Sales and Marketing Group, Inc. Interview Questions
& Process

I applied online and got a call the next day to schedule an initial interview. Since I was still in school, I scheduled it for my spring break. The first interview was about 20 minutes with a general manager, where we discussed my background and interests. I also learned about the company. I was told I made it to the second round. A few weeks later, I got an email from the Director of Recruiting and a general manager congratulating me and saying they'd be in touch. I then received a call to schedule the second interview. During that call, they told me to wear comfy shoes and bring my resume. The second interview was a job shadow. I was paired with an employee, and we drove to a suburb for about 30-40 minutes to go door-to-door selling for one of their clients. During the drive, we talked about my previous experience and interests, and his experience with the company. He mentioned that if I did well, we'd discuss salary and the corporate ladder. We talked about salary and moving up during lunch. After lunch, we did more sales. On the way back, he asked a few more questions and said I did well. He mentioned that back at the office, I'd have a third interview with a general manager or director. When we got back, I completed an assessment and shared my thoughts on the position. Then, I spoke with the Director of Marketing, who asked if I could do the job and some basic interest questions. He said that after discussing with others, I'd get a call the next day. I received a job offer the next day around 6:00 PM.

I applied for the entry level job posting on Indeed because it stated it was a salaried position with health benefits. They reached out within 2-3 days and set up a first interview. It was about an hour long at their office around 6pm. During this meeting, they told me more about the company and how the entry level role involves doing a bit of everything and that they train their staff well. They barely asked me anything besides basic getting-to-know-you questions. Then and there, they set up a second interview for me that would be all day, from 1:30pm to 8pm, and told me to wear flats. I spent the whole day shadowing another entry level person, going door to door trying to sell Verizon FIOS. That's when they explained that the job is basically all commission, with no benefits or paid time off. Honestly, I don't get how this company is considered a great place to work in Philly. The people seem cool, all young and energetic, but they don't seem to care for their employees.

I heard from SMGI through Monster and had an initial interview that went well. They talked about a great work environment and culture, but looking back, the first red flag was that they didn't really explain the job responsibilities. When I asked what I'd be doing, they were vague and made it sound like a creative role involving advertising and brand image. Then, I went for a second interview, which was job shadowing. I was driven 40 minutes away, and about halfway there, I realized the job was actually door-to-door sales. They never mentioned this before; otherwise, I wouldn't have gone. I shadowed someone doing door-to-door sales (or sign-ups), and they were good at it. They tried to convince me about the potential to make a lot of money in 2 years, but I don't think being miserable for 2 years is worth it. They offered me a third interview, but I declined. Also, the hours are unusual, from 11:30 am to 9 pm, which wasn't what I wanted and wasn't communicated until the second interview. If you want a life and to be comfortable, this isn't the job for you.

Someone reached out to me directly about this on-site role, and after a few of those, they scheduled the actual on-site interview. During the interview, we covered my resume, experience, interests, and potential start date, along with the usual questions like why I was interested in the company. After that, I got an email with the outcome.