Writer Interview
Questions

30 Writer Interview Questions

By: Christina Erne

Question 1 of 30

Which content management systems are you most familiar with?

View Answer

How to Answer

If you are aware of the content management system used by the interviewing company, be sure to research the CMS before your interview. Chances are, if you are already familiar with one or two systems, you will quite quickly pick up the one used by them. Briefly discuss which systems you are familiar with, rating your knowledge from beginner to intermediate, advanced, or expert. If you are not sure which CMS they use in this new role, you can ask! This question will show the interviewer that you have the initiative to learn.

First Answer Example

"For the past five years I have worked exclusively with Bynder. This system is a cloud-based digital asset management software that allows me and my team to search files quickly. The system also allows for real-time edits and approvals which is a game changer. I am tech savvy and an advanced user in many systems, making me confident in my ability to quickly learn the systems here. Could you share with me which CMS you lean on? I would love to get a head start by watching online tutorials."

Second Answer Example

"I see in your job posting that you use Wrike for managing content and workflow. This was exciting to see since I am already an expert user in this system. My previous two employers used the upgraded version of Wrike, so I am familiar with the basic and premium features. I appreciate that it allows for live editing as well as shared tasks and real-time updates. Are there any other systems or software that I could familiarize myself with in the meantime?"

Next Question

Get More Interview Practice

Pick your topic

Ask the Interviewer

Questions you may consider asking the interviewer, about ...

Behavioral

We all have some behaviors that are typical of us and whi...

Common Interview Questions

There are some questions that employers ask at almost eve...

Leadership

If you are interviewing for any type of leadership role; ...

Telephone

Most interviews start with a telephone interview. Hiring ...

Tough

Everyone struggles with tough interview questions. Learn ...

View more topics

Question 2 of 30

Are you familiar with sales copy and writing pitches? If so, what are the most important factors in writing an effective pitch?

View Answer

How to Answer

A great copywriter will understand the basics of a pitch, and how to incorporate pitch writing effectively in every piece of copy. If you have taken any coursework on writing pitches, or pitch decking, talk to the interviewer about this education. Perhaps you have self-taught, or watched a ton of IGTV videos on the topic, from Neil Patel, Gary Vee, or Oren Klaff. Discuss what you know, assuring the interviewer that you can write compelling sales copy.

First Answer Example

"Just last year I paid for the Oren Klaff pitch mastery program called Pitch Anything. The program was worth every penny because what I learned dramatically increased my ability to write compelling sales copy and pitches. The basics of that course taught me how to set the frame, tell the story, reveal the intrigue, offer the prize, nail the hook point, and get the deal."

Second Answer Example

"I have created some Facebook copy, retargeting ads, and a variety of segmented email campaigns, all with excellent sales copy. The bulk of my training is from personal research and independent learning. I am great with writing compelling call to actions as well as headlines that drive conversions. Although my education is not formal, my work has seen open rates as high as 36% and record-breaking click-through rates for my current employer. I feel my method is effective because I know how to search for the pain point, reveal just part of the solution, and ask for the sale."

Question 3 of 30

Can you give me an example of a time you disagreed with a boss or a client about a writing assignment and how you handled the situation?

View Answer

How to Answer

Be prepared to discuss a time when you did not agree with your manager because you did not like what they were asking you to write. This situation is not uncommon as a writer, when you are not in control of your topics or when you may have a different writing style than your boss, or client. Discuss how you addressed your point of view and how you came to an agreement without leaving any tension.

First Answer Example

"There have been times where my client had a certain bias they wanted me to include in my writing. However, part of me always wants to keep a story fair and balanced. At one point, I went into their office and discussed how we could move forward without including a bias. My client agreed we should present information fairly to the public, and we resolved the potential conflict."

Second Answer Example

"It is often tricky dealing with a manager who constantly disagrees with the way one works or gets the job done. However, a good writer can communicate well with their boss to figure out a way to compromise. In the recent past, my supervisor disagreed on the direction I should take the narrative, but I sat down with him and showed him my ultimate plan. We compromised on a few things, and in the end, we were both happy."

Question 4 of 30

What is your proofreading strategy?

View Answer

How to Answer

The interviewer would like to know that you have methods in place, ensuring that the work you submit is your best work, right out of the gate. There are many tools you can use for proofing including an independent editor, or a proofing program such as Grammarly or Hemingway. It would be a significant red flag to the hiring authority if you relied solely on your spelling and grammatical knowledge.

First Answer Example

"Everything that I submit to my boss and clients first runs through the Grammarly application. I appreciate its use for more than spelling and grammar as well. It picks up any context issues and also checks for potential plagiarism concerns. I don't know what I would do without it!"

Second Answer Example

"In my current role, I have a full-time editor who works on my submissions, making them just a bit better every time! Sometimes he catches a spelling error, a missing comma, or thinks of a way to make it more concise. Coming out with perfect copy takes a team, in my opinion."

Question 5 of 30

The cost of conversions continues to rise for companies, no matter the industry. How does your work improve conversions and ROI for each client?

View Answer

How to Answer

The interviewer would like to see that you have a full understanding of conversions and what it means to keep your employers return on investment in mind when creating content. Primarily, this question will apply to content published online since there are straightforward ways to measure conversions and audience engagement. Share how your work engages an audience, prompting them to act.

First Answer Example

"I recently read that the average company spends $200-$350 per day on social media advertising. That is a budget that adds up quickly, especially if there is little to no return. I make sure that my work generates conversions by first getting ideas from the audience or my employers' customers. When I know for a fact that I am writing about a topic that is interesting to them, I know it will convert. Second, I make sure to educate the reader. When your audience learns something from you, they are much more likely to subscribe, return to your site, or share your content."

Second Answer Example

"I keep conversions top of mind in each piece of content that I create. To convert these days, and to see an ROI on big advertising dollars, one must put out well-researched content that entertains and educates at the same time. Also, allowing for a two-way conversation is very important. This idea means opening up the comments section and avoiding the 'post and ghost' where you post an article or piece of content and are not around to address questions or comments. Reader engagement is critical in our digital age where new material is released every second."

1

Writers for Writer Answers and Questions

Christina Erne

Christina Erne is a meteorologist and a journalist at News 10 ABC in Albany, NY. Beginning her career as a reporter, she worked her way up the ranks of local television, learning the ins and outs of all possible jobs in the field, from technical support, to weather staff.

Rachelle Enns

Rachelle Enns is an executive head-hunter and job search expert. Utilized by top executives from Fortune 100 & 500 companies like Fitbit, Microsoft, General Electric, Nestle, and more, she helps professionals position themselves in a competitive marketplace. Rachelle founded Renovate My Resume, a company that focuses on helping job seekers get their edge back. Renovate My Resume creates stand-out resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles and professional summaries for new grads, all the way to corporate executives. Rachelle spends much of her time training career coaches, recruiters, and resume writers. She also holds interview workshops for students and interns, globally. For great tips and tricks, follow Rachelle on Instagram @_rachelle_e or @renovatemyresume.

First written on: 05/21/2013
Last modified on: 12/20/2018

Related Career Interviews

Typist

Do you want to specialize in typing? Great, we have interview questions for you. We have created interview questions geared towards a career in typing. Practice your interview and you should ace it! Good ...

Announcer

Announcers have outstanding communication and interpersonal skills. They use these skills to present news, music, commercials, and sports on the radio or television. The broadcasting industry is the biggest ...

Editor

There are various types of Editors when discussing this career description. There are: Writing Editors, Movie Editors, Newspaper Editors, Fashion Editors, Magazine Editors, Book Editors, Online Editors, ...

Public Relations

Public relations professionals employ a variety of communication and media channels to manage, build, and maintain their clients' reputation. Some public relations professionals are hired by individual ...

Public Relations Manager

Companies employ public relations managers to develop and maintain a favorable public image of their organization. Their specific responsibilities may vary depending on the industry they are working in ...

Technical Writer

Technical writers are writers who specialize in creating technical documentation for various companies. Depending on the company they are working with, a technical writer may work on different types of ...

Author

Authors and writers develop written content that's used in a wide range of media, including advertisements, books, magazines, scripts for television and film, blogs, and more. Authors and writers typically ...

Lyricist

A lyricist is a writer who specializes in song lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-songwriter, who also composes the song's melody in ...

View More Careers

About Our Interview Questions

Our interview questions are created by writers, almost all of which, have a long history of recruiting and interviewing candidates. They do not necessarily have experience interviewing or working with companies, careers, or schools, in which they may write for on MockQuestions.com. We do, however, strive to match their background and expertise with the appropriate question sets found on our website.

Our careers, companies, industries, and schools may have duplicate interview questions and answers found elsewhere on our website. Specifically, our companies and our graduate school interviews. For these two, we use the industry in which we believe the company most well-represents and the graduate programs, as the basis for the interview questions and answers that generate for each company or school.

The intent of MockQuestions.com is for our users to build confidence for their job interview, by using our thousands of interview questions and answers as they practice and prepare for their interview. We believe, most of our visitors can become more likely to succeed in their job interview with hard-work and practice. We believe, the key to success is for our users to rehearse with our interview questions while using our answer examples as an idea generator for their own interview answers. We strongly want to discourage users from memorizing our answer examples. That is not the purpose of our website.

About Writer

December 20th, 2018

Writers have many career choices. The majority of active writers are self employed. Aside from freelancing, a writer can work for a media outlet, newspaper or magazine publisher, website, blog, and more. The possibilities are many. Writers may create articles on current events, entertainment pieces, gossip blogs, television scripts, equipment manuals (technical writing), novels, copy-writing, advertorials, and more.

As a writer, one should have a creative and persuasive mind. Writers must be convincing communicators as their work will often be for the purpose of teaching the reader about a particular subject or swaying the reader to view a topic in a new way.

A writer must be able to meet important deadlines. Staying focused and on task is very important. As most writers are self-employed, they can set their own schedule. This can make it difficult to stay on task so a writer must exercise self-discipline.

A writer should have some form of post-secondary education although that is not always a requirement. Most writers will have a Bachelor's degree in Communications, English, or Journalism.