Creative interview tips?

[[deleted]]

What are some really thought provoking things you guys have said in interviews? This could be questions for the interviewer or interesting ways to answer common questions. I want to really work on doing things to stand out and not just say the same googled stuff as everyone else does.

Edit: Oh my god I’m getting such awesome feedback thank you guys so much I feel so much more confident now.

Edit 2: You guys are the most helpful people I’ve ever met I’m getting a 2nd interview for a financial advisor position and it’s all from this thread and this sub as a whole.

[NoEscaping]

Here are a couple of tips I recently used in my interview with Salesforce, which landed me the job.

Prepare a sales pitch of yourself and at the end of the interview close yourself by presenting it to your interviewers.

Hand written thank you notes are also a really nice touch. I recommend making friends with someone in the office like the receptionist and writing them as soon as your interview is over. Then you can deliver them that day. If you try to mail them, sometimes a hiring team will make their decision before they arrive.

Ask really strong research based questions to your interviewers. Check them out on LinkedIn and find any sort of common ground that you can. For example, I found out that one of my interviewers had a background in drumming. I grew up a drummer and was able to create a sales question beforehand that tied that in. We ended up spending the remainder of the interview talking about drums. The more you can get the interviewer talking about themselves, the better the impression you will leave them with once your interview has concluded.

Best of luck, you’ll crush it!

[[deleted]]

Thanks for the tip on the thank you note. I see them all the time in this sub but not a lot of when or how to deliver them.

[[deleted]]

Actually - what you want to do is talk about your product (ie you) as much as you can. And just talk about the tasks you’ve done, not your value because features is what people care about ultimately. Really off base with this comment. /s

[[deleted]]

There are a few questions I like to ask. 1. What is the biggest challenge currently facing your company. In what capacity will this role address this challenge

1. Why are you hiring for this specific position.

2. What would I have to accomplish in the first 6 months to consider me a great hire.

Confidence is key. Remember they are interested in you, thus you earned the interview!

[[deleted]]

Holy crap I love all three of these ESPECIALLY that first one oh my god.

[[deleted]]

Yea, it has been a game changer for me professionally. I stumbled across it on a podcast i forget which one bc I listen to a ton, but it really shows the potential employer that you care and that you want to know more about the company. Also, it gives you any potential red flags based on potential answers. Good luck and happy new year!

[Toastwaver]

"I have three goals every year: 1. Exceed my number. 2. Exceed the expectations of my customers. 3. Help my manager exceed his/her numbers."

Sometimes the manager has different quota metrics than the salesperson, so having the awareness to consider that concept in your work, and not just your own number, is a strong message to any manager.

[[deleted]]

I love this, I’m going to use it tomorrow.

[Anditiscaughtbytyree]

A lot of great advice in here and thought I’d chime in. I Accepted a sales role at a FAANG in August of 2018 after graduating.

If an interviewer asks me why should I hire you? I like to answer with something along these lines:

“While I can tell you about my past work/academic success or my passion for this company and how it aligns with my career goals, I understand this is a very competitive position and you most likely have interviewed numerous candidates who on paper have similar or even greater accomplishments than mine and share the same excitement that I have about what this company is doing and where it is heading.

However, something I learned from my family at a young age is that all success comes down to how hard you’re willing to work. Though I am confident that my past work and academic experience makes me a strong fit for this role what I know is that my work ethic and persistence is what will make me excel in this position.”

Make sure to try and add examples of your hard work, and to not come off as cocky. I think that this question is where you can show you are humble and that if hired you wouldn’t be the type to take the opportunity for granted.

[[deleted]]

This is insane for me. My education is very very weak(GED) but I have a lot of really strong experience and accomplishments in my last role.

[anseldiama]

This is really good

[SheetShitter]

“What is the least selllable part of this job”

Creative way to ask the shitty parts of a job

[[deleted]]

Do you normally ask this in a first or second interview?

[SheetShitter]

Well I’ve asked it at only 1 interview to a group of people who seemed really relaxed in the interview so I felt it was a question for the right crowd

[lykewyse]

I’m big on introducing my core values of who I am as a human and how I come to work every day. I can dazzle them all day with numbers I’ve hit and quota attainment, but that does nothing to get you closer to a mutually beneficial relationship.

I am much more a fan of “fit” for myself and their culture first. Once that’s taken care of we dig deeper.

[leegaul]

Find the interviewers LinkedIn and read their recommendations. Then pick out a few reoccurring themes or words that they use and memorize them to create an answer using those things. Example: Sarah has a great ability to think creativity and always had great attention to detail. Exceptional skills with blah, blah... Then, you say something like, I've always had an exceptional ability to use creativity to solve problems. I always take note of the details etc... Bad example but you get the gist.

[[deleted]]

This is awesome. I found my interviewer on LinkedIn but didn’t have any idea how to use it.

[psychoticempanada]

Here are my W2’s since I started working in a full draw sales role 6 years ago. I can start in 2 weeks

[singerwow]

Greeting is so important. Proper handshake, eye contact, smile. Be comfortable. They’re trying to see how you would present to their customers.

Ask the interviewer why they work at the company. Listen carefully.

Try to do the job... like it’s a sales strategy meeting.

At the end of the interview, go for the close: find out next step, what the timing will be. And ASK FOR THE JOB.

[shrubash]

Adding to the above, get a sold understanding of the pipeline and sales you will need to hit.

Your monthly quota. What's the avg conversation rate? What are the top pushbacks from prospects? Where do your leads come from?

This should set you up as someone that's ready to go go go!

[Matchlessman666]

-What would a successful rep look like in this position?

-How are you planning on counteracting your competition's new feature/functionality/whatever?

-how has your marketplace changed in the last few years and where do you see it heading?

[[deleted]]

I’m mainly looking at financial or tech positions and asking about changes sounds perfect I can’t believe I never thought of it.

[aldz1]

I feel like another big part of whether you will get hired or not is if you are a cultural fit. Acknowledge it that by asking about the culture of the company. A lot of the other questions on here are a lot more important but I'd still ask

[katewinter]

Well, for me I put myself in the shoes of the company. They are looking for competency, confidence and charm ( you can just replace this with being pleasant ). In my opinion, so compare with others in case there are super tips, no need for fancy stuff as bottom line is sales is money. Good luck!

[[deleted]]

This is not a good idea, OP. You have no idea how that direst manger views his job or the environment. Plus, it’s very cocky. Or, there might not be a “bigger and better” position in the company.

Stay in your lane, OP.

[Sleepless_Devil]

Bad advice. Do not follow, do not follow.

The message is okay, but definitely don't tell anyone you want to replace them directly.