did Snap's AE interview process last quarter for a mid-market role. background: 8 years in enterprise sales, had never done a social/digital advertising platform role before. here's the real breakdown.
recruiter call: straightforward. quota attainment history, why advertising/media, what you know about Snap's ad products. if you can't explain the difference between Snap Ads, Collection Ads, and AR lenses, fix that before this call. it's basic research but they screen hard on it.
phone screen with hiring manager: this is where it gets interesting. they gave me a scenario: a mid-size D2C brand, budget of $300k/year, currently splitting it between Meta and TikTok, not running Snap. make the pitch. live, on the spot, no prep time.
i've done enough sales to know this is less about the perfect pitch and more about whether you ask discovery questions before pitching. i asked about their current CAC targets, what's working on Meta vs TikTok, whether they've run AR activations before. the HM told me afterward that most candidates just launch into features immediately.
panel interview (3 rounds): deal strategy: walk me through a complex multi-stakeholder deal you closed. they're looking for evidence you can navigate procurement, marketing, and finance simultaneously. have a real example with a deal size you're comfortable sharing. objection handling roleplay: your prospect says 'we tried Snap two years ago and the ROAS was terrible.' respond. this is where the interview is actually won or lost. a weak answer caves or deflects. a strong answer acknowledges, asks about the creative/targeting setup, and uses updated platform data to reframe. cross-functional collab: how do you work with the account management and campaign strategy teams? Snap is particular about this -- AEs don't go solo, they work closely with ad ops and creative strategy. show you can collaborate.
my read on comp: for mid-market AE in LA or NYC, base around $95-115k, OTE 1.8-2x base. meaning on-target earnings in the $170-210k range. but Snap's attainment history has been lumpy the last few years so ask hard questions about what percent of reps actually hit quota. i asked. the answer was honest and sobering.