I went through two rounds of interviews with an interviewer at Merchants - plus an initial screening with a recruiter. The whole process took about three weeks.
The first interview with Merchants was a very short Zoom call where I was barely able to explain my background before the interviewer asked me to email a list of things I could do in this role, which I thought was odd as there was already a job description. About two weeks later after I followed up multiple times, I was invited to an in-person interview. I thought it went well although - again - I was cut off as I answered questions throughout the interview. At the end of the interview, I was told I would probably receive an offer within 24-48 hours. The next day, my recruiter told me that I was not getting the position because the interviewer was impressed with my skills but didn't believe I had enough experience in the world of hospitality. I have worked in the hospitality industry building partnerships and working as a marketing manager, content creator, and actress/waitress for a combined 4 years with various companies. I don't know what else is needed to give somebody a chance at Merchants Hospitality.
Still disappointed in this outcome as this is a dream role for me, but looking back on the process and what was said during the interview - it's probably good I didn't get the role. For instance, the interviewer spoke about how loyal employees are at Merchant with an example that during the pandemic, they barely lost any employees (aside from people who wouldn't vaccinate) and "didn't even have to give bonuses or anything." He also mentioned how their company is very "live to work" and they are not open to hybrid or remote work. Obviously, this sort of role requires on-site content capture, but actual posts can be created from anywhere. There was definitely a lot of old-school thinking and weird red flags about how there's likely no work-life balance.
