How to Get a Job at AT&T
AT&T offers prospective candidates the opportunity to join one of the largest providers in the telecommunications industry. Generally taking between two to four weeks to complete, the interview process involves phone screenings and multiple one-on-one and panel job interviews. Most applicants cite a process of meeting with store managers one-on-one, followed by assessment tests to gauge basic math and sales knowledge. Panel interviews with different upper-level management follow, which culminate in background checks and drug screenings in order to receive final job offers. Most interviews last between 30 minutes and one hour in duration.
Example Interview Questions
Candidates regularly respond to:
- "Why AT&T and not one of our competitors?"
- "What about AT&T's customer approach do you find satisfying?"
Sales associates generally respond to inquiries about availability, previous work experience, and sales goals. Interview questions posed during the hiring sessions also touch on biggest strengths and weaknesses, abilities to resolve conflicts with customers and co-workers, and abilities to follow company policies. More pointed questions for sales associates may include:
- "What would you do if a co-worker cut corners to make a sale?"
- "How would you satisfy a customer complaint about a malfunctioning device?"
- "Would you ever break company policy in order to close a sale?"
Having the Right Attitude
Genuine and honest answers to interview questions show sincere interest in the position desired. Positive attitudes and self-motivated personalities also befit workers best. Candidates should be prepared to possibly shadow a current AT&T employee or demonstrate sales capabilities by "mock-selling" the interviewer a product. Talk candidly but avoid rambling off subject unless hiring personnel intentionally lead conversation astray. Candidates who use helpful examples from prior employment regarding overcoming challenges in the workplace often impress hiring personnel. Follow up with hiring managers frequently after the interview process concludes; persistence and genuine interest may secure job offers in the end.
AT&T Call Center Associate Employee Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
AT&T Call Center Associate: I worked for West Corporation, which is a subsidiary of AT&T. I worked in the call center. Basically, what I did was process orders. Basically, I made any of the data plans or upgrades you have with the company. I’m the one who troubleshoots with the electronics that they have. If your phone is messed up, I’ll be the person to call with a series of different procedures to fix that problem.
Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
AT&T Call Center Associate: My favorite part about working there was basically the pay. I was making around $300-400 a week, and I was working 40 hours a week. So, the pay was pretty good.
Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.
AT&T Call Center Associate: The first thing you would do is swipe your card to get into the building. There’s security there because there’s AT&T-sensitive stuff that not everybody can get to. Punch the clock in, and basically you would sit on the computer for maybe five hours before you get your break. And, basically, from the time you get there to the time you’re on break, you’re answering phone calls, you’re processing different orders, and things like that. That was basically it; there wasn’t a variety of things you would do: basically the same thing every day.
Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
AT&T Call Center Associate: You would apply online through West Corporation. The application was pretty much a simple application, as far as asking for work experience and things. Because the job is based around a computer, you have to be able to type and be able to process. You have to type at a certain speed. Once they see your application, you come in to take a typing test. Once you got to a proficient typing level or they saw you were proficient at typing, there would be about two and a half weeks of classroom training, and it would teach you how to use different programs that you would need to have to process the different orders and different things like that… and troubleshot the phones. Then, you would get tested every week, and you had to get about 80% right to be able to actually go on the floor to actually work. I mean, the whole process, to where you’re officially hired, probably took about two weeks. They’re really quick with that at West Corporation. They’ll call you back the next day.
Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
AT&T Call Center Associate: I don’t think you could have worked there if you had a felony. Basically, it’s just simple things like if you can get to work, have you worked for the company before. I think that’s about it. I worked a few places, being in college, and it’s a pretty standard application.
Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
AT&T Call Center Associate: The job… I didn’t think that it was selective with the application process as far as getting in there. You just had to work on a computer. I think you had to be proficient with a computer, and I had that.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
AT&T Call Center Associate: I would just say my one bit of advice: if you’re working for AT&T, in general, it’s a good company to work for. They have a lot of benefits and stuff that I really couldn’t take advantage of with my short amount of time being there. If you want to work there, it’s a great job – particularly, if you want to work in the call center side. It’s extremely easy to get in there. It’s a great job to have as far as stability and everything. If you’re willing to work 40 hours a week, and usually you don’t get to choose the shift that you work. If you’re willing to do that, it would be the perfect job for somebody.
Nick says:
When applying to get a job for At&T make sure you can start immediately