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Making a good first and lasting impression on the interviewing panel is important, especially when you only have one shot. Preparing yourself for the interview is just as important as the execution, and unfortunately for most of us, we cannot solely rely on our inner voice’s monologue to get us there. Thankfully, the experienced team at Hirewell has laid out an easy and applicable approach to nailing interviews. We’ll start by looking at the benefits of the Mock Interview, after all; practice makes better!
Why Mock Interviews?
1. Get the jitters out
If it’s been a while since you’ve interviewed or if you simply want some additional confidence going into your next interview, a mock interview can be a great asset. Mock interviews give you an opportunity to work out the kinks in your wording and give you a chance to get a professional opinion on how certain answers come across to the ‘interviewer’. The mock interviewer can then assist in reframing any wording or tweaking anything that may benefit from a slight adjustment. Mock interviews enable you to get any interview jitters and flubs out of the way first, BEFORE your actual interview.
2. Immediate feedback from a professional
Our recruiters have assisted hundreds of candidates through the interview process. Most of them have conducted numerous interviews themselves. They are experts when it comes to knowing what to expect going into an interview and knowing what hiring managers like to hear from potential candidates. Our mock interviewers can give you unbiased, professional opinions on how best to tailor your interview for the job you want.
3. Hone your message
Interviews are your opportunity to show the interviewer who you are and why you would be particularly well-suited to fill the role you are vying for. The mock interview can be an excellent opportunity to workshop how best to convey that. In some cases, you could have less than 30 or 40 minutes to go over your background, your skill set, your personality, and ultimately why you’d be a great fit for the role in question. Mock interviews can help you hone your message to enable you to optimize your interview time.
The Mock Itself
1). Embrace the uncertainty
It’s important to practice your wording and overall messaging you wish to express throughout the interview but do so in a natural, unscripted manner. Imagine yourself in a situation where the first question thrown at you is a curveball, something you did not expect… and just like that everything you rehearsed starts to crumble. It happens a lot but smile it off and stay resilient. The engagement piece of an interview can be a strong indicator as to how the interviewer feels about you and your ability to fit in with the team.
2). Staying focused
Not everything will go perfect in an interview and it doesn’t have to. Practice messing up or starting the response in a different way because not everything is going to be a layup. It can be easy to think that a good interview means everything went according to plan. However, more times than not, being able to stay focused/ unwithered with your responses gives the interviewer a sense of your confidence and ability to handle ambiguity in various situations.
3). Practice being Genuine
The mock interview isn’t meant for you to read off a script, you want to provide the expression and energy of a very engaged conversation. Since each interview is different, try to pick up what they are seeking to uncover based on their questions and overall demeanor. Avoid going completely overboard when it comes to expressing energy. A measured and concise response is most likely what the interviewer is looking for.
4). Understand the Interviewer
Half the battle is creating a connection between you and the interviewer. And you can interview them as much as they are interviewing you. Inquiring about real scenarios and situations within the team is a great way to show more than surface-level engagement. Body language tells a lot, be mindful of how/when you incorporate hand gestures or movement into your responses. Be conscious of it, but try not to overthink it.
5). Avoid Information Overload
Not all of your answers need to tell your entire story or be multifaceted responses. Practice sprinkling bits of information throughout several responses. It’s ok to circle back to a previously addressed topic or question. This shows you aren’t trying to overly impress the interviewer with a perfect answer.
Reading this may not immediately make you an expert interviewer, but, this supplemental information can help you feel more comfortable and confident going into your interview. Control what you can control and give every meeting, client interaction, and interview your best self. You’d be surprised by what you can accomplish after these best practice techniques.
If you have any other questions, feel free to reach me at matt@hirewell.com.
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Over the last year, hiring teams have started seeing a wave of new job titles pop up across tech, sales, and operations.
Some are legitimate new roles.
Others are existing jobs with a slightly different name.
And many of them have one thing in common: AI is suddenly part of the job description.
From Go-to-Market Engineers to AI Specialists, companies are experimenting with new roles as they figure out how automation and AI fit into their teams.
But most of these positions aren’t entirely new. They’re evolutions of existing roles.
The Rise of Go-to-Market Engineers
One role that is gaining traction is the Go-to-Market Engineer.
Depending on who you ask, it is either:
- A new role focused on automation and AI-driven growth
- A modern version of Revenue Operations (RevOps)
In practice, it is a bit of both.
As Matt Tokarz recently pointed out after closing a search for an Outbound & Go-to-Market Specialist, the role looked very different from traditional RevOps. The focus was not reporting or CRM hygiene. It was building prompts, leveraging tools like Clay and Smartlead, and enabling SDRs and AEs with backend insights to accelerate pipeline growth.
Instead of traditional RevOps work like reporting and CRM management, the focus was on:
- Building AI prompts
- Creating campaign messaging
- Automating outreach workflows
- Using tools like Clay, Smartlead, and Trigify
The goal was not simply managing sales data. It was accelerating pipeline generation through automation.
AI Isn’t Creating New Functions. It’s Changing Existing Ones
One trend is becoming clear. Companies are not replacing entire departments with AI.
Instead, they are changing how existing roles operate.
Sales teams still need pipeline.
Marketing teams still need content.
Engineering teams still need to build software.
The difference is that employers now expect candidates to use AI tools as part of their workflow.
As Zac Colip noted during the discussion, we are currently in a transitional phase where companies are labeling roles with “AI” as they experiment with how the technology fits into teams.
But that may not last forever.
Why Many “AI Job Titles” May Disappear
Right now, AI still feels new enough that companies highlight it in job titles.
But eventually, AI will likely become a baseline expectation, not a specialty.
Think about it like cloud technology or data analytics.
At first, companies hired “cloud specialists.” Now most engineers are expected to understand cloud infrastructure.
The same shift will likely happen with AI.
Instead of hiring “AI-enabled marketers” or “AI engineers,” companies will simply expect employees to know how to work with AI tools.
The Talent Pool Is Still Small
One challenge with these emerging roles is simple: there aren’t many candidates with real experience yet.
Many of these positions didn’t exist two years ago.
In one recent search, we started looking for a candidate locally in Chicago. Eventually we expanded nationwide because the pool of people with relevant experience was extremely limited.
This is a common issue with emerging roles:
- Companies want experienced candidates
- But the roles themselves are still new
That gap will likely persist for the next few years.
Hybrid Roles Are Becoming More Common
Another noticeable shift is that roles are becoming more hybrid.
Instead of hiring for narrow responsibilities, companies are combining multiple functions into one position.
As Matt Mulcahy highlighted, one example is the rise of Forward Deployed Engineers, a model popularized by Palantir.
These engineers:
- Work directly with clients
- Gather product requirements
- Write user stories
- Build the software themselves
What used to involve several roles, including product managers, engineers, and solution architects, can now sometimes be handled by one person. AI development tools are part of what makes this possible.
AI Adoption Is Happening at Different Speeds
Not every industry is moving at the same pace.
As Ashley DuBois pointed out, some sectors, such as transportation, are applying AI to specific workflows like load booking and operational automation.
At the same time, some companies are adding “AI” to job titles even when the core responsibilities remain largely traditional.
In many cases, it is still essentially an IT manager role with AI familiarity layered in.
This reflects a broader transition period where companies want to signal modernization and candidates want to signal relevance.
Automation Is Changing Operations Roles
In logistics, AI is increasingly handling scheduling, tracking, and coordination tasks.
According to Brittany Lasky, operational roles such as logistics coordinators may experience the greatest impact from automation.
However, freight brokers who manage negotiation and strategic RFPs remain in demand.
AI can optimize processes. It does not replace relationship management or strategic negotiation.
Across industries, a pattern is emerging.
Execution becomes automated. Strategy becomes more valuable.
Finance Roles Are Becoming More Analytical
Automation is also reshaping finance and accounting roles.
As Adam Slater noted, accounts receivable jobs that once focused on high-volume manual processing are evolving into more analytical positions centered on reporting and insights.
The work is not disappearing. The expectations are increasing.
Organizations are now hiring for:
- stronger technical skills
- analytical thinking
- systems understanding
Even roles traditionally considered administrative now require deeper technical capability.
Analyst Roles Are Expanding
AI is not eliminating analyst roles. It is expanding them.
Financial analysts are also expected to understand tooling, sourcing, and data transformation.
In many cases, two or three roles are being combined into one.
This raises a long-term question.
If entry-level roles become more complex or disappear entirely, how will organizations develop senior talent in the future?
Sales Development Is Becoming More Human
The traditional model of high-volume cold calling is changing.
According to Jack Smith and Emily Canna, teams are shifting toward:
- personalized LinkedIn videos
- voice memos
- highly tailored messaging
At the same time, companies are moving away from activity-based KPIs and focusing more on outcomes such as demos set and SQLs generated.
In a market saturated with automated outreach, authentic communication has become a competitive advantage.
Several clients have said it directly. They want a human in the seat.
Go-to-Market Teams Are Rebuilding the Fundamentals
Every six to twelve months, hiring trends in go-to-market teams shift.
As Jennifer Salerno noted, companies move through cycles.
One quarter it is BDRs.
Then RevOps.
Now it is go-to-market engineers.
Many companies experimented heavily with AI to accelerate pipeline generation.
What those experiments exposed were structural gaps, particularly in outbound strategy.
AI can support execution. It does not replace a well-built top-of-funnel engine.
Inbound momentum can hide weaknesses. Outbound forces clarity.
The companies gaining traction right now are not chasing trends. They are rebuilding the fundamentals of their go-to-market strategy.
What This Means for Hiring
For employers, the takeaway is straightforward. Job descriptions and expectations need to evolve alongside technology.
Across functions, we are seeing the same shift play out. AI is not eliminating entire roles. It is changing how those roles operate and increasing the baseline skill set required to perform them well.
Hiring managers should start thinking less about traditional titles and more about capabilities. That often means prioritizing candidates who can:
- Learn and adapt to new tools quickly
- Think in terms of systems, automation, and workflows
- Combine technical and business skills within a single role
In many cases, the perfect candidate with the exact title simply does not exist yet. The strongest hires are often people who have developed adjacent skills and shown the ability to adapt as the tools evolve.
The Bigger Trend
The broader trend is that AI is accelerating a shift that was already underway.
Roles are becoming more hybrid. Expectations are increasing across nearly every function. And repetitive tasks are being automated, leaving more strategic work behind.
Sales teams still need pipeline.
Operations teams still need coordination.
Finance teams still need reporting and analysis.
Engineering teams still need to build software.
What is changing is how the work gets done and what skills are required to do it well.
Right now we are in a transitional phase where companies are still labeling roles with “AI” as they experiment with new workflows and technologies.
Over time, that label may disappear.
AI will simply become part of how work gets done.
And the roles themselves, while evolving, will look more familiar than the titles might suggest.
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