MB: Hi Sarah! I’m Marcia Boardman – we spoke on the phone...
ST: Oh yes, I remember – I was having a bad day!
MB: ...and this is Philip Hart, our CEO.
PH: Hello! ST: Hello, it’s very nice to meet you both.
PH: It says on your CV that you do voluntary work...
ST: Well, when I have time, yes! I do work at a centre for children with difficulties, yes...
PH: That must be very interesting...
ST: It’s rewarding and challenging.
MB: Sarah, can you tell us a little bit about your current position?
ST: I’m assistant sales director for a chain of language schools.
PH: So this post would be quite a change then...
ST: I don’t think so honestly because the skills are the same, despite the product.
MB: Why are you thinking of moving on?
ST: Well I’ve come as far as I can in my current position, I feel and I’m 28 now and would love to take on some more responsibility.
MB: Ok, let’s move on to managing people. Can you give us an example of when you had to deal with a particularly difficult managee?
ST: Well, yes, I had two people working for me who didn’t get along at all – they had no shared values, different temperaments – and they used to argue a lot, it looked like it was impossible for them to work together. So, I sat down with them, and we talked about their differences and their problems and after that, things went much more smoothly!
PH: How would you deal with a rapidly changing and uncertain global market?
ST: Ok, that’s actually something I wanted to talk about in my presentation...but I’d say to stay flexible and to diversify markets and sales strategies..
MB: It says on your CV you speak French and Spanish.
ST: Yes, I do. I lived in both France and Spain for a while.
PH: Any plans to learn other languages?
ST: I’d love to try!
MB: Ok, can you tell us about a time you closed a particularly challenging deal?
ST: Well, the biggest contract I won - and the thing I’m most proud of professionally - was with a large university in India, to provide language training . The contract was full of technicalities and the client was very picky! – but I still pulled it off.
MB: Ok – do you have any questions for us?
ST: Yes - about your ethical policy, and your carbon footprint...I was wondering whether you are planning to reduce your carbon footprint and whether all your products are ethically sourced?
PH: That’s a very good question...and that’s something we’re moving towards at the moment...
MB: Ok, well, let’s move on to the presentation...