Entrepreneur says Goldman Sachs once gave him 39 separate interviews to land the job-and the decisive conversation was less than a minute | Fortune

"He shows up all frazzled. He puts like this big leather binder on the desk and he says, 'You're a hot shot. I see hot shots come through here all the time. See if you can set me up a meeting,' Srivatsaa said. The binder contained contact information, including names and phone numbers. The twist came in Srivatsaa's response. Unlike previous candidates, who apparently tried to demonstrate their sales prowess by immediately making cold calls,"

"Srivatsaa asked a simple question that changed everything: 'I'm happy to call her. Do you have a script or something? Because I just want to represent you well.' The managing director immediately packed up his belongings, shook Srivatsaa's hand, and left after what he said amounted to around 46 seconds. Srivatsaa, who worked in investment management at Goldman Sachs from 2007 to 2010, said he later saw his interviewer at a cocktail party and learned why their one-on-one was cut so short."

Sharran Srivatsaa underwent 39 one-on-one interviews to secure a position at Goldman Sachs during his post-MBA job search. One interview featured a frazzled managing director who placed a leather binder of contacts on the desk and challenged candidates to set up a meeting. Rather than immediately making cold calls to prove his sales prowess, Srivatsaa asked for a script and guidance so he could represent the managing director well. The managing director ended the meeting within a minute and later explained the question revealed coachability. Srivatsaa worked in investment management at Goldman Sachs from 2007 to 2010. Goldman Sachs remains notoriously difficult to join.

Read at Fortune