I applied through LinkedIn, was contacted a few days later, sat for one interview, and completed a skills assessment. The entire process took about a month from the time of application to rejection. My first interview was with a managing editor; I never met the team I'd be working with. The interview went well and I was asked to complete a skills assessment. One aspect of the assessment struck me as a little unfair. PP asked me to provide a copy of a pitch memo I've used to garner media coverage. I have never been asked to share such a document externally so I didn't have any in my portfolio. Because I'm not currently employed, I couldn't leverage assets from an existing job. The process therefore seemed skewed to benefit people who already have jobs, which is not particularly fair. I tried my best to illustrate how my strategy had been successful, sans pitch document, but I suspect that not having this specific document to offer hampered my efforts. I was also disappointed to be asked to provide free labor before I had even had an opportunity to meet potential teammates and learn more about the position. Advice for ProPublica: Be more flexible in the samples you ask candidates to provide. Move the skills assessment test to after the second round of interviews. It's not right that a newsroom that prides itself on being progressive follows outdated and increasingly unpopular practices. Candidates should have an opportunity to meet their direct colleagues before being pumped for ideas and used for free labor.