How to Answer: Name one thing that you feel you can do better than other Editors you have worked with previously.
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Newspaper Editor job interview.
24. Name one thing that you feel you can do better than other Editors you have worked with previously.
How to Answer
Each person has unique competitive advantages. One editor might be extremely fast at editing for grammar and punctuation, another editor might be very good at research, and yet another might be great at restructuring a piece.
Read 2-3 articles published in this publication/department and look for ways that you can improve both of them. It's best to look for a common theme. For instance, the ending paragraph may be lacking in drama and impact.
In your response, speak on how you'd improve the articles as it relates to a benefit that's important to the publication. For instance, reader engagement is a common concern for publications. In which case, you might talk about how to end an article in such a way that increases reader engagement.
Follow through with an example of how you've done that before and wrap everything up with a summary sentence that brings attention back to the benefit.
Written by Ryan Brown
Answer Example
"Would you say that reader engagement is an important concern for you? [Get confirmation that it is.] I've read several articles in this section and I found several ways to improve reader engagement. For example, when I was at The Madison Post, I told the writers to end the articles with a question instead of a statement. I think that, compared to other editors, I'm very good at getting people to talk and engage with the paper, which does wonders for advertising."
Written by Ryan Brown