UpGuard Account Executive Interview Questions
& Process

So I had an interview with the recruiter and the hiring manager first. Then, I was asked to create some slides and give a mock demo to the SVP of Sales along with the hiring manager. I spent a lot of time preparing for this! About a week after my demo, the recruiter called to say that while they thought I did a great job and would have moved forward, they were pausing hiring for the role because of an internal shift. It was pretty disappointing after putting so much effort into the interview process. I wish they had figured things out before letting me get to the third round.

So the hiring manager interview was going great until the last 5 minutes. They asked if I had any questions, and I asked what I should be mentally prepared for in the role. They then asked about my comfort level with travel, clarifying it would be nationwide travel to meet customers, which is necessary to hit targets. I expressed surprise, as I was told it was a remote role and the job description didn't mention travel. They confirmed it's remote in terms of not needing to go to an office, but in India, travel isn't always listed in job postings. I mentioned I would have preferred to know all details upfront, especially since I wouldn't have applied if travel was mentioned. I explained I spent many hours preparing and really wanted the role. I pointed out there were multiple opportunities to share this information, including the JD, recruiter call, and even before the interview started. I had to decline the offer on the call itself because it wasn't what I was looking for. I then got a standard rejection email. I think they should be more transparent about what the job entails so candidates can use their time more effectively.

This interview process was a bit different from what I'm used to. The company uses concepts from a book called "The Phoenix Project," which I had to read beforehand. I actually really enjoyed the book and it gave me a new perspective on IT challenges. First, I had some conversations with a few people to see if I was a good culture fit. I was initially surprised this was the first step, but now I understand why. I liked that it wasn't solely focused on my skills and experience, it made easing into the process nice. My last interview was over Google Hangout, which was my first video conference interview and felt a bit different at the time. Now, of course, everything is over video conference, so it's no big deal. This final interview was with one of the CEOs and felt more like a casual chat about me, my background, the company, its vision, and our culture. I got the job, so I guess it went well.