Next Step Living Interview Questions
& Process

I saw an ad on Craigslist for Lead Home Energy Adviser and sent in my resume. A recruiter from MA got in touch and we scheduled a phone interview. I spoke with Collin, who told me about the company and asked me about my background. He mentioned the sales side of the job, which I expected, and explained the salary structure: $30,000 during training, then $40,000 plus commissions. The work week is Tuesday to Saturday. The phone interview went well, and I was invited for a group and in-person interview in New Haven, CT a week later. The in-person interview was quite different. It started with a group session with two other candidates, followed by a presentation on the company's mission. It became clear this is primarily a sales role, and my technical or hands-on experience wasn't the focus. The one-on-one interview focused heavily on my sales abilities and my feelings about sales. They emphasized that achieving their 'mission' of reducing carbon footprints relies on selling home improvements to people. Overall, it was a positive experience, though I wish they had been clearer about their focus on sales from the start, as I initially thought they were looking for building efficiency expertise. It seems they want sales-oriented individuals who are also willing to do hands-on work.

I applied online and got a call back from a recruiter the next day. Then I had a quick phone screen, and a few days later, I was invited to a group interview. First, a team leader gave a presentation to us. I was the only woman there out of about five or six people. The presenter talked about all the job duties and mentioned it could get pretty hectic sometimes. He asked if anyone had restaurant server experience, and one person raised their hand. The presenter then called me out, surprised I'd never been a waitress, which felt a bit awkward. After that, we all took a skills/math test and a computer test. Finally, I had a one-on-one interview where the interviewer mainly asked if I was still interested and if I thought I could handle the job. It turned out the role was much more sales-focused than I realized, so it didn't seem like a good match.

The interview process was pretty straightforward. It started with a simple math test where I had to calculate areas and energy produced. Then there was a computer literacy test, which seemed a bit pointless but I guess it was to check if I could follow directions within a time limit. The in-person interview was with a field manager for Home Energy Advisors and was pretty straightforward, though it felt rushed and the manager didn't seem very engaged. Honestly, it didn't seem like the kind of job I was looking for because it was heavily focused on sales and commissions.

You start by talking to HR to get into the hiring manager's pipeline. This part wasn't too difficult. The HR phone interview focused mainly on behavioral questions. After that, you meet with the Hiring Manager, who oversees three similar sales divisions. The interview is straightforward if you have average or better experience selling in the home and can present yourself effectively.