I was submitted by a recruiting agency for a copyeditor position in Merkle's King of Prussia office. Despite being told the need to fill the role in the editing department was urgent, the interview process (two phone screens, a lengthy proofreading test, and an in-person meeting with people I'd be working with) seemed very protracted. Though I wasn't subjected to Merkle's infamous panel interview and presentation, the interview with the potential colleagues was nervewracking. I will say that the people I interviewed with were, to a man, very candid about the amount of work in the position and that the hours are long.

I had 2 initial phone screens with the Hiring Managers of the position before they brought me in for an onsite interview. The process took about a week. I met with their team of 5 copywriters for general Q&A and took a proofreading test to conclude the interview. Received feedback immediately that I was their leading candidate. The Hiring Manager told me this for 6 weeks before offering me a contractor position instead of the fulltime position I interviewed for. I had to politely decline.