Group Interview for Sanity (2 Viewers)

[nessie_lee]

I've got a group interview for Sanity up here in Newcastle on Saturday.

Does anyone know what this entails?... what goes on etc. Anyone been successful in one?

Ta

 

[ogmzergrush]

They partner you up with someone in the group, you talk for a few minutes and then it's your job to convince the person conducting the interview that they should hire your partner (Demonstrating selling ability with no actual knowledge). This is followed by a series of questions directed to the group in general, and the idea is to come across as the most dominant, money-driven, conscienceless prick in the room. Being polite and waiting for others to have their say will not get you anywhere, because after listening to the first few loudest, most forward, pushy responses, they'll move on to the next question.

"What would you do if someone came in to buy a specific cd and it wasn't in stock?"

"I would ask them if they wanted me to order it. If they declined, then I would try to sell them something completely different, because I'm a pushy prick and it's my goal in life to make money for you greedy bastards, god knows you need it".

etc, etc. The idea, like I said, is to come across as pushy and assertive, just the sort of people they need to sell their gay cd cleaning kits and christmas tree cd stackers to people who don't want or need them.

(No, I didn't have any success, and contrary to how it seems I'm not actually too bitter about it, the interview just hammered home that it wasn't the job for me).

 

[mr_brightside]

I've got a group interview for Sanity up here in Newcastle on Saturday.

Does anyone know what this entails?... what goes on etc. Anyone been successful in one?

Ta

Yes ive been to one, and was successful

They sit you down, talk to you, ask you to "sell" products, why you want to work for sanity, why you would be good for sanity, etc

just remember;

look attentive, pay attention, take notes
speak loud, with clarity and make EYE contact
sell your good points about your personality

 

[meLoncoLLie]

So, even though you know practically nothing about the person you're supposed to sell, you still have to make things up and make them sound like they're absolutely perfect?

If I'm given this task, should I try to highlight their visible good features (like, if they've got a really nice smile, I'll say they're friendly, approachable and will make customers feel welcome), or should I make things up ("He's familiar with practically every genre of music, he'll be able to answer almost any question customers may have, and did you know that he specialises in hypnotising so no customer will walk out of the store without a million cds in their hands?") (okay, don't kill me, I'm not great at making things up)

 

[ogmzergrush]

Knowledge of music doesn't really come into it, every clown in the interview will know everything about everything. Instead, at least when I did it, the focus seemed to be on highlighting how much your partner could sell if they worked for Sanity, and how much of a "team" player they were (Which equates to how much they want to sell on behalf of the Sanity "team").

"Good old Bob here, he's one pushy mother fucker. He's worked as a door to door salesman, and actually managed to sell fifteen sets of steak knives, TO ONE FAMILY. I shit you not, it's 100% true. Bob has demonstrated experience in sales, and on top of that he's good at making shit up to trick people into buying stuff. Apart from being exemplified by his excellence in steak knife sales, in just a moment Bob is going to demonstrate this ability by telling you that I too would be an excellent employee. Oh yeah, before I forget, Bob is an excellent team player. That time with the steak knives I was talking about, right after that Bob was so happy with the results that he decided to tell all his coworkers how they too could sell fifteen sets to a single family! Pretty soon it caught on and all the employees were selling steak knives fifteen sets at a time, and soon after that the company ran out of steak knives and had to close down, which is exactly why Bob needs a new job. Wow, fifteen sets per family, imagine how much Bob could sell if he was part of the Sanity *team*!"

Note: You probably shouldn't say "mother fucker" in the interview.

 

[meLoncoLLie]

^ LOL, if only the rep system was still around.

ogmzergrush, when you had the interview, what kind of things did the successful applicants say?

 

[ogmzergrush]

Q: "What would you do if someone wanted to buy a cd but it wasn't in stock?"

A: "If someone came in looking for a (whatever band) cd, and we didn't have it, I'd see if they wanted to buy a (whatever other band) cd, and tell them it was really good, because it's the same genre so they might be interested (Read as: I might be able to trick them into buying something they didn't really come into the shop for). I would also see if there were any new releases that maybe they hadn't found out about yet, and I'd tell them about our specials"

Q: "Why don't you introduce yourself to the group, and tell us a little about yourself?" (See how I cleverly turned "Introduce yourself" into a question!)

A: "Hi everyone, my name is Maggot McGee and I've lived here all my life. I started doing my HSC, but my dream has always been to work in retail, and there just wasn't room to work and complete the HSC at the same time. For that reason, I've dropped out of school, so now I'm conveniently available to work 24/7 in order to get ahead in the exciting and challenging world that is retail!"

Q: "Why do you think you're worth hiring?"

A: "I'm all about sales! I have no aspiration in life and can really see myself working here in your shit store selling cds to little kids for the rest of my life! I dropped out of school because I wanted to pursue a career in front line sales, and I quit my job at McDonalds just so I could come to this interview, because that's how dedicated to the Sanity team I am!"

You get the idea, the interview was just about hammering home how few qualms you had about being forward (pushy), helpful (pushy), and team-oriented (pushy on behalf of Sanity). Personally I didn't like it at all because early on in the interview I realised that what I was looking for was a job helping people with enquiries and offering help if they wanted it. What they were after was someone who would pounce on customers and try to sell them any shit under the sun, and I wasn't about to do that and it showed. If you just focus on demonstrating that you're a forward, energetic team-oriented (making sales oriented) player, excited about the amazing retail opportunities offered by the Sanity team, it should pan out nicely.

 

[meLoncoLLie]

Thanks so much! Well, I would probably do anything that will get me the job, however, if i work in Sanity, I won't push customers into buying stuff they really don't want...I mean I'll try to let them see the good in our products and stuff, but I won't be a pushy prick.

 

[persephone]

I've got a Sanity group interview too. On Saturday but at the Sydney International Tennis Centre. Which will be lovely to get to by public transport.

I don't want to sell stuff I just want a job....... I really don't see 'retail' as my chosen career path. It's just a means to an end. I hate those stupid interview questions ....

I think I'll study those answers and make like I'm actually interested.

 

[melsc]

For those going to a Sainty interview are these for Christmas casual position, because they rang me and had a interview on the phone and rejected me because I was having 5 days off during November, they expect complete avaliablilty during Nov- Jan no holidays at all and you might have to work Christmas Eve and New Years eve grrr!!!

 

[persephone]

the group interview i'm going to is for christmas casual. although i didn't hear about that november thing. I think i may still be at uni during November. But eh ....

 

[melsc]

go for it anyway, thats just wat I was told

 

[laney]

here here ogmzergrush!!
i laughed at your replies cause it's so true.
i hate sanity.
nobody in their right mind is going to buy a cd cleaner just cause their favourite album isn't in stock that week.
i'm glad i didn't end up getting the job. it would have sucked balls listening to all that shit they play in sanity, and i got a better job anyway.

 

[persephone]

is there anyone going to the group interview tomorrow? how are you going to get there? (not the one in newcastle but the one at the sydney internation tennis centre, which i think is just odd)

 

[nessie_lee]

Don't be so excited. it's the biggest bunch of crock. They don't even notify you if your not successful, you just have to presume you haven't gotten the job. I went for the group interview nearly 4 weeks ago, and haven't heard a thing since- grr!

 

[nomore3x5]

I was asked to go for one, but when I told them that I was away for like a week at christmas, they hung up!
Then, they rang me AGAIN and double checked that I was going away, but told me to call them after christmas because I had good references etc.. and they'd like to take me on...
Is that all bull plop??? Or are they for real?