The first interview was pretty basic and went well. The interviewers were friendly and welcoming. They asked standard questions, listened to my answers seriously, answered all my questions and cracked a few jokes here and there. It felt like a positive environment that would be good to work in. They asked me to read up on some of their publications and author services. Right afterwards, I did a written test where I had to edit something. Everything seemed to be going great and it felt like a dream job.
The second interview with senior management(around a week later) was incredibly difficult. I was lulled into a false sense of security by the first interview and expected the same atmosphere. They skipped introductions and went ahead with the questions. It was very intimidating. I prepared for the interview by checking out their online publications and reading through a few articles, reading through their website, downloading their software, familiarizing myself with the author services and watching a few of their videos on youtube (including the 1 hour long video about things authors should look out for when submitting their paper). They asked me if I read any of their books. The answer was no. They were very disappointed and said I did not prepare adequately. They questioned if I've been to bookstores. Which, yes, but definitely not since covid happened.
They also asked why I left my previous employment. I tried following the interview preparation videos I watched on youtube about how to answer this question. I started off by saying what I learned there and how I enjoyed it, but they said my name loudly to cut me off and repeated the question impatiently. Understandably, they are busy people and want to get to the point, but it really jarred me.
Then a curveball question came. They asked if I knew about the 4G. The answer was no, and I asked if they could explain it to me. There was a long moment of disapproving silence as they stared at me with contempt. They then asked if I was a Singaporean in a condescending manner. Admittedly, I am quite out of touch in terms of politics and do not keep up with it. I did not realize political knowledge was required for the job. If I knew beforehand I would've read up on it. Afterwards, I asked my family and friends and they didn't know about the 4G either. I understand that I am lacking in some areas but I was hoping a willingness to learn would be enough to make up for it. There wasn't much I could do at the moment except promise to read up on the topic and work on the knowledge I lack. Based on their unimpressed facial expressions, that clearly wasn't good enough. It was sad to see that I wasn't the right fit for the job since I really wanted it and had high hopes prior to the second interview.
I was badly affected by the interview and relapsed into a depressive episode. It was a huge self-esteem killer.
For those who want to apply here, here's some advice:
- Interest in editing, background in the subject area and the ability to work under tight deadlines is not enough. You must also have the social skills to deal with difficult people and be able to react spontaneously. Mental fortitude is important.
- You must have political knowledge and read widely.
- Be prepared for tough interviewers. Try your best not to be affected if they react negatively or cut you off.
- Basic preparation is not enough. You do in-depth preparation and do it in a smart way. Read their journals, books, memorize the nobel laureates they've worked with and much more. If you're only interested in editing and not the company itself, it might be good to apply elsewhere.
- Best of luck!