Edward: Hello, James. My name is Edward Johnson, I’m the owner of this company. Please sit down over here.
James: (Sit down) Thank you, Mr. Johnson. It’s nice to meet you.
Edward: You can just call me, Edward. So, welcome to Good Samaritan Solutions (GSS), where we specialize in selling the finest hospital equipment in the world.
James: Thank you for giving me this interview. I appreciate it!
Edward: My pleasure. James, why are you applying for a job with our company? (#1)
James: Well, honestly, I need a new job, and I’ve heard great things about your company. So here I am.
Edward: Really, what have you heard about GSS? (#2)
James: Well, my friend, Jehoon, has been working here for a long time. He always tells me how great it is to work here.
Edward: Yes, Jehoon has been a great team player in our company. So James, tell me about yourself. (#3)
James: Well, I am 35 years old. And I am from Seoul, South Korea. I studied marketing at the Yonsei University, School of Business.
Edward: Yonsei University? I see.
James: Yes, it’s a really nice school.
Edward: I see. James, tell me about your family.(#4)
James: Well, there are 4 people in my family. I have a wonderful wife and 2 daughters. They are 6 and 4 years old.
Edward: That’s great. Family is so important. And what do you currently do? (#5)
James: I used to do sales for a car parts manufacturer called Driven, but it closed down last year. Now I do online marketing for a few clients in the auto industry.
Edward: That’s interesting. Do you enjoy your work? (#6)
James: Um, yes. I enjoy interacting with others, and I like helping customers reach their sales goals. But I’m interested in changing fields. I like sales, and working with customers.
Edward: I see. Tell me, what are your interests? (#7)
James: Ok, well… I enjoy reading and playing guitar in my free time. My favorite food is
Thai food. Oh, and sometimes I play basketball with friends on the weekend.
Edward: That’s interesting. We have a company team that plays every Tuesday night. So, what skills or talents do you have that might be beneficial for work here at GSS? (#8)
James: Well, even though I haven’t worked in the Hospital Equipment field, I’m good at sales and marketing. I work well with others, and I try to take good care of my clients. I am comfortable with Mac OS and Windows, and I’m familiar with most CRM platforms. Oh, and, I speak Korean, Chinese, and English.
Edward: That’s impressive. James, there have been many applicants into my office this week, and we can only hire one of you. Please tell me… (look into their eyes)... why should we hire you instead of the other applicants? What makes you stand out from the crowd? (#9)
James: Well, I think your company should hire me because I am motivated, organized, a great team-player, and I can help your company reach it’s sales goals. You can ask Jehoon, or any of the references listed on my resume, and they can vouch for my work ethic. I can get the job done!
Edward: Ok, James. I like to hear that. Thank you for coming in today. We will call you in a few weeks with our decision. Take care, and have a nice day.
James: Thank you so much. Goodbye!
Here are some of the important questions from the conversation.
Next steps
Please make sure you have mastered all of the questions before moving on to the Hard Conversation.
Keep up the good work! You're doing great!
Stephen