Sharran Srivatsaa, president of Acquisition.com and a former Goldman Sachs wealth manager, this fall shared a story on TikTok about how he managed to get hired at Goldman Sachs—a process that apparently required 39 one-on-one interviews, including one that lasted less than a minute but offered wisdom about what it takes to land a job at a prestigious Wall Street bank.

The entrepreneur, who has built a track record as a four-time Inc. 500 entrepreneur, recounted the unconventional interview experience that occurred during his post-MBA job search. According to Srivatsaa’s account, one particular interview involved a managing director who immediately challenged him with an unusual test.

“He shows up all frazzled. He puts, like, this big leather binder on the desk, and he says, ‘You’re a hotshot. I see hotshots come through here all the time. See if you can set me up a meeting,’” Srivatsaa said. The binder contained contact information, including names and phone numbers.

The twist came in Srivatsaa’s response. Unlike previous candidates, who apparently tried to demonstrate their sales prowess by immediately making cold calls, Srivatsaa asked a simple question that changed everything: “I’m happy to call her. Do you have a script or something? Because I just want to represent you well.” The managing director immediately packed up his belongings, shook Srivatsaa’s hand, and left after what he said amounted to around 46 seconds.

Srivatsaa, who worked in investment management at Goldman Sachs from 2007 to 2010, said he later saw his interviewer at a cocktail party and learned why their one-on-one was cut so short. “You‘re the first person that didn’t just pick up the phone and want to prove to me that they’re a hotshot,” the interviewer told him. “You asked me, ‘Hey, can you give me some guidance on what to do here?’ Because that made me believe that you’re coachable.”

To be clear, it is notoriously difficult to get a job at Goldman Sachs. The investment bank’s hiring process is widely regarded as one of the most competitive in finance, with acceptance rates that make admission to Harvard University seem accessible by comparison. Goldman Sachs says more than 360,000 applicants tried out for its 2025 internship program, but only 2,500 candidates were selected, resulting in an acceptance rate of around 0.7%. By contrast, stands at 4.2%. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said by the company.