CarMax Sales Associate Interview Questions & Reviews
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Updated May 14, 2012 – Interview questions and reviews posted anonymously by interview candidates.
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Difficulty Rating [?] Based on 15 ratings 
“Average” Interview
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Interview Experience [?] Based on 15 ratings
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| 1–10 of 15 CarMax Interviews | Sort by |
Sales Associate at CarMax
Posted May 14, 2012
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2.0
Easy Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed May 2012 (took a day)
Very similar process to what others are describing on here. Submitted application online, got a call the following day, where one of the sales managers asked a series of canned questions. It seemed like he was not really paying attention to what I was saying, sounded like he just wanted to hear me talk. At the end of the phone interview, he asked me to come in for an interview in person. Got there, and was immediately put down in front of a computer to do the criminal background test. I was responding to some of the same questions as I had already done in the online application process. They also asked for the same information several times.
Then there was a panel interview with two of the managers followed by a sales pitch of one of the cars on the lot. After this, I was asked to wait while they talked to the GM. After 10 minutes they came back and said that I would hear from them in a couple of days (which is their way of saying that they are not interested). A few days later I received a letter stating that this was not going to happen.
Overall, very easy going environment, and laid back managers.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, a Presentation and a Background Check.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Sales Associate at CarMax
Posted May 11, 2012
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Nov 2011 in Merriam, KS (took a day)
I spent longer than expected due to the heavy customer traffic that day. I was interviewed multiple times over the course of several hours. I felt like I had completed a decathalon by the time I finished and when my future boss handed me a cup for an immediate drug test it hit my humor button. Overall I felt like the resulting job offer was due half to my skill set and half to my endurance.
Interview Questions
Negotiation Details
Carmax is a 'no haggle' dealership :-) The position I applied for was 100% commission and as such the compensation was solely based on my abilities.
Other Details
I got the interview through an Employee Referral and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, a Presentation, a Personality Test, a Drug Test and a Background Check.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Sales Associate at CarMax
Posted Oct 5, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Declined Offer
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Interviewed Oct 2011 in Irving, TX (took 2 days)
Found CarMax at a local job fair. The associates urged me to fill out their online application. After submitting the online application I was contacted for a phone interview. That went well and I was asked to come in for an in person interview. They will tell this can last 2 hours, it will take longer! There is a lot of in between time and waiting, be patient, it is a process. My first day I went in did the computer test, basically have you ever stolen a bunch of different ways. Then onto a one on one interview, after that I had another one on one, and then was going to do their role play (sell a car), but was asked to come back the following day since the person to do the final interview wasn't there. I came back the next day, did the role play (know about their warranties, 5 day, 30 day and extended options, ask them to take a test drive) and had a group interview. Day 2 was supposed to be much quicker, I was still there over 2 hours. After the group interview I was offered the job. I stated I wanted to think about it, but would let them know within the week. I then took their onsite drug test and did some paperwork.
Interview Questions
Reason for Declining
I had another offer in front of me with better hours and pay, but honestly had to do a lot of thinking. I loved the atmosphere at CarMax and still hope I'm making the right decision!
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, a Presentation and a Drug Test.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Sales Associate at CarMax
Posted Sep 16, 2011 — 1 of 1 people found this helpful
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2.0
Easy Interview
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Overall Negative Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Sep 2011 (took 2 days)
I sold a car at Carmax and was impressed with the process so I applied for a sales consultants job online. I was self-employed and in school but this didn't bother the gentleman who called me back to schedule a one-on-one interview in the store. He was enthusiastic about Carmax and explained that there was a paid training program but the job was largely commission-based. I was looking for a commission sales job so this scenario sounded good to me.
The gentleman on the phone advised me to bring a resume and watch the videos on Carmax so that I could prepare for "behaviorial" interviews questions such as "how did you handle a difficult situation with a customer." He seemed to feel that most people weren't prepared for this type of interview format whereas I think it's pro forma.
The in-store interview was strange from the get go. I arrived about 20 minutes early and waited to meet the woman I was told would be interviewing me. When she emerged from her office I tried to engage her in conversation but she only seemed interested in setting up an in-store online interview for me and was clearly perplexed as to why I'd brought a resume.
The in-store online interview was more elaborate than any online interview I've taken to date. In addition to asking whether you have committed vehicular manslaughter or smoked pot about 15 times the computer program wanted to know how many jobs I'd had that I hadn't declared on my original application and indicated that Carmax would check with the social security administration to see how my tax info lined up with my interview info. I was unsure how to answer this question as I'd had many sales jobs on a 1099 basis and didn't know how those jobs would be reported to the SSA so I indicated that I'd had many jobs that weren't listed on my application.
I submitted the paperwork to the woman who had set up the test and tried to explain that I wasn't sure how to answer the question about the number of jobs I'd had that weren't listed on my application. She said something non-committal and told me to wait in the customer waiting area.
I waited for a few minutes in the waiting area until someone came to speak with me. She took me to a tiny office without a desk and we chatted for a few minutes. She asked standard questions such as "what would you bring to the company" and "how have you handled a difficult customer." She too seem perplexed as to why I'd brought a resume and didn't refer to it except to say that she liked the resume folder it was in.
She then discussed the Carmax format which consists of a 6-week training program prior to associates working on the floor. This surprised me as I have extensive sales skills and wanted to start making money immediately as opposed to following a "mentor" who probably has poorer sales skills than I possess, yet I asked what the pay was for trainees. She said she couldn't discuss that until an offer was made but said, "it's more than minimum wage. That answer didn't impress me. She also said that working Sat. and Sun. was a must which also seemed like a drag.
In short, I thought I was interviewing for a 1099 sales job and instead ended up interviewing for a low-level W-2 job with no base salary.
She indicated that I would hear from CarMax in 3-5 days yet I was no longer interested in the job and she didn't seem very interested in me either.
2 days later I got a form letter saying that my background was impressive but Carmax was looking at another candidate.
The interview process seemed less-than-professional and almost entirely impersonal. It was as if I the computer was making a decision about me based on a personality test and background test as opposed to a human being making a decision about me based on my interpersonal and sales skills.
Very few sales people seemed to be working with customers or on the phone, and the employees were sloppily dressed. In general, I was very underwhelmed by the interview process and would not recommend that anyone other than someone right out of college apply for an entry-level sales position.
I wouldn't say that the interview was hard or easy - it was just weird and very impersonal.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview and a Background Check.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Sales Associate at CarMax
Posted Jun 13, 2011
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2.0
Easy Interview
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Overall Negative Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Jun 2011 in Austin, TX (took a day)
I applied for a business office associate position at the location closest to me. Some weeks later, another location across the city called me and invited me to apply there, but for a sales associate position. I expressed hesitance at this, not really thinking I was qualified or cut out to be a car salesman. She assured me by retail background qualified me, and wanted to interview me. I applied to that location online, and heard from them in a couple of days.
I went in for my interview and was pretty thrown by all the information they want access to. Entire social security reported wages for your life to present, complete background check, drivers history, credit check, check you against retail return abuse databases, and on and on.
You sign all that stuff then you start a computer pre-interview that repeatedly asks how many drugs you've done and how much stuff you've stolen. Repeatedly.
Then the first interview guy comes and reviews your answers with you. Then the second interview guy comes in and does what I recognize as an actual interview.
I complete that and am promised an answer, by the weekend, and that I would not be left hanging without a call.
They never call me and almost two weeks later I get a rejection letter from them.
Interview Questions
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Background Check, a 1:1 Interview and a Phone Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Sales Associate at CarMax
Posted Mar 19, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Jan 2011 in Merriam, KS (took a day)
Called and set up date and time. 2 people talked to you. Directed to a computer where you did an interview on the computer answering questions. The people were nice and professional. No feedback ever was recieved.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Background Check, a Personality Test, a Skills Test and a Group/Panel Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Sales Associate at CarMax
Posted Mar 16, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Mar 2011 (took a day)
I was interviewed and told I would be called back in no more than 10 days, specifically that i would not be left hanging. Never got a call.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Background Check, a Drug Test, a Presentation, a 1:1 Interview and a Phone Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Sales Associate at CarMax
Posted Mar 9, 2011 — 1 of 1 people found this helpful
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Feb 2011 in South Jordan, UT (took 3 days)
Applied online received a phone interview/prescreen the same day. The phone interview was general feel for sales experience and “why are you looking” typical stuff.
I had an interview in person a few days later. The first thing they had me do was answer some background information questions on a computer. “Are you sure you don’t sometimes use drugs, its ok you can tell us”…. Really is this the caliber of people they hire that they 1) need to ask these type of questions 2) actually find this type of screening useful.
The interview was with an inexperienced sales manager “in training” and a buyer. Red flag: any company uses the informal “in training” titles either has so much bureaucracy it’s difficult to promote or managers delay promotions to make numbers look better in the interim. The sales manager in training bit his lip when I talked and looked up at the ceiling, so I new from the beginning I wasn’t going to get the position.
The interview questions were typical. Give a specific example of when you when “above and beyond” or a customer. … dealing with a difficult customer.
They had me bring a printout of a car from the website and roll play as if I was a selling the interviewer the selected car. He stone walled and said things like “I need my wife here to test drive”. I wasn’t really prepared for the stonewalling but by then I knew I didn’t have the job anyway just from the body language of the interviewer..
I was told by other people that they look for customer service more then “sales” but this interview was really focused on sales. Strange because the employees you see there are far from polished, most of them are awkward looking with un-pressed shirts and the “manager in training” was even wearing shorts in February with his garments (Mormon underwear) hanging past the shorts when he sat down.
Wish I would have been offered the job though, I hear it’s a great part time gig.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a Group/Panel Interview and a Background Check.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Sales Associate at CarMax
Posted Jan 20, 2011 — 1 of 1 people found this helpful
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Jan 2011 in Rockville, MD (took a day)
It was time consuming and I had to repeat the same detail to several interviewers
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview and a Group/Panel Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Sales Associate at CarMax
Posted Oct 23, 2010
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Negative Experience
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Received and Declined Offer
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Interviewed Oct 2010 (took a day)
they interview based on sales experience and when you learn the business it will help you in the long run but that is not what happens. you must be prepared to wow them because if you aren't in sales and understand how to be a salesperson, you will not even be considered.
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Skills Test, a Presentation and a 1:1 Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
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