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If the thought of going to a finance interview gives you the jitters (think five cups of coffee worth) then look no further.
This blog will give you three key tips designed to calm your nerves, stop your hands from shaking and drop your breathing down from hyper-speed.
If you want to deliver a great interview your next time out, try our suggestions below.
Create a Skills Match
Treat interviews the same way you would treat taking an exam. Be methodical, thorough and focused in your preparation. Compare your skill set to the job’s requirements. Even if you don’t have the exact experience the company is looking for, don’t panic. Instead, look at your transferrable skills. Prepare explanations about how your skills transfer to the goal and scope of the role. This will help the hiring agent or manager understand how you can ramp up quickly and start driving results.
Identify How You Add Value
Increase your confidence by preparing success stories that show how you can add value. The best approach is to explain what the task was, the actions you took to complete the task and the benefits to the company that resulted. Try to match these examples to the job’s demands and current company challenges (which you can often find out about by talking to past or current employees in your network or through on-line research). The more you know your success stories, the more relevant you will be during the interview.
Do a Test Run
Mock interviews are a great way to calm your nerves. Have a friend in your field ask you potential interview questions and constructively critique your answers. Consider filming yourself so you can see any body language cuing that needs to be addressed. Doing a test run helps make you more relaxed during the actual finance interview, which increases your chances of success.
If you want to reduce your finance interview jitters, preparation is the key. Know your success stories. Understand how your transferrable skills can add value and practice with someone willing to offer constructive feedback. Before you know it, you’ll enter the interview with confidence and be the candidate of choice.
