Interview Guide
Structured Interview Guide — Senior Editor
Eight structured questions covering line editing, managing freelancers, handling author pushback, and case-study responses.
Structured Interview Guide — Senior Editor
1. How do you develop junior writers differently from junior editors?
Look for: understanding that writers need editorial vision, editors need mechanical rigor. Specific techniques.
2. Tell me about a piece you killed at the draft stage. Why?
Look for: willingness to cut their losses; clear criteria; how they communicated the kill to the writer.
3. Walk me through a structural edit that transformed a piece.
Look for: before/after framing; specifically what moved; the reasoning.
4. How do you handle a staff writer who consistently misses deadlines?
Look for: root-cause analysis before punishment; clear conversation; escalation path.
5. What does your relationship with legal/fact-checking look like?
Look for: collaboration not adversarial; specific protocols; comfort with the rhythm.
6. How have you handled a piece that became a PR problem post-publication?
Look for: specific example; role they played; what changed in their process afterwards.
7. How do you teach editorial judgement to someone who doesn't have it yet?
Look for: specific exercises (e.g., "mark up this piece and explain each change"); mentorship cadence; recognition that some people never learn it.
8. What does a great week look like for you as a senior editor?
Look for: realistic balance of ship work + mentoring + planning; not just putting out fires.