larger job in news, the candidate should still be interested in doing the job at hand the best they can. They should discuss why they are passionate about the field.

How does this position fit into your career plans?

"I believe this job will help me learn more about the news industry. I hope to someday progress in the ranks in news, but this will help me learn how to write and find good stories that the community cares about."

The candidate should discuss why they want to take this role as it pertains to their career plan. Whether the candidate has a long term or a short term plan, they should discuss why this job is the best fit for them at this time and how it will help them grow as a person in the career.

What is your ultimate career goal?

"My ultimate career goal is to become a news anchor. However, I still have some learning to do and I would like to first start in the news industry learning the inner workings. The news researcher position will teach me about finding the best kinds of stories so one day I can be the best at it."

Whether this job will be the candidate's starting job in the news industry or they have taken other jobs before, the candidate must have some ultimate goal they are hoping to achieve. This gives the hiring manager an idea of who the candidate plans to strive to emulate and what kinds of skills they hope to develop in the job. The candidate should discuss these skills they hope to improve upon to reach this final goal down the line.

What are your plans for the next 5 years?

"In the next five years, I look forward to learning how to be the best possible news researcher so I can someday be trusted to become a news producer. While I love being a news researcher, I hope to receive training in writing stories along with finding them so I can move up in careers."

While the future is uncertain, the candidate can probably see where obtaining this job will take them in the short term future. The candidate should discuss what they hope to achieve in this job and where they will hope to strive within the company.

What is your experience with news formatting applications?

"I am well versed in iNews and ENPS, among other news formatting applications. I can work fluently in these and adapt to other ones so I can get all my research to the proper people quickly."

The candidate will be expected to use news formatting applications to add news stories and events into the system so producers and reporters can easily access the stories and information they find. The candidate should be well versed in writing clear and concise information on stories within news formatting sites quickly.

What is your experience with social media?

"I grew up in the age of social media and I consider myself fluent in finding the latest news from the community. I stand out among other candidates in this sense because you can see how often I update my social media accounts and I will do the same for the station."

The news researcher conducts many duties on social media platforms, from finding stories to publishing them online for the public to read. The candidate should talk about their experience working with social media and their fluency finding stories online. The candidate should discuss what makes them stand out in terms of their work on social media.

How would you describe your investigation skills?

"I have found many stories before the competition because of my deep connections in the community. I can find those hard to reach stories and make our station stand out."

The candidate should discuss their investigation skills and the ways that they dig into various mediums to find stories. The candidate may talk about the ways they find stories on Facebook, Twitter, making sources within local governments and organizations, and forming relationships with those in the community so they hear the latest stories and news before anyone else. A good news researcher is able to be a deep investigator.

Do you consider yourself a leader?

"I consider myself a strong leader. In the past, I have demonstrated my ability to step up to the challenge of sharing important news stories with producers and reporters and getting the story done before other stations."

The candidate should talk about how they have been leaders in previous jobs and experiences and how they will rise to the role of a leader in the current job. A news researcher runs the desk finding stories that are important, and has to be able to demonstrate that they can take charge and lead the news stories for the day when they have to.

How well do you communicate with reporters and staff?

"I consider myself someone who is great at staying on top of the news, and you want me on your team to keep communications smooth."

A good news researcher must be able to communicate well with the entire staff, share their story findings, and reveal breaking news stories and events as soon as possible. The news researcher must be someone who speaks up when they need to share information, and knows who to contact, including the producers and reporters who will be going to the story.

What are your least favorite types of stories to find?

"My least favorite types of stories are ones with a lack of visuals, so I typically choose to pass on stories that are about bills passing. I know our political reporters will discuss them, but as for stories to air on TV, these are not visually appealing."

This is an opportunity for the candidate to talk about any biases they may have and how they can abstain from letting it influence their work. Perhaps the candidate has a preference for a political candidate for instance and will not want to share stories with the newsroom about them. The candidate should be honest about this, so if they are hired, the newsroom will be sure to check for stories that may have been missed. Overall, hiring managers are looking for someone with no biases and just look for the best stories.

What are your favorite types of stories?

"My favorite types of stories to find are ones that affect a wide audience. I love stories that are lesser known and lesser covered by other news outlets so we can give voice to those who don't often get one."

Good news story researchers find a wide variety of stories from national to local, and on a wide variety of topics that interests everyone. The candidate should discuss what kinds of stories they look for and what they do to appeal to all audiences.

What time of day do you work best?

"I find I work best late at night because I am less stressed about my personal life. I have all day to get my personal chores done. However, I would feel comfortable working whenever you assign me and know I can be flexible."

In the news industry, employees need to work strange hours to get the job done. The candidate should discuss their availability to work whatever shifts they are given to get the job done, including nights, early mornings, and weekends. The candidate may suggest a time they feel their best work, but should ultimately feel positive about working whatever shift they are needed

What experience do you have researching news topics?

"While I have never been a news researcher before, I have a great passion for news and I know a good news story when I see one. I am skilled at knowing stories that are important for us to cover for our audience."

The candidate will be expected to find stories for the reporters to cover at the news organization on a variety of platforms, and should discuss their prior experience finding good stories. The hiring manager is looking for someone who is capable of growing, but also has prior skills that make the transition into the job easy. The candidate should discuss the skills they already have in finding new stories.

News Researcher Interview Questions

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1. What skills do you hope to gain from this job?
2. How do you prioritize stories and events to schedule?
3. What are your benefits expectations?
4. Are you able to work nights and weekends?
5. If you could start your career over again, what path would you choose?
6. What is your writing style?
7. What are some other careers you find interesting?
8. Have you ever taken a job in a company you regretted?
9. Are you able to go above and beyond for the job?
10. Why do you want to work in the news industry?
11. Why is this job right for you at this time?
12. What are your salary expectations?
13. What unique skills make you the best candidate for the job?
14. Why do you want to be a news researcher?
15. How does this position fit into your career plans?
16. What is your ultimate career goal?
17. What are your plans for the next 5 years?
18. What is your experience with news formatting applications?
19. What is your experience with social media?
20. How would you describe your investigation skills?
21. Do you consider yourself a leader?
22. How well do you communicate with reporters and staff?
23. What are your least favorite types of stories to find?
24. What are your favorite types of stories?
25. What time of day do you work best?
26. What experience do you have researching news topics?

News Researcher Interview Questions

1. What skills do you hope to gain from this job?

2. How do you prioritize stories and events to schedule?

3. What are your benefits expectations?

4. Are you able to work nights and weekends?

5. If you could start your career over again, what path would you choose?

6. What is your writing style?

7. What are some other careers you find interesting?

8. Have you ever taken a job in a company you regretted?

9. Are you able to go above and beyond for the job?

10. Why do you want to work in the news industry?

11. Why is this job right for you at this time?

12. What are your salary expectations?

13. What unique skills make you the best candidate for the job?

14. Why do you want to be a news researcher?

15. How does this position fit into your career plans?

16. What is your ultimate career goal?

17. What are your plans for the next 5 years?

18. What is your experience with news formatting applications?

19. What is your experience with social media?

20. How would you describe your investigation skills?

21. Do you consider yourself a leader?

22. How well do you communicate with reporters and staff?

23. What are your least favorite types of stories to find?

24. What are your favorite types of stories?

25. What time of day do you work best?

26. What experience do you have researching news topics?