After 39 Rounds Of 1-On-1 Interviews, Former Investment Banker Reveals The One Humble Question That Finally Landed Him The Job
The question immediately set him apart from every other person who had interviewed for the position.
Prostock-studio | Shutterstock What if one question was the difference between a good interview and landing the job? That's what happened to one man trying to score his dream job. The former investment banker revealed that, while going through the arduous interview process for a position at Goldman Sachs, he asked a humble question that became the reason he was hired.
In a TikTok video, Sharran Srivatsaa explained that after going through 39 1-on-1 interviews for a spot at Goldman Sachs, he walked into what ended up being his final interview and was able to secure a job based solely on a question that he had asked the managing partner. It was so good that it helped him stand out among all the other impressive candidates.
A former investment banker revealed the humble question that landed him a coveted job.
"I had 39 one-on-one interviews to get a job at Goldman Sachs," Srivatsaa began in his video. "39 individual, one-on-one interviews. I walk into one of these interviews with this managing partner."
He explained that the managing partner had shown up to the interview incredibly frazzled and holding a big, leather binder, which he dropped on the desk in front of Srivatsaa and said to him, "You're a hotshot. I see hotshots walk through here all of the time. See if you can set me up a meeting. You got skills, see if you can set me a meeting."
The managing partner handed Srivatsaa the binder he was holding and told him to open it. Once he did, he saw a phone number for a woman that the managing partner wanted him to call. However, before moving forward with the task, which he was more than happy to do, Srivatsaa asked a simple question.
He asked the managing partner if there was a script that he should follow on his call.
After asking the humble question about the phone call script, the managing partner packed his things and promptly left the interview.
"He packs up his stuff, shakes my hand. He's like, 'You'll do great, kid,' and he walks out," Srivatsaa recalled. "Then I saw him at the cocktail party, and I said, 'I'm sorry, that interview was like 46 seconds. What did I do right or wrong?'"
The managing partner explained to him that he was the first and only person who didn't just pick up the phone to prove that he was some kind of hotshot. Instead, he asked for guidance, indicating he would be a coachable employee.
Coachability is an important trait to convey in a professional setting.
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It seems that asking during an interview whether there's a script or if you're being asked to do some sort of task not only shows the interviewer that you are ready to learn, but also that you're willing to follow directions.
On top of that, it gives you a bit of confidence before making that call or doing that specific request. Many interviewers don't want someone who's seemingly overconfident and cocky, but someone who is coachable and willing to learn and integrate with the company culture.
According to Indeed, "Being 'coachable' is a person's ability to receive feedback and use it to determine how they can make improvements. Coachable people generally have more of a growth mindset, believing they can change and grow through hard work and determination to succeed. They take critiques from colleagues or supervisors as an opportunity to improve themselves professionally."
Most people walk into a job interview thinking they have to prove they already know everything, even though that's neither true nor an expectation for anyone. You shouldn't be rushing to prove yourself, but rather taking the time to actually just pause, reflect, and ask for guidance when you and the interviewer know that it's needed to learn and grow. It shows the person sitting across from you that you're exactly the kind of person they would want on their team.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
