Sales & Marketing Interview Preparation

This assignment focuses on preparing for a sales and marketing job interview. It provides a detailed job description for a Sales and Marketing Manager position, outlining the required qualifications, skills, and responsibilities. Additionally, it offers insights into the interview process, including common questions asked during such interviews and strategies to effectively answer them. The goal is to equip individuals with the knowledge and tools necessary to confidently navigate a sales and marketing job interview.

Running head: PERSONAL INSIGHT
Personal Insight
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
1.0 Discussion of the recruitment and interview process................................................................2
1.1 Sourcing the job role..............................................................................................................2
1.2 Recruitment and interview process........................................................................................3
2.0 Application writing....................................................................................................................5
2.1 The cover letter......................................................................................................................5
2.2 A resume................................................................................................................................6
3.0 Preparation of interview materials...........................................................................................11
A. Internship description- Sales and Marketing Manager.........................................................11
B. Strength for the position........................................................................................................11
C. STAR Framework.................................................................................................................11
D. Interview question.................................................................................................................13
4.0 Reflection.................................................................................................................................14
4.1 Reflection- 1........................................................................................................................14
4.2 Reflection- 2........................................................................................................................14
5.0 Bibliography............................................................................................................................16
6.0 Appendix..................................................................................................................................18

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1.0 Discussion of the recruitment and interview process
1.1 Sourcing the job role
The discussion of the job role in the previous assignment is from the wine industry. Some
of the career opportunities were selected from the designation of- sales and marketing,
administration, education, production and distributor. In this assessment, the selected job role is
sales and marketing manager. The job role that has been found is for Sales & Marketing
Internship” in Australian Vintage. The job role that is described for the internship job is to
provide assistance in the premise sales department, perform menu tracking, new item execution,
merchandising, conducting sales promotional calls and spearheading supplier programs. The
responsibility for the selected job role is drafting PowerPoint presentations to motivate the
subordinates, tracking and maintaining suppliers POS inventory, coordinating demo models,
participating in new wine product launches, product allocations and provide operational
assistance to the department members.
In the second assignment, the desire of working in the managerial position in the wine
industry has been illustrated. I have also developed my skills in Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) so that I can manage the job role with
efficiency. The job role is suitable for my role because I possess the skill to work with
collaboration with all team members. I have to perform the managerial role in two important
roles- sales and marketing and this well addresses my desire to trying challenging things. I also
have the experience of working in 7-11, which is one of the leading retail organizations in
Australia. I have worked there for 1 year and I know about the key factors that can drive the sales
by fulfilling the customer’s demand. I have the experience of communicating with customers and

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team members and hence can utilize my skills in this job role to develop an effective
interpersonal relationship with them. I have also participated in an NGO to create awareness
about an issue and I also have an experience of 12 months in this activity. Thus, I can say that I
am aware of the fact how to make people knowledgeable about the wine that Australian Vintage
formulated and promote them for higher sales. My passion for working in a challenging
environment will also help me to research on nations where I can easily expand the brand and
generate likeness for premium quality wine among the community people.
1.2 Recruitment and interview process
In traditional time there were no specific criteria followed by the wine industry and they
select the most productive employee as the managerial position by promoting them. However, in
recent times, their communication ability is also evaluated. Moreover, the ability to research on
the current trend of the advertising and promotion also plays a crucial role in selecting an
effective manager for the designation of sales and marketing manager. Moreover, in traditional
time, this industry values experience the most. However, in recent time, educational qualification
is also taken into consideration. I have also attended the VCAL course, which helped me to
obtain desired literacy and numeracy skills, work-related skills, industry-specific skills and
personal development skills. This course has helped me to use computers and operate the basic
functionalities like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint of MS Office Suite. I can also express ideas
clearly, listen attentively and share information in timely manner. The VCAL course has also
helped me to learn to prioritize the allocated job roles with appropriate sense.
In traditional time, the interview process is occurred by submitting the application form
for the job and then the personal interview is conducted, where the HR takes a decision on the
suitability of the candidate. However, incorporation of technology resulted in the submission of

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job application form through online. The company- Australian Vintage utilizes the “Skills and
Behavioral Testing Software” to ask targeted questions related to the position. Additionally, the
personality if the candidate is also assessed so as to decide on the ability of the candidate to fit in
their organization culture. I have to represent myself in a good manner and should research on
their functionalities along with some accurate suggestions that can help them to boost their sales
and promotions of the wines. I have to prepare for the situational assessments to prove my
competency. Australian Vintage also has the technology for a video interview that assesses the
ability of the candidates to evaluate the visual cues. This technology will enhance my versatility
to present my communication skills and decision making ability based on the instant situation. I
will also get the opportunity to know about new technology and experience them. The important
thing that is considered is to represent my knowledge based on the wine industry and the main
job roles of a sales and marketing manager. Thus, I can say that there will be less impact on the
recruitment process that they have selected.

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2.0 Application writing
2.1 The cover letter
To,
The HR Manager,
2 Queens Place
Balmain NSW 2041, Sydney
[phone]
Dated: 05th January, 2018
Respected Mr. Stanley
I am writing this letter to apply for the designation for Sales & Marketing Manager Internship.
As per as the request made in the advertisement, I enclose the complete application for the job,
my educational qualifications, full resume and details of two references.
The job role describes in the advertisement is interesting and my skills and experiences along
with my educational qualifications make me the most suitable candidate for the designation. I
also want to mention that my experiences provide me a competitive advantage for this position.
The key strengths that are required for the designated job role are as follows:
 Proficiency using MS Office Suite
 Strong communication skills

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 Ability to set priorities
 Demonstrate respect and value contributions
 Well-aware of the procedures to market research
 Know all the skills to product promotions
 Ability to provide assistance to all the staffs
I also have a degree in VCAL and have work experience in handling customers and managing
the team for 1 year. I have the full understanding of tackling customer demands and formulate
products based on the customer demands through effective market research.
Please go through my resume for detailed information about my experience.
I look forward to meeting with you regarding this employment opportunity.
Regards,
2.2 A resume
Personal Details
 Name-
 Date of Birth-
 Contact Number-
 E-mail-
 Address-
Personal Statement

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I like to work in the versatile environment and jell well with team members to obtain the
organizational objectives to the greatest extent. My educational qualification, marketing and
management skills and VCAL certificate and job experience in 7/11 for a year make me suitable
for the position of sales and marketing manager.
Key Skills-
Situation- I have to manage the team at 7/11 and also attend customer to fulfil their orders.
Once, the marketing department has asked all staffs to suggest new ways to improve the sales of
the company.
Task- I recalled all the business strategies that I have learned in the VCAL course and from my
academic classes. I have suggested the recent and highly used way that is promoted through
social media and developing a mobile application so that people can also use the application to
order their desired products.
Activity- I have present a report through office mails to the management that illustrated the
benefits of using social media and customized application. The report also estimated the sales
projection in the coming one year. I have worked alone to present my skills in analyzing the
market demands and environmental analysis. I desire to reveal my competency as a management
role player and being a leader in future to a department.
Result- The management people appreciated my knowledge and effort to prepare the report for
business advancement. They have circulated a mail regarding this and also offered me the
opportunity to be the leader of the sales department.
Skills for the designated job role

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 Aware of the MS Office Suite skills and ability to operate Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
with proficiency
 Enthusiasm and excellent interpersonal skills to achieve the organization goals
 Interest and ability to learn all the established procedures and carefully follow them to
maintain the organizational culture
 Possess strong communication skills to present the ideas and suggestion for the
betterment of the organization
 Knowledge in effective factors of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)- “Focused Project
and Scope Management”, “SME Participation and Engagement”, “Thorough System
Testing”, “Process Owner Led User Training” and “Sign-off and Documented User
Procedures”.
 Information on important aspects of Customer Relationship Management (CRM)-
roadmap development for business success, database management system for the staffs
and training and development of the customers.
 Ability to achieve progress and maintain momentum in ambiguous work pressure and
condition
 Competency to set priorities for accomplishing the most effective work and prioritize the
rest of the work according to the importance
 Give value and respect to all the team members to develop interpersonal relationship
 Ability to demonstrate leadership style by guiding other members in critical time
Education highlights and achievements
Education Highlights

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Educational level Subject / Objectives Name of the University Pass Percentage
Secondary All Subjects Deakin College 76.66%
Higher Secondary Commerce Deakin College 69.76%
VCAL  Literacy and
numeracy skills
 Work-related skills
 Industry specific
skills
 Personal
development skills
University of Ozford 85.99%
Achievements
 Certificate in debate competition
 Basic computer skill certificate in Computer Basics
 Volunteer participation in an NGO for generating awareness regarding homelessness
 Second position in representing the team for generating awareness for the disable people
Work and volunteer experience
Work Experience
 A year experience in sales department at 7/11
 Managing team as a lead role player
 Research on sales production and marketing strategies for developing the business

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Volunteer experience
 One year participation with an NGO for generating awareness concerning homeless
communal
 Project member with the NGO to raise awareness regarding drug abuse
 Played the role of team lead in raising consciousness for disabled people and their
opportunity regarding education and employment
Other Interests
 Try out new and challenging things to enhance my competencies
 Research on different ways to work in order to avoid monotonous work environment
 Finding new ways to make work more interesting in order to motivate the subordinate
and team members to attain job objectives prior time
 Interest to learn different culture followed in the different area of the world. This will
help me to find business expansion idea to obtain more profitability
 Interest in travel different places of the world and communicate with people with diverse
culture and tradition
 Explore new facts about this culture and utilize them in developing effective
interpersonal relationship with different type of people

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3.0 Preparation of interview materials
Preparing the interview
A. Internship description- Sales and Marketing Manager
Job description
 Assist the premise sales department
 Perform menu tracking
 New item execution
 Merchandising
 Conducting sales promotional calls
 Spearheading supplier programs
B. Strength for the position
 Evaluate the business environment for developing strategies that can provide more
productivity and profitability
 Communication skills to develop effective interpersonal relationships and manage team
conflict
 Tracking details of the wine production and supply chain management for a smooth
business process
C. STAR Framework
Situation 1- In my previous job a situation arises when the management plans for a business
sales expansion.

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Task 1- I have suggested the option for formulating the online delivery and free home delivery
options.
Activity 1- I have presented few reasons like people in Australia are busy in working and the
online sales will be high if these people get the opportunity to place and receive the order from
the online platform.
Result 1- The management conducted a survey of the customers after their purchase and a
significant portion of people agree that online service and free home delivery facility will be
beneficial for the organization.
Situation 2- There was a situation when new computer system was introduced in the counters
and some employees are facing problem in operating that system.
Task 2- I have suggested conducting a meeting after the office hours for two days where details
of the new systems, its operations and benefits will be shared.
Activity 2- I have got the opportunity to take the presentation session and make everyone realize
the effectiveness of the use of the new system.
Result 2- The working ability of the employee enhanced and they were able to attend more
customer than before from the next day of the session. I was rewarded as the employee of the
week that time.
Situation 3- This situation when the organization run out of sandwiches; however, the system
shows that there were sufficient amount of sandwiches.
Task 3- I suggested that there are some updating problem in the database and hence cloud
technology to be incorporated.

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Activity 3- I have planned the blueprint of the cloud implementation along with some benefits
and drawbacks. I have also suggested an idea to overcome the problem of data deletion from the
cloud that is to protect te access with the password that only the management of the organization
can access.
Result 3- The management took the proposal to the business experts and they have addressed the
plan for incorporating the cloud technology a great success.
D. Interview question
 1. How will your general competency help this organization to fulfill its objectives?
 2. Why do you think your educational qualification and experiences matches the job role
that you have applied for?
 3. How your interest will help you to perform the job roles for the designation?

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4.0 Reflection
4.1 Reflection- 1
In the mock interview, I am well in explaining all the factors that I have gained from my
educational qualifications and experiences. However, the new technology for an interviews like
video recording interview and Skills and Behavioral Testing Software is new for me. I was
hesitating initially but after attending three mock tests I am now able to face such interview with
proper proficiency. I was asked about how well I can understand the demand of the customers. I
answered this question well by answering them that I first noted their behaviour and then take the
survey if time permits. Otherwise I take the most useful strategy that other competitive
organizations are following in order t promote the sale of my organization. However, the
question regarding managing the team conflict results in me some time to answer as solution
varies depending on the conflict. I have asked for some situation based on which I have to
resolve the conflict. I have answered successfully to all the situations. I have planned not to be
nervous in future in interview.
4.2 Reflection- 2
I have learned about all the aspects of asking a question in an interview. I have learned
that the interview may ask a question-related to my hobbies but I have to link my point of
interest with the job responsibilities for which I have applied. At the starting of the trimester, I
was not able to express my strength and weakness and this illustrates my lack of communication
skills with new people. Through my VCAL course, I have improved my speaking ability so that I
can attend new clients and conduct presentation session with all the staffs when required. I have
also learned to present the report effectively. I used to write in paragraphs and this result in lack

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of interest in reading my report even though only important data are present. I have learned to
represent my report in bullets points supported by pictorial representations. I have also learned to
prepare effective presentation slides and jot down the important point to be communicated in
order to make my sessions a success. I have improved my researching skills for business
environment analysis.

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5.0 Bibliography
Berman, E. M., Bowman, J. S., West, J. P., & Van Wart, M. R. (2012). Human resource
management in public service: Paradoxes, processes, and problems. Sage.
Bock, O., Baetge, I., & Nicklisch, A. (2014). hroot: Hamburg registration and organization
online tool. European Economic Review, 71, 117-120.
Deakin, H., & Wakefield, K. (2014). Skype interviewing: Reflections of two PhD
researchers. Qualitative research, 14(5), 603-616.
Edwards, J., & Washington, M. (2013). Managing a sport organization: The impact of recruiting,
selecting, and retaining elite level coaches in sport. Journal of Applied Sport
Management, 5(3).
Feiler, A. R., & Powell, D. M. (2016). Behavioral expression of job interview anxiety. Journal of
Business and Psychology, 31(1), 155-171.
Finch, D., Nadeau, J., & O’Reilly, N. (2013). The future of marketing education: A practitioner’s
perspective. Journal of Marketing Education, 35(1), 54-67.
Fletcher, C. (2013). 1 6 IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT IN THE SELECTION
INTERVIEW. Impression management in the organization, 269.
Harper, C. (2015). Organizations: Structures, processes and outcomes. Routledge.
He, H. (2012). Interview Process. In Coding Interviews (pp. 1-12). Apress, Berkeley, CA.
Hodge, M., & Spoor, N. (2012). Congratulations! You've landed an interview: What do hiring
committees really want?. New library world, 113(3/4), 139-161.
Johnston, M. W., & Marshall, G. W. (2016). Sales force management: Leadership, innovation,
technology. Routledge.

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Jones, T., & Moore, T. (2013). Preliminary data on a new opioid risk assessment measure: the
Brief Risk Interview. J Opioid Manag, 9(1), 19-27.
Levashina, J., Hartwell, C. J., Morgeson, F. P., & Campion, M. A. (2014). The structured
employment interview: Narrative and quantitative review of the research
literature. Personnel Psychology, 67(1), 241-293.
Peeters, M. J., Serres, M. L., & Gundrum, T. E. (2013). Improving reliability of a residency
interview process. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 77(8), 168.
Rivera, L. A. (2012). Hiring as cultural matching: The case of elite professional service
firms. American Sociological Review, 77(6), 999-1022.
Tanner, J. F., & Raymond, M. A. (2012). Principles of marketing. Flat World Knowledge.

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6.0 Appendix
Job Description
Job Designation Sales and Marketing Manager
Job Role -Draft PowerPoint presentations
-Track suppliers
-Monitor everyday sales and prepare report
-Handling menu tracking program
-Coordination of demo models
-Operational assistance
-Product allocations
-Call delivery assistance
Jon Qualification -21 years of age
-Degree in Hospitality Management
Or
-VCAL certificate in marketing and sales
-1 Year work experience in an established organization in the realm of
distribution operations
Job Skills •Aware to operate Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with proficiency
•Enthusiasm and excellent interpersonal skills to achieve the
organization goals
•Interest to learn organizational procedures and carefully follow them to
maintain the organizational culture