First contact was a phone screen with an HR recruiter. They called me because I had an employee referral. Second contact was a phone interview with the Director of Research, Writing Services. This is the person I would have been working for. This was a standard preliminary interview. She told me about the position and asked about my work experience. The next phase was a writing test. I was asked to draft a "Gartner First Take" using a press release and raw analytical material they provided. First Takes are designed to give clients rapid analysis and recommendations on new developments in the IT industry. First Takes include four fields: title (length limit is 60 characters, including spaces), summary (220 characters), event facts and analysis (2,500 characters combined). The exercise is about writing for a business audience. You have one hour to complete it. If you pass this test, you will get to the panel interview. This was a difficult interview. Mine was with three people, the Director of Research, Writing Services, a Project Manager and a Senior Writer who was on the phone from the UK. This was a difficult interview. The focus was on how I would handle the most difficult aspects of the job.