National Merchants Association Interview Questions
& Process

They generally don't expect you to understand how the credit card processing industry or payments systems network works. They know that its not everyday knowledge for people. They just want to make sure you are good at establishing relationships and can communicate effectively. This position requires you to be analytical and relational, so the questions will revolve around solving problems, dealing with different personalities, and whether you are comfortable interacting with people who are not in their best mood.

Applied online. Got a 10 min call from a recruiter about a week after applying, and passed that. Waited another week (chasing them twice) to hear back about a face-to-face with the Marketing Manager and CEO, which was supposed to be 3 weeks out. The CEO wasn't there for the meeting. It was an easy interview with super basic questions. Followed up right after. Took them 4 days (after I followed up on Monday) to say I needed to wait until the next week. After waiting another week, they asked for work samples, which I sent right away. No response until I followed up 3 days later. The recruiter then wanted me to meet the new CMO. Met the CMO in person about a week later. They mentioned I might be overqualified but was a great candidate overall. Salary expectations were fine. Followed up with the recruiter and CMO immediately after. No response for 3 days. Asked for an update and got a canned email saying I didn't get the job because of an 'overwhelming response'. Asked for clarification or feedback, and the hiring manager and recruiter said there was none. The whole thing took 3 months and felt pretty unprofessional. I'm not upset about not getting the job, I know you're busy and hiring a lot of people, but don't waste people's time without giving them a reason.

I applied online and after a few weeks, I got a call for a phone interview. The phone screening was about 30 minutes, but the screener seemed clueless about what to ask for an executive-level marketing role. When I asked basic questions like the size of the marketing department, they said they'd need to check with the CEO. Then, I had to complete several hours of online assessments. Most of the test seemed like it was from a college marketing course, asking for definitions and classifying the company's business. None of the questions were relevant to the actual marketing role. They could have asked about how I'd handle marketing for NMA, past campaign planning and measurement, or team management. After that, it was just waiting. I followed up multiple times via email and was given specific dates to hear back, but none of them passed. After more waiting, I was told they'd be in touch by the end of the week. I waited until the next week to ask again. NMA eventually sent a generic email stating they had 'filled the need' for the marketing position. It's clear NMA doesn't know how to recruit for a marketing leadership role, given the basic and irrelevant questions asked in the interview process.

I spoke with Martin, the company's recruiter, who was very professional and friendly. I was asked to complete two assessments, a global personality inventory and a manager assessment, which took about two hours. These assessments seemed more suited for a Sales role rather than for working with people on benefits or personnel matters, which can be quite subjective. Today, I got an email saying he was impressed with my background and experience, but upon further review, the team decided I wasn't an ideal fit for the position and their current needs. I don't have any hard feelings, but I do wonder how many great, qualified candidates might be overlooked.