Secrets to Getting Every Financial Job You Interview For – Part 2

[thumbnail]

In Part 1, we explored the importance of really researching the company before showing up for your interview.

Below we explore three more secrets to getting every financial job you interview for. 

Know yourself and the particular value you would add 

People who excel at job interviews—financial jobs or otherwise—typically have a strong sense of themselves and their strengths. Before a financial job interview, spend some time looking through your resume and identifying what your key skills and professional strengths are.

Assess—by reading through the job description and researching the company—what the financial job in question would truly require of you, then think about how your unique skill-set would contribute to the role and to the company overall. Once you yourself understand this, you will far more naturally and convincingly be able to express to the employer the kind of specific value you would add to the organization.

…think about how your unique skill-set would contribute to the role and to the company overall.

Come equipped with concrete examples

Strong interviewees study up before the financial job interview and arm themselves with several concrete examples of things you’ve learned or accomplished in past roles. Anticipate tough questions they may ask, such as an example of a time you overcame a challenge in a past job, and show up to the financial job interview ready with examples and anecdotes to back up the claims you make about yourself.

Ask smart, engaging questions

You’ve probably heard it a hundred times before, but the fact of the matter is, the importance of ending an interview by asking your own thoughtful, intelligent questions, cannot be overstated. Before going into the financial job interview, jot down some points you’d genuinely like clarification on about the company or role in question, then be prepared to ask them at the close of the interview. If possible, insert yourself into the question you’re asking. So, something like: “What kind of value would you like me to add with regard to tailoring financial reporting systems” will go a whole lot farther than a generic “When will I hear back about the job?”For most of us, interviewing does not come naturally, and is a skill we must learn to perfect over the years. Honing in on what the crème de la crème of job interviewees do, however, can help speed up the process, and increases your chances of being able to master these techniques yourself. And more importantly, landing the job.

Let us know what you think! At Clarity Recruitment, we’re always interested in hearing from accounting and finance professionals like yourselves, who are ready for new, exciting opportunities that can take their careers to the next level. And be sure to follow us on Twitter (@clarityrecruits) and connect with us on Facebook for more great tips and advice.