I applied online. The process took 6 months. I interviewed at Cengage (Boston, MA) in Sep 2009
Interview
I should have known by the hiring process that this was not the best company to work for. I applied in the summer for an Editorial Assistant position and was called about it almost four months after I applied. I had forgotten about it but that wasn't an issue since the recruiter asked basic questions about college and my previous work experience.
I had an in person interview with two people, one of them being the hiring manager, and one phone interview. The interviews ranged from very informal to very formal, so it was hard to get a sense of the company at the time. The manager admitted that the only reason I was asked to interview for an entry level position was because I had held another previous full time job after college. Interview questions were mostly about my resume, college background, and what I could bring to the job regarding administrative tasks.
It took about another two months to hear anything back about the job.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What was one of the worst experiences you've had at a job?
I applied online. I interviewed at Cengage (Boston, MA) in Apr 2021
Interview
It was a HR screening interview and it was respectful and engaging. I was given the space to talk and walk the recruiter through my resume. The recruiter also explained the job description really clearly.
I applied through college or university. I interviewed at Cengage (Boston, MA)
Interview
First, there a phone interview with a person at HR and then an in-person interview with the manager. Both were very friendly and accommodating. On-site location was very nice. Heard back within a week.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about a time that you were teaching someone something and they weren't understanding it, how did you handle that?
I applied through a staffing agency. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Cengage (Andover, England) in Sep 2017
Interview
I applied to Cengage through an agency with a CV and cover letter, and was asked to send a second, more detailed cover letter once they expressed interest in meeting me. They later moved the interview date back a week with a few days' notice.
The interview itself was a pleasant experience, with friendly staff and in a nice location. I got the sense that I would enjoy working there. I answered about ten questions: a mix of behaviourals, knowledge about the company, and imaginary scenarios. There were also some specific questions about technical aspects of the job, such as dealing with rights and permissions.
After the initial questions, there was an isolated twenty-minute proofreading/editing test which involved correcting and rewriting a blurb for an imaginary textbook. The interviewers then came back, had me talk them through my suggested changes, and offered to answer any questions I had.
While I didn't receive an offer, their feedback was quick, polite, and largely very positive.
Interview questions [5]
Question 1
Tell me about a time when you worked in a team. What did you learn from it?