I graduated from college in the Spring of 06’ and worked my way up in a local company during school for 5 years (retail sales and then it became bigger sales).
I also owned and operated an online advertising business, which I sold in April for enough to pay for college.
In April of this year I was hired by a health insurance company to manage a territory of about 30 companies (3 million dollars worth of business). I go in and promote the extras that come with health insurance (wellness, quit smoking programs, generic drug programs, etc) and get them to sign off on the rates. During that time I was recognized by the VP as creating a sales promotional tool that helps all of the reps sell better in the field (it was adopted by the whole team).
The Interview
So the other day a recruiter gave me a call and thought I would be a good fit for a major pharmaceutical company in sales. I am aware of the difficulty of these interviews and I have only worked for my current employer for around 9 months.
I am driving about an hour and a half away next week to meet the hiring manager and interview with him.
What should I do, as a young person with not a ton of experience but some unique experience. I am aware of the basics in interviewing but I know these can be trick in this industry.
You should learn as much as possible about the company you will be interviewing with. Also, learn what you can about the industry and this company’s main competitors. Read annual reports, WSJ articles, etc.
Also, practice describing some of your major successes. This is helpful for what are called behavioral interview questions (Tell me about a time when you dealt with an angry customer…). This can also be a good way to give a specific answer to a more general question. If they ask “How would you handle an angry customer?” you can tell them your general approach “I’d listen to their concerns, blah blah. For example, when the Acme Company’s employees didn’t get their reimbursements on time, this is the resolution I negotiated with their benefits manager …”
Also, quantify anything you can, on your resume and in the interview. “My sales volume has grown from $X to $Y in 18 months.”
If you do those three things, you will be well ahead of many interviewees.
The BIGGEST thing I learned in the many interviews* I went on after school (before finally nailing a great job) is to stop talking.
If you’re like me, when you’re nervous, you babble. When there’s a pause, you want to fill the silence. DON’T. Answer the question, finish with something good that shows it’s a definite end (without being abrupt) and just stop. Look at ease, but don’t babble to fill in the silence. Silence is okay; they can be gathering their thoughts or processing what you just said. Let them do that!
It will also decrease the chances of you putting your foot in your mouth.
Be yourself. Be comfortable in your own skin. There’s a certain way that I can react knowing there’s a glint in my eye. Can you answer questions with a glint in your eye? Be truthful, but don’t be afraid to slightly embellish: everyone does.
Everyone was young once. Being young is not as much of a detriment as you might think. Companies look for fresh ideas from people, not only those indoctrinated in policy and procedure.
Again, be yourself. If you win the job you’ll be very self-assured knowing you did it on your own terms. Don’t be afraid to answer that you don’t know the answer to a question.
Interview questions: Be prepared to discuss personal issues. Well, personal as they relate to how you work, manage time, and prioritize. You may well be asked what your faults are. You need to have a prepared answer for this that doesn’t sound prepared. My stock answer is “Well, I like to help out and sometimes I have a hard time saying no to people. But I’ve learned that I can say that I don’t have the time now, but I’ll get back to you on, say, Friday, with an answer.”
They may also ask what you think people say about you when you’re not in the room. Again, prepare an answer that doesn’t sound prepared.
Actually Google Interview Questions and have a read.
lol
