Columbia Sportswear Account Executive interview experience

They weren’t just asking about where I’d worked before; they pushed into how I would handle specific customer situations. I talked through how I’d react to a rude customer and what I’d do in different scenarios, and it felt like they were testing real judgment more than just general sales talk.

The part that threw me off was the emphasis on selling and product pitch. I remember being asked to role-play a sale—literally acting out how I’d pitch a child coat and trying to persuade them as if I knew the product well, even though I didn’t. They also wanted long-term goals, which didn’t feel