Softcat Account Manager Interview Questions
& Process

It was a very thorough interview process with 4 stages in total. There was a group stage that was conducted both in-person and online. Overall, the experience was very positive, and I would highly recommend this company. They are very supportive, and it's a great place to work. Even though the interview process is long, it's very supportive.

I applied for the graduate scheme for account manager at their Manchester office. It started with a phone interview with a sales director, which was pretty chill, mostly just talking about hobbies. Then came the assessment day at the office, which was about 3 hours long. It kicked off with a presentation about how great Softcat is from a few people. After that, we had some easy Maths and English tests, like high school level. I actually forgot to hand mine in but still got a call the next day. We then had to do a one-minute presentation about ourselves, which was the toughest part for me. The day ended with a quick 'speed interview' where we jumped between four interviewers for a minute each. Overall, the assessment day was pretty manageable and a good way to meet people. The next step was a panel interview, which is where I bowed out. It was supposed to be about an hour and a half. It started okay with the same presenter from the assessment day asking basic questions like why I wanted to join Softcat. But then two young guys came in and it went downhill fast. They were loud and kind of obnoxious. They grilled me on company knowledge for about half an hour, asking for details like competitors and key people, and kept pushing for more answers, even giving clues and laughing when I struggled. You really need to memorize a lot for this part. The second half was about product knowledge, which, as a grad applicant, I didn't have much of. They went through their products one by one, testing me. There were no competency questions, which I was prepared for; it was all about company and product knowledge, not really a grad interview.

Applied with CV and Cover Letter. Then I did a psychometric test. After that, I had a virtual interview where I recorded my answers. Next was an 'Assessment Centre' with current employees and more recorded interview questions. Finally, there was a 'Panel' Interview which was an hour long. I asked if I'd given enough information after each answer, and they said yes and complimented some responses. However, the feedback I got said I didn't give enough depth, which I found unfair given my cues and their compliments. They suggested I focus on 'Customer Service' roles despite my progression and Master's degree. They also questioned my 'business acumen', which I felt was unfair from people with less experience than me. The panel was three young, white British employees, and I noted a lack of diversity at the company, which I think should be improved for fairer judgment.