These are the questions hiring managers use to assess attitude rather than skills. Where the original notes what the interviewer is listening for, we have kept it, so you can prepare for the intent and not just the wording.

Ownership and initiative

• Describe a time when you recognized you weren't going to be able to meet multiple deadlines.
• Could you tell me about a time when you had an idea that was great for your team or your company?
• Could you tell me about a time when someone told you no? (Listening for: how you break through objections and challenges.)
• If you're fresh out of school: tell me about what you were involved in while in school. (Listening for: multiple clubs or associations, working full time to pay for college, and so on.)
• How did you earn your current role? (Listening for: connecting, networking, setting up field rides, bird-dogging, anything that sets you apart.)

How you think and how you work

• What gets you out of bed in the morning?
• What does your current day-to-day look like? What time does it start and end, and what's involved?
• How do you create your call cycle?
• How do you strategize for your day?
• What do you love about your current role? What do you not love?

Autonomy and teamwork

• Tell me about a time you worked solely on your own. Follow-up: how do you work with a team?
• Tell me about a time you weren't working with a team, or lacked sales support.
• Do you thrive in an autonomous work environment, and how do you do that?

Selling

• How do you prepare going into a meeting or a cold call?
• Show me an example of when you were the only rep calling on someone. How did you take it from start to finish?
• What has been your biggest sales accomplishment so far, and why? How did you do it?
• Tell me about a time you convinced your account or client to buy your product over a competitor.

The close

• We have covered a lot on our call today. What have we not discussed that would set you apart from any other candidate? What do you want me to share?
• How did you break into medical device? (Listening for: your transitions, and what's really important to you.)
• Where am I catching you, and how are you approaching your search? (Listening for: how actively you're searching, and whether you can walk through the connections, experience and relationships you have built toward this move.)