RV News interview questions

I applied online. I had a short phone call to set up an in-person interview. The CEO was very clear that that was in in-person-only position, as the editor would need to "watch over and guide all the freelancers there." The first thing I noticed when I walked in for the interview was that there was only one other person there. I thought that a little odd. Where are all these freelancers that would require me coming into the office every day? The first thing I did was take an AP style test, and there was also a test on grammar and structure, where one needed to identify appositive phrases and the like. In the actual interview, the CEO returned from lunch, as did one other person (who was not a freelancer). I then talked with the CEO, who would ask questions like what are the most important elements of a story, and how would you figure out your job if the lead editor left all the sudden. It felt like they were searching for some weird correct answer, and they clearly weren't pleased with whatever it was I said. In the end, they said they were going to make a decision real soon. And then I never heard from them again. No phone call or email to even tell me they moved on with someone else. I thought about touching base, but I also didn't really want to work there after checking it out, and now that I have read other reviews (something I didn't do before my interview), I am glad they ghosted me. Based on my off vibe I got and the other reviews, I think it's not the freelancers that need watching by the editor, but the editor that needs watching by the CEO. Very much an environment where the employees can't be trusted to get their job done without the oversight of Big Brother in the office. Bullet dodged.

The owner of this company called me on the phone after receiving my resume. No appointment, no time to plan. He began asking me all these questions about why I want to work for their company. I had to ask, "who is this?" Did not have time to do due diligence before the phone interview. After this, he asked me to send writing samples. I sent my portfolio. He responded with "no writing samples." There are writing sample links in the portfolio. After this I got an email inviting me to come to the office and interview. I drove to the office 20 minutes outside of Denver. It is a dingy sad spot in an industrial park. I was greeted by the editor. We shook hands, still weird as pandemic isn't over but I'm vaccinated so I rolled with it. The office was brown, sad, with zero people at desks. I never actually got to meet the CEO. Based on the other reviews here on Glassdoor, it's probably better that I didn't. Because testing my understanding of grammar and ability to write is a prerequisite to continue the interview, I passed. As I told the editor, my master's degree in language and literature from a very prestigious college and my thirty years of experience writing B2B materials should have been credential enough.  When I applied for the job, I imagined that I'd be able to work remotely, travel in my Class B writing awesome content from the road. As someone deeply entrenched in #vanlife culture, I anticipated this would be a job opportunity that would support this and celebrate the lifestyle. When I looked up and reviewed the job description again this morning before the interview, I was surprised that they require 5 days a week in-office hours. It might have worked, but their office was incredibly depressing. Not sure how one runs an RV publication where no one actually lives the RV lifestyle. The thought of sitting in that brown room for eighty hours a day seemed crazy to me. Very uninspired. This is all a matter of control. There is no way one could cultivate writing and churn content in a dark room like that.   Another concern I had, there are zero women in management at their business. In my phone interview, the CEO asked me what I wanted to be paid. Typically, I do not negotiate with myself, and Id not name my desired salary in that call. They did not list the pay range is for this job on Zip Recruiter. In Colorado, businesses are required to give this information. I assume that the company does this so that women underbid themselves to ensure that they don't have to pay them as much. This, like the rest of their operations, is a pretty standard old-school tactic to maintain the pay gap.  Upon arrival, the editor handed me a paper test to evaluate my writing and grammar. I refused. Absolutely not. My response to my not wanting to be tested confirmed what working for this organization would be like. Control, control, stupid tasks that you don't get paid for, etc... It's evident that this company is all about old-school micromanagement, boys club, soul-sucking, nowhere to grow, and zero opportunities to take on a leadership position. What would I be the leader of anyway? An empty office in purgatory? I don't think I could take the editor seriously, as he has under 500 connections on LinkedIn, as compared to my 3000+. How can someone with 25 years of editorial and news experience have such a tiny network? This was also very concerning. In his 25 years of doing business, people don't want to be connected to him? Major red flag. Their website is awful. They do not have a social media presence. There's nothing in their touchpoints that defines RV News as progressive or forward-thinking, despite what the CEO conveyed to me on the phone when we spoke. If this is how they present their company on the outside, this is how you'll treat employees internally. Examples? The "no telecommuting" policy and mandatory testing.   RV News is antiquated, old school, with no social media presence, and a truly depressing office where they expect workers to sit for 40+ hours a week.  Before posting another job opportunity, I strongly recommend this company thinks about retooling its entire business model. Without question, I dodged a bullet when I walked out of there. Hey Chris, guess I gave you that writing sample after all? Did I pass? (rhetorical question)