Sharran Srivatsaa, currently President of Acquisition.com, shares that he received a job offer from a well-known bank in less than a minute. He demonstrated an important skill with a question.
Sharran Srivatsaa, currently President of Acquisition.com and former Asset Manager at Goldman Sachs, recently shared on TikTok how he managed to get hired at Goldman Sachs. Goldman Sachs is known as a demanding employer with a very low acceptance rate, which is said to be below 1%: For the 2025 internship program, there were over 360,000 applications for only 2,500 spots.
According to Srivatsaa, during a particular interview, a Managing Director was involved who immediately challenged him with a test. However, this final conversation reportedly lasted less than 1 minute. This was reported by the English-language magazine Fortune.com.
The decisive conversation lasts only 46 seconds because he demonstrates an important skill
What happened during the decisive conversation? Srivatsaa recounted that he must have had a conversation with one of the bank’s Managing Directors. He mentioned that the conversation lasted only 46 seconds:
He [the Managing Director] comes in completely exhausted. He places this large leather binder on the desk and says: ‘You are an overachiever. I see overachievers coming through here all the time. Try to arrange a meeting for me.’
Instead of diving directly into the paperwork, Srivatsaa asked a simple question that changed the conversation completely: “I’d be happy to call them. Do you have a script or something? Because I want to represent you well.”
The Managing Director immediately gathered his things, shook Srivatsaa’s hand, and left after about 46 seconds.
Afterward, the interviewer explained that this is exactly why Srivatsaa impressed him: He seemed willing to take guidance and “coachable,” which was a crucial difference compared to other candidates who wanted to jump right in to prove themselves as “sales talents.”
In the end, Srivatsaa emphasizes that this ability to be coachable and ask for feedback or directions – to be “coachable” rather than “cocky” – is crucial not only in banking but also for an entrepreneurial career.
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