Interviewing Senior Management: A Professional Development Reflection

This assignment is a reflective account of a student's experience interviewing two senior management personnel from a company to gain practical sales experience and learn how to handle rejection. The student details the process of arranging the interviews, preparing a project presentation, and interacting with the executives. The reflection highlights the challenges faced, including the executives' hesitation to entrust a project to a student due to concerns about quality and reputation. Despite the rejection, the student emphasizes the valuable lessons learned about resilience, the importance of stepping outside one's comfort zone, and the need for continuous learning and improvement in professional life. The reflection also includes insights on alternative approaches for future interactions, such as direct meetings and thorough consultation with faculty members to enhance persuasive skills and project preparation. The student acknowledges the importance of dedication and effort and their impact on success in professional life.

Running head: INTERVIEWING SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Interviewing Senior Management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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It was difficult for me to select whom to interview and so, I took the help of my
faculty member. As per their advice, I decided to take the interview of two member of the
senior management of a renowned company involves in selling and marketing of products. It
was a great opportunity for me to get a project from the company. After that, I approached
them by writing a letter to them by including all the details of my intention to interview them.
However, I had to change my approach when I did not receive any suitable response from
them. Thus, I decided to approach them personally by visiting the office and explained the
details of my interview to them. Then, they agreed to let me interview them (Buck,
Sobiechowska & Winter, 2013).
I took the preparation by setting the interview questions for the two senior
management personnel. At the same time, I decided to give a presentation of my project to
them with the aim to clear all the details to them. In the initiation of the interview, it was
essential for me to connect with the two executives. For this, I included certain important as
well as interacting aspects related to my topic in the presentation so that I can attract their
attention. In the middle of the interview, I presented the idea directly to them about my
eagerness in consulting a project in their company (Farrell, 2013). I added that it would be a
great opportunity for me if I can get the exposure to consult a project under their company.
However, I needs to mention that their response was not so much affirmative as they were not
ready to give their projects to a student like me due to the involvement of the reputation of
their organization. They were unsure whether I would be able to deliver the project with best
quality as their company do. However, I did not show my disappointment to them as I took
the rejection in a positive manner; and I concluded by mentioning that I would return to them
with more experience and knowledge for taking the project (Cowan, 2014).
The most important thing I learned was that rejection is common in professional life
and we all need to know how to deal with it. Nothing is granted as lack of dedication and

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effort can lead to failure in professional career. I have also learnt it that we all need to come
out from our comfort zone to get success in professional career. In case I get another chance
to interview the same persons again, I would directly meet them instead of writing a letter as
direct meeting is an effective way to show the enthusiasm to the project. If I get the same
assignment again, I would thoroughly consult with all aspects of the assignment to my faculty
members and would seek their help to know the ways of convincing the management
personnel of the companies in better manner (Chen & Forbes, 2014).

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References
Buck, A., Sobiechowska, P., & Winter, R. (2013). Professional experience and the
investigative imagination: The art of reflective writing. Routledge.
Chen, I., & Forbes, C. (2014). Reflective writing and its impact on empathy in medical
education: systematic review. Journal of educational evaluation for health
professions, 11.
Cowan, J. (2014). Noteworthy matters for attention in reflective journal writing. Active
Learning in Higher Education, 15(1), 53-64.
Farrell, T. S. C. (2013). Reflective writing for language teachers. Sheffield: Equinox.