Sharran Srivatsaa, president of Acquisition.com and a former Goldman Sachs wealth manager, this fall shared a story on TikTok about how he managed to get hired at Goldman Sachs—a process that apparently required 39 one-on-one interviews, including one that lasted less than a minute but offered wisdom about what it takes to land a job at a prestigious Wall Street bank.
The entrepreneur, who has built a track record as a four-time Inc. 500 entrepreneur, recounted the unconventional interview experience that occurred during his post-MBA job search. According to Srivatsaa’s account, one particular interview involved a managing director who immediately challenged him with an unusual test.
“He shows up all frazzled. He puts, like, this big leather binder on the desk, and he says, ‘You’re a hotshot. I see hotshots 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.
