Content Writer Interview Questions & Answers - How to Prepare for Content Writing Job Interview

Summary

In this video, Devika discusses common interview questions for aspiring content writers, offering valuable insights and tips to help candidates succeed in interviews. She covers key skills required for content writing, such as understanding the target audience, creating unique content, and following SEO best practices. Devika also emphasizes the importance of proofreading, using credible sources, and being open to feedback. Additionally, she touches on practical questions, like word output expectations. The video aims to help viewers feel more prepared for content writing interviews and increase their chances of landing a job.

Takeaways

• 😀 Content writing interviews focus on specific skills required to excel in the field.
• 📝 Knowing the target audience is the most important skill for a content writer.
• 🔍 Writers must understand the message and purpose of the content they are creating.
• 💡 Creating unique, plagiarism-free content is crucial for a successful writer.
• 📝 Summarization is key: Writers should condense complex ideas into concise, clear content.
• 📚 Patience with research is vital for crafting well-informed and accurate content.
• 🚀 Engaging content should capture attention and meet the needs of the audience.
• 🔗 Writers should ensure their content is SEO-friendly by using keywords and links strategically.
• ✏️ Proofreading is essential for catching errors and delivering polished work.
• 🤝 Writers should be open to feedback and flexible in incorporating changes.

Q & A

What is the purpose of this video?

The video aims to provide aspiring content writers with commonly asked interview questions and favorable answers to help them prepare for job interviews and secure their dream content writing positions.

Why is it important for content writers to know their target audience?

Understanding the target audience is crucial for a content writer because it helps tailor the content to effectively convey the intended message and engage the readers. Without knowing the audience, the content may not resonate or meet its intended purpose.

What are some key skills required for a content writer, according to the video?

Key skills include understanding the target audience, knowing what to communicate, creating unique content, being able to summarize information effectively, and having patience during the research process.

What are the integral parts of good content?

Good content should be engaging, provide utility to the audience, follow the no-plagiarism rule, and rely on credible sources.

How can a content writer make their content SEO-friendly?

A content writer can make content SEO-friendly by using the right keywords in appropriate amounts, incorporating hyperlinks, and balancing the importance of content with SEO practices to ensure higher visibility in search engine results.

What should a content writer do before starting a new project?

Before starting a new project, a content writer should ask questions to clarify the target audience, goal, and purpose of the content. Conducting thorough research and understanding the client's requirements are also essential.

How can a writer effectively proofread their work?

A writer should proofread their work by thoroughly checking for spelling, grammar, readability, and overall clarity. Utilizing proofreading tools can assist in ensuring the content is error-free before submission.

How should a content writer handle feedback and edits to their work?

A content writer should remain open to constructive criticism and feedback. While they can defend their creative choices, they must be willing to incorporate necessary changes as requested by the client or employer.

What is the best approach to answering the question 'How many words can you write per day?' during an interview?

The writer should provide an honest estimate based on their current abilities, such as 1,000 words per day, while also showing a willingness to improve over time as they become more experienced in content creation.

What was the riddle mentioned in the video, and what was its answer?

The riddle was, 'What is something that can get broken without being held?' The answer provided in the video was 'a promise.' Other answers like 'heart' and 'trust' were also accepted as valid.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Introduction to Content Writing Interview Questions

In this section, the host, Devika, introduces the episode, which focuses on common content writing interview questions. She emphasizes how useful the video will be for aspiring writers preparing for interviews. Devika promises to provide not only questions but also the best possible answers to help viewers secure their dream content writing jobs.

05:01

💼 Key Skills Required for a Content Writer

Here, Devika discusses one of the most common interview questions: 'What skills are required by a content writer?' She explains that a good content writer must know their target audience, understand the message they need to convey, create unique content, summarize ideas effectively, and be patient with research. Each of these points is elaborated to give a comprehensive understanding of what employers are looking for in content writers.

10:02

✍️ Essential Components of Quality Content

Devika talks about the integral parts of good content, explaining that engagement, utility, plagiarism-free work, and reliance on credible sources are crucial for quality writing. She emphasizes the importance of keeping the audience's needs in mind, avoiding plagiarism, and using trusted sources to ensure the content is informative and reliable.

🔍 Making Content SEO-Friendly

This section explains how content writers can make their work more SEO-friendly, which is essential for online visibility. Devika suggests using appropriate keywords, adding hyperlinks, and maintaining a balance between quality content and SEO optimization. This helps in making the content both readable and rank higher on search engines.

📝 Preparing Before Starting a Writing Project

Devika shares that a content writer must do thorough preparation before starting any project. This includes asking relevant questions, conducting research, and understanding the target audience and the project's goal. Writers should avoid starting work without a proper plan and research, as this approach increases their chances of success.

🔍 Proofreading and Error Detection

In this part, Devika stresses the importance of proofreading for content writers. She acknowledges that mistakes are natural during writing but advises writers to catch and fix these errors before submitting. She recommends using proofreading tools to ensure content is error-free and polished before delivering it to clients or employers.

🛠️ Handling Feedback and Edits

Devika explains how content writers should handle feedback and edits. It's important for writers to be open to constructive criticism and flexible when clients suggest changes. Devika suggests striking a balance between defending one’s creative choices and being adaptable to meet client expectations.

💬 Managing Word Count Expectations

In this section, Devika advises on how to respond to questions about daily word count during interviews. Writers should provide realistic figures based on their experience and pace. She warns against overpromising and recommends being transparent about writing capabilities to avoid issues later on the job.

🔑 Riddle Answer and Audience Interaction

Devika wraps up the episode by revealing the answer to a riddle from a previous video. The riddle was about something that can be broken without being held, and the answer is 'promise.' Devika acknowledges other valid answers, such as 'heart' and 'trust.' She thanks her audience for their engagement and participation before signing off.

Keywords

💡Content Writing

Content writing refers to the process of planning, writing, and editing web content, often for digital marketing purposes. In the video, it is the main theme, as the speaker discusses how to prepare for content writing interviews, focusing on the skills required for the job and how to excel in it.

💡Skills of a Content Writer

These are the abilities necessary for a successful content writer, such as understanding the target audience, writing unique content, summarizing effectively, and being patient with research. The video emphasizes the importance of these skills in acing content writing interviews and excelling in the profession.

💡Target Audience

Target audience refers to the specific group of readers that content is intended for. In the video, knowing the target audience is highlighted as a key skill for content writers, as it helps tailor the message to the readers’ needs, ensuring better engagement and effectiveness.

💡Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of copying someone else's work without permission. The video explains that content writers must avoid plagiarism by producing original work and using credible sources. Plagiarism is described as a serious offense that could harm both the writer and the company they work for.

💡SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which involves optimizing content to rank higher on search engines. In the video, SEO is mentioned as an important aspect of content writing, with writers needing to use keywords and hyperlinks effectively to make their content more visible and impactful.

💡Credible Sources

Credible sources are reliable and authoritative references used to support content. The video advises content writers to rely on credible sources, such as journal papers, rather than questionable ones like personal blogs, to enhance the quality and trustworthiness of their work.

💡Proofreading

Proofreading is the process of reviewing and correcting written content for errors in grammar, spelling, and readability. The video stresses the importance of proofreading for content writers, as it ensures the final output is polished and error-free, increasing the chances of producing high-quality content.

💡Constructive Criticism

Constructive criticism refers to feedback that aims to improve one's work rather than just criticize it. In the video, the speaker discusses how content writers should be open to constructive criticism and willing to incorporate feedback from clients or employers to improve their work.

💡Engagement

Engagement refers to how effectively a piece of content captures and retains the reader's attention. The video mentions that engaging content is one of the key elements of good writing, as it helps keep the audience interested and ensures that the message is effectively communicated.

💡Summarizing

Summarizing involves condensing large amounts of information into concise and clear messages. The video highlights summarizing as a crucial skill for content writers, especially when dealing with complex ideas that need to fit into limited word counts, such as 500 or 1,000 words.

Highlights

Introduction to content writing interview questions, providing helpful insights for aspiring writers.

Content writing is gaining popularity, and the competition is rising, making interview preparation essential.

First common interview question: 'What skills are required by a content writer?' and an explanation of how to answer it effectively.

Key skills for content writers include knowing the target audience, understanding the message, creating unique content, and summarizing ideas effectively.

The importance of patience in research for content writers, as well as creating credible, unique content.

Explanation of what makes good content, including engagement, utility, adherence to no plagiarism, and using credible sources.

Discussion of SEO and how to make content SEO-friendly by using proper keywords, hyperlinks, and optimizing for search engines.

What to know before starting a project, such as target audience, research, and project goals, to ensure quality content.

How to proofread content effectively to catch grammar, readability, and spelling errors, using proofreading tools as necessary.

Handling feedback and edits in content writing, emphasizing openness to constructive criticism while maintaining a balanced approach.

How many words you can write per day: being honest about your current capacity and potential for growth as a content writer.

Importance of setting realistic word count expectations, especially for beginners in content writing, and communicating growth potential.

Content writing interview tips are aimed at giving aspiring writers a better chance of securing their dream job.

Encouragement to participate in the comment section of previous videos to engage with riddles and share responses.

Ending with an answer to the previous video's riddle: 'What can be broken without being held?' The correct answer is 'a promise.'

Transcripts

hey everyone i'm devika and welcome to a

new episode

on our channel and today we are talking

about content writing

interview questions so yes today's

episode is going to be very beneficial

uh to all the aspiring writers to the

people who are

looking out for content writing jobs and

you plan to attend the interview very

soon

today's episode is going to give you

these uh you know the most

commonly asked interview questions when

you're going for a content writer's job

and i shall also provide you the most

favorable answers to these questions to

get you one step

closer to your dream job so stay tuned

and keep watching

[Music]

so as i mentioned in couple of my

previous videos that content writing is

a profession that is gaining ample

popularity

and with the popularity the competition

related to is also also on a rise

therefore it is essential that you be

able to ace the interview so that you

get

that dream job so today we shall look at

these

questions or the top interview questions

that you might face

when heading for a content writing

position and i'll give you some of these

favorable

answers as well so let's get started and

look at some of these

questions so the first question that

you're most likely to face when you

enter the interview room and you you

know settle down is going to be

introduce yourself so let's not get into

that that's a very common question and

i would want to focus on content writing

related questions

uh so the next obvious question here is

uh what skills are required by a content

writer okay so why do you think your

the person interviewing you is asking

you this question

now every employer wants the person whom

he or she is hiring to be

completely aware of the tasks or roles

or responsibilities that is to be

handled by

the person being hired so that's the

reason behind asking this question so if

you're able to

answer appropriately the you know the

person interviewing

you would be sure that you are the right

person for this role

now when somebody asks you the skills

required by a content writer what

should you answer now you know try to

frame your answer something like you

know

a few pointers that i would tell you

here is the first skill

that a content writer requires is to

know

the reader or to know the target

audience

so a person who just barely starts

writing right away

might not turn out to be a good content

writer you should be able to write

something that

goes out and gives out the perfect

message to the target audience

so the first skill required by a content

writer is to know the reader

the next thing is to be able to know

what you have to communicate

so just barely writing again won't work

you would need to know what you need to

write

you would need to you know ask questions

to the clients or whomever

you know whoever is giving you that

topic and you would need to ask them

as to what is the intention or the

message behind creating that content

okay and the third thing would be

something like being able

uh to create a unique content now you

have several websites so just copying

things from various website and making

it a content of yours will not work

it'll only land you into

a lot of trouble so content needs to be

unique so content writers

uh you know the main skill here needs to

be of

being able to create unique content

okay and the next one would be something

like um

be able to summarize uh now when you are

brainstorming okay you will come across

several ideas that has to be

communicated

to the target audience now uh most of

the time the content

that is to be written is limited so you

can you know just write 500 or thousand

words

so how do you put in you know such a big

idea on paper that

way so that's where your skill of being

able to summarize it

in the right you know set of words

sentences so that

the message is communicated without you

know creating you know pages of the same

content

and the last skill or the last

preferable skill that a content writer

needs to have

is to be patient with research now

every content that you create has a lot

of research involved

so being patient with the research

process is very crucial to create

a very good write-up so these

can serve as a very good answer to the

question of

what skills are required by a content

writer so the next

question that you're most likely to face

is

where in the person interviewing you ask

what are the most primary or the what

are the integral parts of a good

content so the person interviewing you

wants to know uh whether you can

write a good content or not so if you

know what should go into making a good

content you will definitely

make a good content creator so the

answer to this can be

again divided into say uh four points so

first thing is engagement a good content

will have a lot of engagement so you

should be

able to or a writer should be able to

create paragraph

sections in such a way that it is

engaging and you know holds the

attention of the reader

so this is the first point next is

something you know maybe utility

as in the impact of your write-up on the

audience

so that is also very important so unless

you take the needs of the audience into

consideration you wouldn't be able to

come up with a

good content and the next point can be

you know something like

how well you are able to follow the no

plagiarism

rule so we all know that plagiarism is a

serious crime it can get you into

trouble and not just

you if you're working for a company then

you know

uh going into this plagiarism can be a

real

uh hindrance to the name of the company

and the last thing

is being able to uh rely on credible

sources

now when you cite something in your

paper or in your content

so you're stating something so from

where did you get that information

holds a lot of importance so you would

as a content writer would need to

be able to differentiate between

credible sources and the ones that are

not

so credible sources would you know

something be like journal papers okay so

those are credible sources

but you cannot rely on information

provided in maybe

somebody's personal blog so that

wouldn't

be credible okay so that could be wrong

that could um

you know might not be that authentic or

legal or ethical

so you always need to use credible

sources to seek information that you can

put in your

content the next question that you might

face is something like

what you do to make your content or your

write up more

seo friendly so we all know seo stands

for search engine optimization

now just writing a content for a website

or a company

will not be that you know fruitful

unless you have proper seo put into it

uh so with seo and when you're like for

you know face this kind of a question

your approach should be giving equal

importance to the

content that you have written and also

to the seo that goes behind it

so your the person interviewing you

would be impressed if you give

seo also equal importance so that would

include

you telling them how you make use of

seo practices or what kind of approach

you use to

insert the right keywords in the right

amount whether you make use of

hyperlinks

so tell them what you do to make your

content seo friendly and that would be

the appropriate answer for this

particular question the next question

would be something like

what you need to know before you start

working on a project

so by project i mean the topic that you

need to write on or the assignment in

general

so if you are one of those who just

answers saying i just start

writing then there is a high possibility

that you might not be hired

because there's a process that uh needs

to be followed before you begin writing

and that involves asking a lot of

questions doing a lot of research

so when you're answering this kind of a

question don't just tell that i start

writing

tell them that you you know ask a lot of

questions

you want to know the target audience you

want to do a lot of research

you want to know the goal of the project

and only after you get answers to these

you would start

writing so you know answering this way

would

uh increase the chances of you being

higher so the next possible question

is how do you proofread a piece of work

now writers can make mistakes okay we

all do

mistakes and when somebody is writing

and you're in that flow of writing it

there's a high chance that you might end

up making mistakes that could be any

spelling error or a grammatical mistake

it's uh

you know the possibility is high and

there's nothing wrong about it

but a good writer is somebody who would

be able to catch the error

who would be able to rectify it and give

a copy that is clean

okay so when you answer this kind of a

question you need to tell them that

you're fine with making errors

but you also have the ability to catch

your errors

and for that you have this strategy of

proofreading your work

so once a writer finishes writing he or

she

should always proofread the work and by

proofreading i mean

checking it thoroughly for grammar

readability spelling and all the all of

these

there are several proofreading tools

which i'm sure if you're going into the

writing career you would be aware of

or even if you're you know you're hired

by the company they might

provide you with these proofreading

tools but it's quite essential that

every piece of content grows through

this proofreading

process so that you produce a clean and

good

content last question that i'm gonna

discuss today is

something like how do you incorporate

feedback and edits to your write-up

now this question is not exactly about

what you do

you know what kind of process you follow

to do it

but this question is you know the aim of

the question is to understand what kind

of

person is being hired so if you have to

impress

your um you know employer or the

prospective employer

you need to handle this question you

know very you know

you know you need to tell them in a

subtle manner that although

you um know how to defend your choices

but

then you're open to constructive

criticism or feedback

so it is very important uh with any

write-up okay so

we look at it from a you know that

single perspective but when it goes out

to the client they might have a

different approach and they might have

suggestions or edits that they want

to be incorporated so if you're a writer

who use you're very

adamant about not doing it then there is

chance that you wouldn't be hired

so uh say if you have got a feedback and

you have an opinion

you are um at the liberty to share it

and put it across to them and tell them

why you thought that is correct

but in spite of that if the client or

your

employer is adamant about you making

certain changes you should

be able to do it and you should do it

okay so that's

also one of the factors that people want

to work with writers who are flexible

and this question needs to be handled in

a very delicate manner so

when you're answering such questions

tell them that you're open to criticism

or these kind of feedbacks and

you would ensure that you will

incorporate it in your

right that was about it these were the

questions that i wanted to discuss

and these were the uh primary questions

but also maybe once you're hired

okay uh during the hr round uh there's a

possibility that you can face

a question something like how many words

you can write per day

now don't go uh don't be overwhelmed

with this question and don't just

randomly see a number

say uh every person differs and if

you're a fresher and getting into this

writing career

uh there's a high chance that you'll be

slow at it so initially you might just

end up writing thousand words daily but

then eventually as you grow and you

learn the process of writing how the

research works

and all of that you would slowly um be

on the rising curve and you would be

able to produce more number of words

so when you're you know getting on to

the job don't commit something that you

cannot do

so if you can just produce thousand

words per day tell them that

okay and be clear about it and tell them

that you read learn and put in more

effort and maybe eventually you will

produce more words daily

but be really clear about it right from

the start because

you know just telling them a rough

figure of say i can do three thousand

four thousand words daily and then

when you go on board and you're not able

to do it it'll only get you into trouble

so be very clear with this kind of a

question and

agreement and you know get them into

confidence let them believe you that you

would put in that hard work

uh but don't commit something that you

wouldn't be able to do

shall wrap up today's video here but

before that

there's a pending thing that i would

want to share and that is about

answering the riddle that was asked in

one of our previous videos if you

haven't watched that

i would highly recommend you all to go

and watch the riddles to improve english

video that was quite an entertaining one

and i

know most of you loved it uh so there

was a little last at the end of it

and i wanted all of y'all to comment and

you all did

and i got the right answers from most of

y'all

and the question was something like um

you know what is that thing that can get

broken without being held so and i also

told you all that it's something

you know connected to the emotional

perspective and yes most of y'all got it

right

and it the actual answer or the answer

on

you know available on the source from

where i got this riddle was

a promise so the answer to this was

promise

so promise is something that can be

broken without being held

but then i got few more answers from all

of your answers like heart

answers like trust and i feel yeah those

are correct as well and those are

applicable so there can be these riddles

that have more than one answer and

it depends on how you analyze and look

at it so yeah these were

the correct answers and thank you for

commenting and participating in that

particular

activity and thank you for watching

today's video if you liked it

don't forget to hit the thumbs up and

leave your comments about today's video

and uh if there are any other particular

kind of videos that you want me to come

up

i would surely consider those and i

shall be up with another interesting

video very soon then till then thank you

for watching today's video take care of

yourselves

and bye