Business Development Representative

01.1Resume

CoreBeginner3–5 h

A one-page resume you can defend line by line.

What this covers

• One-page format — Reverse-chronological, clean fonts, no photos or tables that confuse parsers.
• Project bullets — Action + what you built + a number (users, speed, accuracy).
• Skills section — Only skills you can answer questions on for two minutes.
• ATS readability — Export a text-based PDF and check it with a parser.
• Working links — GitHub, LinkedIn and a live project link that open.
• Tailoring — Reorder bullets to match the job description.

What to practise

• Run your PDF through a parser test
• Rewrite each bullet as action + result
• Remove any skill you can't explain for 2 minutes

Common questions

• Walk me through your resume.
• Which project here are you most proud of, and why?
• Why is this skill on your resume?

Free resources

• OpenResume — Free ATS-friendly resume builder and parser test (Free)
• Jake's Resume (Overleaf) — The LaTeX resume template most SDE freshers use (Free)
• Resume Worded — Resume and LinkedIn scoring (Free plan)
• Jobscan — Match your resume against a job description (Free plan)

Free courses

• Professional Resume Writing — Alison (Free course)
• Resume, Networking, and Interview Skills — Fullbridge (Free to audit)

01.2Tell me about yourself

CoreBeginner1–2 h

A 60–90 second answer: present, past, why this role.

What this covers

• Present — Who you are now: degree, year, focus.
• Past — One or two proof points: a project, internship or result.
• Future — Why this role and this company next.
• Length — 60–90 seconds; stop before you list everything.
• Delivery — Calm pace and eye contact, not a memorised script.

What to practise

• Write it, then say it out loud 5 times
• Record yourself and cut anything over 90 seconds

Common questions

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why should we hire you?
• Where do you see yourself in a few years?

Free resources

• Google Interview Warmup — Free spoken mock interview that prints your transcript (Free)
• BBC Learning English — Structured free English lessons and podcasts (Free)

Free courses

• English@Work: Basic Job Interview Skills — The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Free to audit)
• Job Interview Preparation For Tech Professionals — University of Cape Town (Free to audit)

02.1Sales fundamentals

CoreBeginner6–10 h

How deals are found, qualified and closed.

What this covers

• Sales process — Prospecting to closing.
• Prospecting — Cold calls, emails, LinkedIn.
• Qualification — BANT and similar frameworks.
• Discovery — Questions that uncover needs.
• Closing — Next steps and commitments.

What to practise

• Write a cold email and a call opener
• Practise five discovery questions

Common questions

• Sell me this pen.
• How do you qualify a lead?
• How do you handle rejection?

Free resources

• HubSpot Academy — Marketing, sales and content certifications (Free)
• Salesforce Trailhead — Free CRM, sales and service learning (Free)

Free courses

• Effective Sales Skills — Alison (Free course)
• Introduction to Sales Management — Alison (Free course)
• Introduction to Telemarketing and Sales Training — Alison (Free course)

02.2Sales role-play & objections

CoreIntermediate4–6 h

The mock call most sales interviews include.

What this covers

• Opening — Earn the next two minutes.
• Discovery — Listen more than you talk.
• Pitch — Benefits tied to their needs.
• Objections — Price, timing, "we already have one".
• Close — Ask for a clear next step.

What to practise

• Do five role-plays with a friend
• Write answers to the ten most common objections

Common questions

• It is too expensive. What do you say?
• Pitch our product to me in two minutes.

Free resources

• HubSpot Academy — Marketing, sales and content certifications (Free)
• Salesforce Trailhead — Free CRM, sales and service learning (Free)

Free courses

• Negotiation Skills in Sales — Great Learning (Free course)
• Mastering Goals and Rapport in High-Stakes Sales Negotiations — Alison (Free course)
• Sales and Negotiations Skills — Alison (Free course)

02.3CRM & sales operations

CoreIntermediate4–8 h

Pipelines, forecasting and the CRM data sales teams run on.

What this covers

• CRM basics — Leads, contacts, opportunities, stages.
• Pipeline metrics — Conversion, velocity, win rate.
• Forecasting — Weighted pipeline and accuracy.
• Territories & quotas — How targets are set.
• Reporting — Dashboards for sales leaders.

What to practise

• Complete a beginner CRM trail
• Build a pipeline dashboard in a spreadsheet

Common questions

• How would you improve forecast accuracy?
• What is pipeline coverage?

Free resources

• Salesforce Trailhead — Free CRM, sales and service learning (Free)
• HubSpot Academy — Marketing, sales and content certifications (Free)
• Excel Easy — Free Excel tutorial from basics to pivot tables (Free)

Free courses

• Salesforce Trailhead — Salesforce (Free course)
• Salesforce Essentials — Great Learning (Free course)

03.1Copywriting

CoreIntermediate4–8 h

Clear, persuasive words for ads, pages and emails.

What this covers

• Clarity first — Simple words, one idea per line.
• Headlines — Benefits and curiosity.
• Calls to action — Specific and easy.
• Tone of voice — Matching the brand.
• Editing — Cutting without losing meaning.

What to practise

• Rewrite five ads you see this week
• Write three versions of one headline

Common questions

• Write a headline for a budget phone.
• Edit this paragraph to half its length.

Free resources

• Hemingway Editor — Highlights hard-to-read sentences (Free plan)
• HubSpot Academy — Marketing, sales and content certifications (Free)
• Purdue OWL — Free guides to research and writing (Free)

Free courses

• Advanced Copywriting Skills and Techniques — Alison (Free course)
• Copywriting Mastery: Key Concepts for Effective Communication — Alison (Free course)
• Essential Tips for Copywriting — Alison (Free course)

03.2Spoken communication

CoreBeginner4–8 h

Clear, structured answers in simple English, at a calm pace.

What this covers

• Structure first — Answer in one line, then give reasons or an example.
• Simple English — Short sentences beat fancy words.
• Pace and pauses — Slow down; a pause is better than a filler.
• Listening — Answer the question that was asked, then stop.
• Online calls — Camera at eye level, look at the lens, check your mic.

What to practise

• Record a 2-minute answer daily and note fillers
• Read aloud for 10 minutes a day
• Join one English conversation practice a week

Common questions

• Tell me something interesting you learned recently.
• Explain your final-year project to someone from another field.

Free resources

• BBC Learning English — Structured free English lessons and podcasts (Free)
• Google Interview Warmup — Free spoken mock interview that prints your transcript (Free)
• LanguageTool — Grammar checking that isn't Grammarly (Free plan)

Free courses

• Smart English for Professionals — Great Learning (Free course)
• Spoken English — Great Learning (Free course)
• Speaking And Writing English Effectively — Alison (Free course)

04.1Mock interviews

CoreBeginner3–5 h

At least two full practice interviews before the real one.

What this covers

• Realistic setting — Same format, time limit and dress as the real round.
• Common questions first — Introduction, motivation, experience, weaknesses.
• Feedback — Ask what was unclear or too long.
• Recording — Watch yourself once; fix fillers and pace.
• Role questions — Add 3–5 questions specific to your field.

What to practise

• Do two mock interviews with a friend or senior
• Use a spoken practice tool and read the transcript

Common questions

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why this role?

Free resources

• Google Interview Warmup — Free spoken mock interview that prints your transcript (Free)
• Pramp / Exponent peer mocks — Free peer-to-peer mock interviews (Free plan)
• Tech Interview Handbook — Free guide to coding and behavioral interviews (Free)

Free courses

• Software Engineering Job Interview – Full Mock Interview — freeCodeCamp (Free video)

05.1Behavioral & STAR

CoreBeginner3–4 h

Stories about teamwork, conflict and failure, told with STAR.

What this covers

• STAR structure — Situation, task, action, result. Spend most of the time on action.
• Story bank — 6–8 real stories you can reuse across questions.
• Teamwork & conflict — Disagreeing respectfully and what you changed.
• Failure & weakness — A real one, what you learned, what you do now.
• Ownership — Times you took initiative without being asked.
• Common HR questions — Why us, why you, strengths, relocation.

What to practise

• Write 6 stories in STAR form
• Map each story to 2–3 common questions
• Practise one story with a friend

Common questions

• Tell me about a time you failed.
• Describe a conflict in a team and what you did.
• What is your biggest weakness?

Free resources

• Tech Interview Handbook — Free guide to coding and behavioral interviews (Free)
• Google Interview Warmup — Free spoken mock interview that prints your transcript (Free)
• Pramp / Exponent peer mocks — Free peer-to-peer mock interviews (Free plan)

Free courses

• Master Behavioral Interviews (for Software Engineers) — freeCodeCamp (Free video)
• Behavioral Interview Practice for Computer Science Students — CodeSignal (Free to audit)
• Soft Skills For Tech Professionals — University of Cape Town (Free to audit)

05.2Strengths & weaknesses

CoreBeginner1–2 h

Honest strengths with proof, and a real weakness you are working on.

What this covers

• Strengths with proof — Pick 2–3 and back each with one short example.
• A real weakness — Not a disguised strength; something you are actively improving.
• What you are doing about it — The habit, course or system that shows progress.
• Fit to the role — Strengths that matter for this job, not any job.

What to practise

• Write three strengths with one example each
• Practise the weakness answer until it sounds calm, not rehearsed

Common questions

• What are your greatest strengths?
• What is your biggest weakness?
• How would your friends or teammates describe you?

Free resources

• Google Interview Warmup — Free spoken mock interview that prints your transcript (Free)
• Indeed career guide: interviewing — Articles on common interview questions and answers (Free)
• Tech Interview Handbook — Free guide to coding and behavioral interviews (Free)

Free courses

• Software Engineering Job Interview – Full Mock Interview — freeCodeCamp (Free video)
• A Complete Job Interview Skills Guide — Alison (Free course)
• English@Work: Advanced Job Interview Skills — The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Free to audit)

05.3Common HR questions

CoreBeginner2–3 h

The questions almost every HR round asks, answered honestly and briefly.

What this covers

• Why this company — Specific reasons from your research, not praise.
• Why should we hire you — Match two needs of the role to your proof.
• Gaps and changes — Explain gaps, backlogs or a branch change without excuses.
• Relocation, shifts, bonds — Know your real answer before the interview.
• Career goals — A realistic next step, connected to this role.
• Notice period and joining — Facts you should have ready.

What to practise

• Write short answers to ten common HR questions
• Say them aloud to a friend and cut anything over a minute

Common questions

• Why do you want to join us?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• Are you open to relocation?
• Why did you choose your branch or degree?

Free resources

• Indeed career guide: interviewing — Articles on common interview questions and answers (Free)
• Google Interview Warmup — Free spoken mock interview that prints your transcript (Free)
• AmbitionBox interviews — Interview experiences and company reviews from Indian candidates (Free)

Free courses

• Software Engineering Job Interview – Full Mock Interview — freeCodeCamp (Free video)
• A Complete Job Interview Skills Guide — Alison (Free course)
• Interview Preparation Skills for Accountants — Alison (Free course)

06.1Company research

CoreBeginner1–2 h

The product, the role, the job description and recent news.

What this covers

• The business — What it sells and to whom.
• The role — What the job description really asks for.
• Recent news — Launches, results, announcements.
• Interview format — The rounds, if the company shares them.
• Your fit — Three reasons, matched to the job description.

What to practise

• Write 3 reasons you want this role
• Match 3 JD lines to your experience

Common questions

• Why do you want to work here?
• What do you know about our product?

Free resources

• GeeksforGeeks — Company-wise questions and theory (Free plan)
• Tech Interview Handbook — Free guide to coding and behavioral interviews (Free)

06.4Final checklist

CoreBeginner30 min

Logistics, documents, setup and a calm night before.

What this covers

• Logistics — Time, timezone, link or address.
• Documents — Resume copies, ID, certificates if asked.
• Tech check — Camera, mic, internet, charger.
• Night before — Sleep, light revision, no new topics.

What to practise

• Do a 5-minute tech check the day before
• Lay out documents and clothes the night before

Free resources

• Google Interview Warmup — Free spoken mock interview that prints your transcript (Free)