We look at job descriptions to get information about the role. Our satisfaction / dissatisfaction with the process is related to how well the description aligned with our first-hand experience. The Shopify job description for the Customer Success Guru role is inviting (they encourage everybody to apply). Their application process before the test is unique (Build a store and Life Story interview). But it’s only after you take the Gauntlet test, do you get a real flavour of the role. The rounds leading to this stage are merely steps to help the recruitment team learn more about you. The Gauntlet is a 45-minute test. They say it is your chance to really see what the Guru role is all about. The test consists of: - 2 chats (happening simultaneously) - around 10 minutes - 2 phone calls - 7 minutes per call - 1 email - 15 minutes (Constructive feedback is provided at the end of the chats.) The words / phrases in the job description that made me want to apply for this role were customer success, guru, teach people about the platform, care about the details. Through this test, I realised that you need to be super quick at: - typing - picking out the keywords to google - reading / gleaning the information - understanding the content and then summarising it for the customer - engaging in more than one chat simultaneously (with full attention) The test left me dizzy. I was also disheartened that I could not help the customer in an optimal way. And, this in turn, left me with questions such as ‘what does customer success mean’ and wondering if I’d like to be called a ‘Guru’ for my speed in searching / googling and answering customer queries. I don’t know what to make of the entire application procedure. I enjoyed building the store (the Shopify platform is well-designed and simple). But also questioned myself whether the creativity I was showing would have any place in the tasks I could be performing for the role. I liked the casual approach of the Life Story interview, but wish they had allocated some time therein for me to ask and have a conversation about the role, not email my questions. I think you get to experience and understand the role a bit too late in the application process. (My Gauntlet test interviewer mentioned that the recruiter would be reaching out to me with the next steps. I got a rejection, instead. Maybe this was the 'next step' for me.)