Interviewing at Newsela can be an exciting yet nerve-wracking process. As a fast-growing education technology startup Newsela is selective in its hiring and wants to ensure candidates are a good culture fit who can help the company achieve its mission of “unlocking the written word” for students.
To help you prepare for a Newsela interview here are some of the most frequently asked questions according to Glassdoor reviews and tips to help you craft winning responses
1. Why Do You Want to Work at Newsela?
This question tests your knowledge of and passion for the Newsela brand and mission. The interviewer wants to know what excites you about the company specifically.
Tips:
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Show you’ve researched the company by referencing details about their products, culture, values, and growth plans. Talk about why their mission resonates with you.
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Share a personal story or experience about how literacy impacted your life and why you’re inspired by Newsela’s goal of improving reading engagement and access for all students.
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Highlight specific skills or experience you have that align with Newsela’s needs in your potential role. Demonstrate you’re a great culture fit.
2. What Experience Do You Have With Content Creation and Curriculum Development?
Since Newsela creates over 5,000 new texts and quizzes each week, they hire candidates with strong writing and content development abilities.
Tips:
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Quantify your experience creating educational content, texts, quizzes, assignments, etc. Share examples of projects and impact.
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If you don’t have direct experience, highlight transferable skills from other writing/content roles. Emphasize capabilities in researching, writing, editing, sourcing information, meeting deadlines.
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For non-content roles, pivot to discuss analytical or collaborative skills used to solve problems and drive quality content development.
3. Tell Me About a Time You Dealt With an Upset Customer. How Did You Handle This Situation?
As an education company, customer service is crucial. They want people who can calmly problem-solve issues.
Tips:
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Share a specific example that highlights your empathy, communication skills, and creative problem-solving.
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Explain the methodical steps you took to de-escalate, understand, and resolve the issue to the customer’s satisfaction. Quantify the results.
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Focus on what you learned about interacting with upset customers and how it made you a better customer service rep.
4. What Do You Know About Newsela’s Products and Services?
Newsela is looking for people truly excited about their offerings who take initiative to learn about the company.
Tips:
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Demonstrate your passion for education technology by sharing an overview of Newsela’s core products: the literacy platform, SEL solutions, instructional content catalog, and professional development.
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Highlight product features or services that interest you and how they enrich literacy education, social-emotional learning, or teacher development. Give specific examples.
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If you don’t have direct product experience, discuss how your skills could help Newsela improve or expand offerings. Research thoroughly beforehand!
5. How Would You Go About Simplifying a Complex Article or Piece of Content to Make it Accessible for Different Reading Levels?
Adaptability is crucial for Newsela content. They want problem-solvers who understand adapting content for different audiences.
Tips:
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Explain step-by-step how you would analyze the original text to simplify vocabulary, sentence structure, and length while retaining core meaning.
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Share strategies for adapting the content appropriately for different grade levels based on student reading skills. Give examples like removing figurative language or adding definitions.
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Offer ideas for complementary materials like quizzes or lesson plans to aid comprehension. Demonstrate creativity and teaching knowledge.
6. Tell Me About a Time You Handled a Tight Deadline or Heavy Workload. How Did You Prioritize and Stay Organized?
Newsela’s fast-paced environment requires staff who work well under pressure. Share examples of resilience.
Tips:
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Describe a specific hectic project and the time/workload constraints. Explain how you created systems, managed stress, and rallied your team to deliver quality work on time.
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Emphasize accomplishments like finishing ahead of schedule or delighting stakeholders despite challenges. Quantify results achieved.
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Discuss what you learned about thriving in high-pressure roles. Share strategies you’ll apply to handle Newsela’s dynamic workflow.
7. Do You Have Any Questions for Me About Newsela or This Role?
Always close interviews by asking 1-2 thoughtful questions based on your research.
Good questions:
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How would you describe the work culture here? What do you enjoy most about working at Newsela?
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What skills or qualities make someone really successful in this role?
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What are some of the biggest challenges facing your team/department right now?
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What are Newsela’s top goals as a company for the next few years? How does this role factor into plans for growth?
Key Takeaways for Acing Your Newsela Interview:
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Research Newsela thoroughly to demonstrate passion for their mission, culture, and products. Share specific, detailed examples of your knowledge.
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Tailor your responses using examples that showcase abilities aligned with the role. Quantify achievements and impact.
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Convey excellent communication skills, creative problem-solving, and calm under pressure. Share relatable stories.
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Ask thoughtful questions that show your interest in and fit for the company.
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Practice responses out loud to polish your delivery. Articulate your value clearly and confidently.
With preparation and practice, you can stand out in your Newsela interview. Show them you’re an enthusiastic team player who will enrich their mission of unlocking literacy. You got this!
