Amanda’s insights into securing a sales executive role with Hanson Wade

We caught up with Amanda who recently secured a sales executive role with Hanson Wade. She took us through the application process, from what first drew her to Hanson Wade to the tips she wants to share with you to help you succeed.

What stood out to you about Hanson Wade?

When I read the job ad for the sales executive role at Hanson Wade, the first few sentences of the description described the job as something for people who had life science degrees but had no interest in doing lab work. This was exactly how I described myself in a cover letter that I had written months earlier, so I immediately knew this would be a great opportunity for me. I then looked at their website and saw how much effort the company made to train and reward their employees for their achievements. 

How did you make your application stand out?

I made sure to include all the little summer jobs I did throughout high school and university. Since I grew up on a farm in a small town, I had a lot of pet and house sitting jobs that showed a high level of responsibility, reliability, and trustworthiness at a young age, which I knew would be valuable to any company. Talking specifically about unique aspects of my upbringing and involvement with societies and what I learned from those experiences was also helpful.

What part of the application process did you find the most challenging?

For me, it was hard to apply to jobs while also having to keep up with all my academic work and extracurriculars while retaining a healthy balance of work and fun in life. While applying to jobs, I did have to put in some extra time on the weekends and after dinner when I didn’t really want to. To make sure I always had time to chill out and unwind after working hard, I would make dinner or brunch plans with friends on days I knew I would have time. Being proactive about planning fun with friends during job application season doesn’t have to be a bad thing as long as it is evened out with proactive working sessions in between.

How did Bright Network help you secure this role?

While on the job hunt, I found it hard to find the right places to look for graduate jobs. LinkedIn and Indeed had endless lists of opportunities, but graduate roles were only sprinkled in among other more experienced roles. Bright Network was really helpful in that it only advertises entry level and graduate roles. Everything I saw while scrolling was something that I knew I could apply to, which really streamlined my application process. 

What are your top tips for tackling tough interview questions?

Before an interview, make sure to research the company and read everything you can on their website. If you are asked a hard question during the interview, you can try to direct your answer back to saying something that aligns with the company’s views or values. It also helps to think ahead to any specifically tricky questions that might be asked and have answers prepared for them. Remember to speak slowly and clearly while answering any question no matter how easy or hard.

Did you get any feedback in the past that helped you with your application?

I got a lot of feedback from my parents and my school on my cover letter and CV before sending them in. The best advice I got from anyone was just ‘back yourself’. Sometimes you can forget that the things you do every day are impressive achievements because you are doing them as part of your daily routine. Doing well in hard modules, your dissertation, and/or any other large assignments are all notable achievements that people tend to forget about because they feel like basic necessities while at university.

What are your top tips for Bright Network members wanting to follow in your footsteps?

1. Apply for everything, even smaller companies that you’ve never heard of
2. Apply to one job every day or every other day and in a month you’ll have applied to 15-30 jobs!
3. Take a deep breath and believe in yourself. You’ve got this! Good things take time