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You know the type. The person who, no matter how intimidating or impressive the job or company, walks into every financial—or really, any—job interview they have, charms the pants off the hiring committee, and three days later report that they’ve snagged the position.
If you’re like most people, job interviews are hit or miss, and securing the plum financial job doesn’t come easy—it may take years and years of experience both acquiring credentials and perfecting your job interview skills.
Now, of course, for everyone, having the right qualifications and experience is crucial to securing a financial job. But, assuming all else is equal and a base level of credentials is in place, certain people manage to knock dead each interview they have, while others fall short of this goal.
So what’s their secret? We’ve assessed the interview skills of some superstar interviewees—specifically those who are financial job candidates—and have compiled the following list of financial job interview tactics:
Research the company ad nauseam
Before going into an interview, a savvy interviewee knows to invest a substantial amount of time researching the company in question. This means doing a comprehensive read of their website as well as any publications or reports they’ve put out, looking through any publicly-shared financial information or press written about them. Further, it’s familiarizing yourself with the executive staff and their respective career trajectories (finding a common point between yourself and a prospective employer can be key to winning them over!), plus any significant changes that the company has undergone in the recent past.
This also means that, before entering the interview for a financial job, you should have a fairly clear sense of what the company culture is like: Is it extremely casual? Formal? Is there a large emphasis put on professional development? Mentorship? Team-building?
This way, when you walk into that financial job interview, you can find ways to (subtly, and when appropriate), make references to company changes or accomplishments and thereby show how well-prepared you are. You can also tailor your approach and demeanour to match what you’ve understood to be the culture of the place. If done right, this is sure to endear you to the people hiring for the financial job.
Researching the company ad nauseam is just the starting point. Check back tomorrow for more insights on how you can improve your changes of getting every financial job you interview for.
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!
