Required copy test before a member of a team would even give an interview. The copy test was extensive with tight deadline. They did not follow up about next steps. and had to be chased down just to tell me they went with someone internal.

I applied through the Madewell website for a copywriter position. At first, all went well. I was contacted by the HR person and really liked her. I honestly have nothing bad to say about her. She submitted my resume to the hiring manager. Most places will have you interview and if they like you, they'll give you a copy test. Not at Madewell. They wanted me to take a copy test before speaking to anyone on the team. Highly unusual. I guess they don't want their time to be wasted. Here's the thing. This was one of the most intense copy tests I've ever worked on. It wasn't something that was a 3-hour turnaround. It probably took 15 hours due to all the strategy questions. Again, this was for a copy role, not a marketing or editorial role. Basically, it was okay for them to waste my time. For free. Here's what was requested. MADEWELL GENERALIST COPYWRITER EDIT TEST Section 1: Good Vibes Only a) What are the top five podcasts/newsletters/publications that get you through the week? b) What does your side of TikTok look like? Who are your top three creators? c) You get to take over the Madewell Instagram for a day—which ten found or personal images would you put in a photo dump post? Please provide a caption, too. d) What’s your favorite non-Madewell store to visit in person and why? e) Pitch three people—of any gender—that you’d like to feature on our social (nope, you don’t have to know them personally). f) Pitch three brands (clothes, accessories, home, beauty) that you think Madewell should team up with. What would the collabs look like? Section 2: Reply All Check out this email below (you’ll def need to expand the jpeg). Come up with an overall concept and fill in allllll that lorem ipsum. Be sure to provide two possible subject lines and corresponding preheaders. Think: What message would get you to open the email and click through to the site? Section 3: Homepage Sweet Homepage Take a look at this homepage and write copy for the main and small tiles that feel relevant to each image and the summer season. HI, HELLO: This is a two part-er: Give five naming options and write SEO-friendly product copy for each of the items below (we swiped images of vintage clothes from Etsy but write as if they are from an upcoming Madewell collection)—please check out current “product details” on Madewell.com to get a sense of our voice and naming conventions. You'll need to do it for 5 different products. This is a company that doesn't value other people's time. As for me, I went from being a huge Madewell fan (and purchaser) to buying from other places. My time deserves to be respected.