Proposal Writer Interview Questions

Proposal Writers create written documents (called Proposals) that are used to convince others to support a project, enter into a business arrangement, or otherwise take action.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Proposal Writer or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Proposal Writer position, these Proposal Writer interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Proposal Writer Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Proposal Writer interview questions.

1. What are your methods for ensuring your writing is clear and consistent?
2. Describe a time when a presentation did not go as expected. What did you do?
3. If gathering information from multiple sources, how do you decide what's relevant?
4. How do you organize your work to ensure you meet all deadlines?
5. What process would you use to interview a subject matter expert?
6. Tell me about the types of documents you’ve written in the past.  How long were the documents? 
7. How much time did you have to complete them?  
8. What company did you write each document for?
9. Can you show me 3 examples of documents you’ve written?  
10. Where did you write each one?
11. What is your process for doing proofreading and revisions?  
12. Have you ever proofed someone else’s work?
13. Have you ever interviewed a client or a SME (subject matter expert) for information? How did you do it?  
14. What is your SME process?
15. Give me an example of a time when you collaborated with many people in different departments (or locations) to create a document.  How did you handle it?  
16. What did you do when people were late, or deliverables were not met?
17. Give me an example of a time when you juggled many different documents (or projects), all with different deadlines.  How did you keep track of everything?  Were you able to meet the deadlines?
18. Sometimes during the year, we have a really high volume of [proposals/reports/articles] that need to be completed very quickly.  What are some tricks or techniques you use for handling “peak periods” at work?
19. Have you ever created a “style guide” for a company?  How did you approach it?  What did you include?
20. How would you rate your writing skills? 
21. Share an effective method you have used to ensure that writing assignments are organizied, clear, concise, stylistic, and have appropriate terminology.    
22. Share an experience in which you successfully shared a difficult piece of information. 
23. Tell me how you organize, plan, and prioritize your work.    
24. Share an experience when you applied new technology or information in your job. How did it help your company? 
25. Do you prefer to work independently or with others?
26. Where do you see yourself in five years?
27. How do you incorporate feedback into your work?
28. How do you capture a client’s voice?
29. What’s your experience with content management systems/design software/web publishing software?
30. Tell me about a time when you experienced conflict and how you resolved it.
31. What’s your preferred communication style?
32. What’s the last book you read?
33. What is your experience with social media?
34. Tell us about a grant that you wrote solely and was funded? 
35. Tell us about the challenges you faced and how you overcame them?  
36. How do you work with a challenging person who you need to get information from
37. What are the characteristics of  a good proposal?

Proposal Writer Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Proposal Writer interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

1. Why Do You Want This Job?
2. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
3. What is Your Greatest Strength?
4. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
5. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
6. Why Should We Hire You?
7. What is Your Salary Expectation?
8. What is Your Greatest Weakness?
9. Tell Me About Yourself
10. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?