Every few days someone messages me asking how I broke into HubSpot. So instead of typing the same answer over and over, I decided to actually do extensive research. I talked to a handful of reps across different teams about how they got in, what tripped them up, and what actually mattered in the process. This is everything I wish someone had handed me before I started.
*Please note I am not a hiring manager and don't speak on behalf of HubSpot*
Getting noticed
I added as many people on LinkedIn as I could before I ever applied. Blank connection requests, then personalized messages to anyone who accepted.
Eventually that turned into a referral from a current employee, and that referral is what got my resume actually looked at.
That's not unique to me. Almost every rep I talked to got in through someone they already knew, an old colleague who'd made the jump first and referred them in. If you don't have that connection yet, start building them. Reach out to strangers and build that connection.
Here's a few examples of great outreach that I've received from LinkedIn DMs:
Also, don't let rejection stop you from reapplying. Two reps I talked to applied four or five times before it worked out.
One pattern I noticed talking to reps: most people apply for mid-market roles right out of the gate.
HubSpot typically wants you to start in SMB and earn your way up, even if you've got mid-market experience elsewhere. Don't take an SMB offer as a step down or a sign they don't see your experience. It's usually just how they build reps into the org.
Get certified. HubSpot has free certifications for almost everything you'll be selling, and having them on your resume shows you did the work before anyone asked you to. (I recommend Sales Hub Software if you're applying for a sales role)
Spend time in HubSpot's free CRM before you interview.
You're about to try to sell this product. You should actually know what it does.
Then go line by line through the job description and make sure your resume speaks to every single bullet point. Don't make a recruiter guess whether you're qualified.
And lead with real numbers, with context. Don't just say you finished first in your segment, say first out of how many reps. First out of 4 and first out of 400 are very different claims, and the number without context doesn't mean anything to whoever's reading it.
One thing worth saying directly: since AI tools came out, I talk to a lot of people whose resumes all look the same. Claude has a default style for its resumes it produces. Notice the difference between a more generic Claude resume vs one with more customization?
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HubSpot doesn't hire the way most companies do.
There's no single hiring manager you're interviewing for. You go through the process first, and then you get assigned to one of four hiring managers afterward. Keep that in mind, you're not just trying to impress one person, you're proving you're a fit for the org broadly.
For the AE role specifically, expect about 2 to 3 weeks total, across 4 interviews. That's the full arc, from your first conversation to an offer. Good to know going in, so you're not wondering why it's taking a few weeks or panicking that something's wrong. That's just the process.
It typically looks like this:
Recruiting screen --> Manager #1 Behavioral Interview --> Role play with Manager #2 --> Manager #3 Behavioral Interview --> Offer
Don't take the recruiter screen lightly. HubSpot's recruiters are sharp, and they're evaluating you just as closely as anyone later in the process. Come prepared like it's a real interview, because it is.
After the initial screener, your recruiter will become your best friend. Lean on them to help you prepare for the next round.
Give yourself real prep time. Most reps I talked to spent an hour or two a night prepping the following:
Write your own notes instead of just studying whatever the recruiter hands you.
Build out STAR scenarios for your best stories.
Know HubSpot's website well enough to speak to what each Hub does in two or three sentences.
Send a thank you after every single round. Not a generic one, one with a real point of view in it, something that shows you were actually listening and thinking, not just going through the motions.
And here's the one people underestimate: they're watching whether you're coachable at every single round, not just the last one.
If you get feedback in round two, show up in round three having actually adjusted. Say it directly in your follow up email. That's more convincing than anything else you can put in an email.
A few things came up over and over in every conversation I had.
Personality. Are you actually a human on the call, or are you reciting something. They want to see what kind of salesperson you are, not a script. HubSpot hires GREAT humans. Showcase your human side.
Ability to close. Are you getting next steps every time. Do you understand budget. Can you multithread. Are you asking hard BANT questions instead of soft ones.
Curiosity over pitching. Lead with questions, not features. Know your audience before you try to sell them anything.
Understanding what HubSpot actually sells and the real problems an ICP faces. Not surface level. Know the pain, lead with the value that solves it.
Dig deeper. That came up in almost every conversation. The first answer a prospect gives you is rarely the real answer. Show that you know how to get past it.
AI Use. HubSpot's hiring team actually cares a lot about how you use AI. It's not about avoiding it, it's about using it strategically to make yourself more efficient. Can you show you're working smarter, not just working more. That's a very different skill than just running your prep through a tool and calling it done.
Nobody expects you to check every box. But don't try to hide what you're missing either.
I got called out for two things in my process. My deal volume was heavy, closer to 20 or 30 deals a month at my old company, and HubSpot wanted to know I could operate in a slower cycle, closer to 10 deals a month with more strategic selling behind each one. I also hadn't demoed before.
The move isn't pretending those gaps don't exist.
It's naming them honestly, then showing exactly how you'd handle it. If you haven't demoed, don't just say "I haven't demoed."
Say how you'd actually run one if you had to, what you'd lead with, how you'd tie it back to what you heard in discovery. Show the thinking. That's what they're actually evaluating anyway.
I'm offering 1:1 coaching to help you get your foot in the door with SaaS sales. Shoot me an email at simon@simonsayssales.xyz or a message on LinkedIn to learn more:
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