How to Get a Job at Buzzfeed: Application Steps and Requirements

You have most likely heard of Buzzfeed before. Whether you read Buzzfeed news articles, take Buzzfeed quizzes, or watch countless Buzzfeed YouTube videos, you surely know of the social media giant and may want to learn how to get a job at Buzzfeed.

As with most social media companies, Buzzfeed is a relatively prestigious workplace, so it makes sense you would want to get a job at Buzzfeed. With countless positions in various career fields from software engineering to journalism, there is likely a job at Buzzfeed to suit almost anyone.

In this handy guide, you will find everything you need to know to get a job at Buzzfeed. From information about the company, what the work environment is like, to the application and interview process and positions available, we here at Career Karma have you covered.

Buzzfeed: Company Background

Back in 2006, Jonah Peretti and John S Johnson III started Buzzfeed with the help of Kenneth Lerer, the co-founder and chairman of The Huffington Post. The company was originally started as a way to track viral content but quickly grew to be one of the biggest sources of global entertainment and news.

Currently, Buzzfeed is considered to be a cross-platform network. A few of the various platforms Buzzfeed is proud to call its own include Buzzfeed Originals, Buzzfeed Media Brands, Buzzfeed Studios, Buzzfeed News, and Buzzfeed Commerce. Each of these serves a different aspect of the company, from creating quizzes to reporting news stories.

Since Buzzfeed is a global company, it only makes sense that there are a few different locations. In New York is the global news headquarters, while the Buzzfeed entertainment studio is based in Los Angeles. There are a total of 14 locations around the globe, with over 1,100 employees.

What’s It Like to Work at Buzzfeed?

As is the case with most jobs you apply for, you are likely curious about what the job environment is like at Buzzfeed. After all, the last thing anyone wants is to be hired for their dream job only to find out it isn’t all that great.

Good Work-Life Balance

Buzzfeed prides itself on being a company that offers great work-life balance to employees. Many past employees of Buzzfeed have stated as long as work is completed in a time-efficient manner, there is plenty of time to balance your personal life alongside the work. 

However, it is also said the work can become overwhelming and easy to get lost in if you do not manage your time well.

Pay and Benefits

Those who work on-site at Buzzfeed locations have reported receiving awesome benefits, and most Buzzfeed employees report good pay for the work they do. Many of the benefits offered include company lunches, entertainment, and an overall fun and stimulating work environment. 

Diverse Employee Resource Groups

Currently, Buzzfeed offers a unique perk to the job. There are six different diverse employee resource groups designed to help build and strengthen diverse communities and celebrate all employees’ heritage. 

The current groups are called A*Family for Asian American employees, BIO for employees embracing their black identities, Mi Gente for Buzzfeed’s Latinx employees, OUT for the LGBTQIA+ employees and community, BF Parents for employees who are also parents, and Womxn for empowered female employees.

Getting a Job at Buzzfeed

Getting a job at Buzzfeed may be your dream, but there are a few things you will need to take into account before beginning the application process. For example, you will likely want to know how competitive Buzzfeed jobs are and how difficult it is to land the job you want.

You will also want to know what the application process is like and how interviews typically go for Buzzfeed jobs. Having all of this information upfront can make a serious difference in how likely you are to get the job, as it helps you prepare better.

How Hard Is It to Land a Job at Buzzfeed?

The difficulty level of landing a job at Buzzfeed really depends on the job you are applying for. Since Buzzfeed employs so many people for so many different things, it is impossible to say the level of ease is the same when applying for all of the possible job positions offered by the company.

For example, Buzzfeed often hires freelance writers and videographers. These jobs can be tricky to get as they require you to sell yourself a bit more to the company. However, this can also make it easier to be hired, depending on your education and experience. 

If you are an experienced freelance writer with an MFA in creative writing degree, you will likely be leading the competition, but if you don’t quite have those credentials yet, you may face a bit more of a challenge when applying.

For the office job positions, getting the job can be a bit easier. Though the process will still be competitive, these positions most often require candidates to meet specific education and experience requirements. This means you simply need to be qualified for the job and able to impress the interviewers a bit more than the competition.

Applying for a Job at Buzzfeed

Since Buzzfeed is such a giant company, you can expect the application process to take a bit longer than usual. However, this does not mean you should abandon hope and simply not apply. If you find a description for an open job you are interested in, you should definitely apply but plan on waiting a while to hear back from the company.

Buzzfeed Application and Interview Process

The first step in the application and interview process is to find the job you want and fill out the online application. This will require you to submit your resume and cover letter, so be sure to update your resume skills and have both handy. 

Buzzfeed is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and encourages everyone to submit job applications, regardless of their origin, sexual orientation, gender, and even qualifications.

After submission, applications must be received by the Buzzfeed recruiting team. At this point, your application will be thoroughly reviewed to determine if you are a good fit for the position you applied for. One of the best parts about Buzzfeed is they will contact you even if they decide you are not the right candidate for the job.

If you are deemed a good match for the job, you will go through recruiter screening, where a recruiter reaches out to get to know you and your personal and professional growth goals. Then, the next round of interviews will take place with the hiring manager and a few potential colleagues. 

You may be given a sample assignment to prove your skills. After all of this, you will be notified of the final decision, and if you are hired, you will go through new-recruit onboarding training.

Buzzfeed Careers: Job Titles and Descriptions

We will be honest: There are dozens of different job titles available at Buzzfeed. However, these are a few of the most desirable positions you may be interested in applying for. If none of these are what you are looking for, you can likely find your dream job by searching through Buzzfeed’s job catalog.

Director of Data Science

• Salary: Approximately $150,800 per year
• Benefits: Supportive team, in-house learning opportunities, Employee Resource Groups, compensation package, PTO, unlimited sick leave, medical benefits, family leave policy, access to mental health platforms, retirement plans, gym and fitness discounts, catered lunches
• Level: Senior
• Required Experience: Managing and mentoring data scientist teams
• Required Education: Master’s degree in computer science, statistics, or data-related program

As a director of data science at Buzzfeed, you will be tasked with leading a team of five to 10 data scientists. This position calls for someone willing to be extremely involved in shaping Buzzfeed’s ML roadmap and infrastructure. 

You will work closely with the VP of data science and analytics, as well as leaders in engineering. This job is currently remote due to COVID-19 but will resume in the New York City office after the summer of 2021.

"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"

Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot

Find Your Bootcamp Match

IT Systems and Security Engineer

• Salary: Approximately $67,200 per year
• Benefits: Supportive team, in-house learning opportunities, Employee Resource Groups, compensation package, PTO, unlimited sick leave, medical benefits, family leave policy, access to mental health platforms, retirement plans, gym and fitness discounts, catered lunches
• Level: Intermediate
• Required Experience: 3 years of IT engineering experience, mastered multiple types of coding languages, used git and GitHub, version control, AWD, Docker, Jenkins, and has used LDAP, AD, and SSO solutions
• Required Education: N/A

As an IT systems and security engineer at Buzzfeed, you will report to the Enterprise Platforms Team Lead and work alongside the rest of the IT team to maintain IT infrastructure, internal platforms, and security. This job requires you to design, code, and test various document systems and services, code in Python, and use Terraform and Ansible regularly.

Senior Software Engineer (Full Stack)

• Salary: Approximately $143,850 per year
• Benefits: Supportive team, in-house learning opportunities, Employee Resource Groups, compensation package, PTO, unlimited sick leave, medical benefits, family leave policy, access to mental health platforms, retirement plans, gym and fitness discounts, catered lunches
• Level: Senior
• Required Experience: significant front-end coding experience, have completed complex projects and initiatives
• Required Education: N/A

This specific position is to fill the role of a full stack senior software engineer on the data accessibility team. In this currently remote position, you will report to the senior engineering manager in New York. After the summer of 2021, you can work in either the New York or Minneapolis office. You will work with this team to build various tools, systems, and dashboards to provide easy access to nearly 1 PB of data. 

Product Marketing Manager

• Salary: Approximately $125,960 per year
• Benefits: Supportive team, in-house learning opportunities, Employee Resource Groups, compensation package, PTO, unlimited sick leave, medical benefits, family leave policy, access to mental health platforms, retirement plans, gym and fitness discounts, catered lunches
• Level: Intermediate to Senior
• Required Experience: 5+ years of digital advertising industry experience, experience at a digital publisher, experience distilling complicated information for consumers
• Required Education: N/A

As a product marketing manager at Buzzfeed, you will be responsible for creating and deploying industry-leading advertisements and products to capture consumer attention and company growth. It is preferred that candidates are located in either Los Angeles or New York, but this is a position in which Buzzfeed is willing to consider candidates based in other locations. 

What Does It Take to Get a Job at Buzzfeed?

So, what does it take to get a coveted job at Buzzfeed? While a lot of this depends on the job and its requirements, there are a few surefire ways to impress Buzzfeed recruiters. We recommend having a detailed list of your achievements, be it projects, education, or experience. You will also need to have determination, enthusiasm, and a combination of being able to solve problems on your own as well as work well with a team.

While landing your dream job at Buzzfeed can be challenging, it is never impossible. It may take a bit of time, and perhaps even a few tries, but eventually, if you have the right combination of education, experience, and determination, you are sure to get it. 

Regardless of the position you apply for, you are sure to receive fantastic benefits and work with a wonderful team of colleagues and employers. So, if you want a job at Buzzfeed, start working toward it and one day, you’ll see it happen.