Want to know what I look for in an interview?
Nobody enjoys sitting through bad interviews. Believe it or not, we (the interviewers) are on your side when you come in. We want you to be successful. From experience though, I can tell you that your odds of success are much improved if you prepare for the interview and do your homework. If you are getting ready to interview for our Management Trainee role at Enterprise, here are some tips for success.
Leadership Questions
If your goal is to progress through management, you will need to show that you have leadership skills as an entry-level employee. In the interview process, you should give examples of times where you drove performance and/or rallied a team. As great as group assignments are, the best examples typically come from work environments or team settings such as sports, fraternities/sororities or clubs. You must be able to help the interviewer(s) see what sets you apart as a leader.
(Note: If you completed a class project and it really displays your leadership, by all means use that example. I’ve just seen that almost everyone does a Capstone project, so you have to make your example stand out.)
Customer Service Questions
Is the customer always right? It doesn’t matter. Our job is to always show customers that they are valued and their needs matter, period. Customers have choices as to where they spend their money, so we ask our employees to display a service-driven mentality. You will need to be able to walk an interviewer through your thoughts on customer service and how you create life-long customers, through specific examples.
Sales Questions
Sales and revenue generation are the life blood of a business. Without profitability, you cannot invest in your business or grow. As a candidate for a sales-driven role, you must be able to demonstrate the ability to sell. Not your theory on how sales works, but actual examples where you’ve had to be persuasive or demonstrated a strong sales acumen and gotten results.
Communication Questions
When you are working in sales and management, you must be able to clearly communicate and present ideas. In my interviews, there won’t be a specific question about communication, but I will be listening to how you present your answers and focusing on your communication style throughout the interview. Confidence is very important. There is a fine line between self-promotion and bragging, but your interview is your shot at telling a potential employer how awesome you are, so get after it! Do not be shy about your accomplishments. Remember, an interview is a sales presentation and you are selling you!
Competitive Spirit Questions
Want to work your way into management? That’s great, but you’ll have to show some grit. How have you competed for things that are important to you? What inspires you? How have you handled failure? Tell me something you’ve worked your tail off for and you’re proud of. You can speak to your GPA, but work examples, team examples or life experience examples are better for interview settings (for the roles I hire for at least). Everyone wants to be the manager, but your job is to show the people across the table “why you.”
Close the Deal
When an interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for me?” make sure you have some handy. Here are a few freebies:
“Why do you enjoy working for Enterprise?”
“What have been your biggest obstacles and how have you (or your department) overcome them thus far in your career?”
Once you’ve finished with your questions, close the deal! Reiterate why you are a great candidate and that your goals align with the opportunity in front of you and that you are excited about the opportunity!
My final thought
Am I now worried that I have given you all the answers for an interview with my team? NOPE. Our job is to dig in during the process and ask more questions based on your examples. You will need to sell yourself at every step of the process… and then the real work begins, because hopefully, you’ll land the job!
Whether this helps you in your upcoming Enterprise interview or with an interview for another opportunity, I hope you’ve found some value in it! Feel free to share!
Happy hunting!
