Follow these tips when applying for a job at Scribe.
The application and interview process for most entry-level positions involves two interviews—one with Brandon Smith and one with David Rech—and at least one computer skills test.
Scribe frequently hires candidates with little to no publishing experience, including recent graduates or people transitioning to a new career after working in another industry. We are looking for candidates with a genuine interest in the publishing industry and a desire both to learn new skills and to apply existing skills in a new way.
What Is Scribe Looking for in an Application?
All Materials Included
Scribe only considers applications that contain both a cover letter and a résumé.
Cover letters and résumés can be provided as either Word documents or PDFs. PDF is the recommended format. If a Word document is provided, we will check the underlying aspects of the file to see how things like text alignment were achieved. Was the résumé wizard used, or was the résumé formatted with tabs and spaces?
If you have a reference letter or a contact list for your references, please include it with the initial application.
If samples of your work are available, either online or as files, we welcome the inclusion of these materials.
Include your name and a Scribe-specific indicator when naming your cover letter and résumé files. For example, if your name is Jane Doe, name your files scr-coverletter-jdoe.pdf and scr-resume-jdoe.pdf.
Proper Grammar and Spelling
All aspects of an application should use proper grammar and spelling. This includes any email correspondences, cover letters, and résumés.
Consistent and Proper Formatting
The cover letter should be formatted as a formal letter. The letter can be addressed to David Rech, Brandon Smith, or Hiring Manager.
Elements from a cover letter should be treated the same way in both the letter and the résumé. This includes addresses, phone numbers, names, and dates.
Professional and Timely Communication
As part of the initial contact, you may be invited for a phone call at a particular time. It is expected that you will respond to confirm this scheduled call and that you will call (or be available to receive a call) at that time.
Following any interviews, the next contact is always expected to be from the candidate, acknowledging the interview and expressing a continued interest in joining the company. Mentioning an aspect from the interview in a follow-up communication is viewed as a positive sign, as it shows that the candidate was paying attention and was engaged during the interview or testing.
Have You Researched Scribe?
Have you visited scribenet.com and read about the Well-Formed Document Workflow (WFDW)? Have you been on this page? Mention this in your cover letter.
What Is Scribe Looking for during an Interview?
A Professional Approach
While Scribe is a casual company in many ways, we also require a strong attention to detail and a professional approach to communication and organization.
Ask Questions and Take Notes
No one comes to Scribe fully formed and ready to take on all the responsibilities of the job. Though some skills can be utilized very early, all employees must learn about the Well-Formed Document Workflow, Scribe’s proprietary tools, and our production system. Candidates should use the interviews and test(s) to determine if this job is the best fit for themselves, just as Scribe must determine if the candidate has the potential to learn and grow within the company. To that end, candidates should ask questions, note things for follow-up, and treat the interview process with the same professional discipline that one would expect to show if hired.
Come Prepared
If an interview is conducted in person, bring a copy of your cover letter and résumé with you. If there are any physical examples of your work, bring those too.
During your interview, you will be asked many of the same questions you may have encountered at other job interviews. You will also be asked some questions that other companies would not ask. This may include any or all of the following:
- What are all the ways in which italics are used in books?
- What, in your view, makes someone a “professional” worker?
- What do you learn easily? What do you struggle to learn?
- What gives you the most satisfaction at a job?
- What is an example of a mistake you have made at a job, and what, if anything, did you do to ensure a similar mistake never happens again?
Can This Person Develop into a Valuable Employee?
Ultimately, Scribe needs to determine if a candidate is likely to develop into a valuable employee. Scribe invests a large amount of time in training and employee development, and the goal is for the new hire to gain skills and take on more responsibilities. Career paths are not set in stone or rigidly defined, so after establishing themselves by learning Scribe's fundamental skills, employees can find their best fit within the company. During the application process, Scribe is looking for people who want to develop and grow within Scribe—and who we think have the potential to do so.
The most basic criteria are communication and organization. Candidates that demonstrate a disciplined, professional approach to the application process give the strongest indication that they have the potential to succeed at Scribe.