5 Things You Must Do Before a Finance Interview

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It’s interview time and you’re in the hot seat.

To keep yourself calm, cool and collected there are several things you can do to increase your chances of success.

We would argue, in fact, that there are five things that are critical to becoming the candidate of choice– and they all happen before you even walk through the door.

Research
Review all online information available about the company. This includes their website, LinkedIn profile and, if they’re a public company, their financials. Your answers during the interview will be more thorough and insightful as a result.

Current/Former Employees
Use LinkedIn to identify or connect with current employees. Look for common themes in their background. Those common themes may reveal company preferences. Consider, as well, reaching out to former employees through LinkedIn. Politely ask them if they’d be willing to discuss their views on the company’s culture.

Additionally, websites like https://www.glassdoor.ca allow employees to anonymously post about their time at a specific company – valuable information should you wish to tap into it.

Job Description
Review the job description thoroughly. Identify where your experience matches the job requirements and ensure you have success stories lined up as examples of how you can add value immediately. Build success stories around three things – what the challenge was, what action you took and the positive results that occurred.

Competitors
Research the company’s competitors. You want to understand how the company positions themselves in the marketplace.

Clients
Understand who the company’s clients are. What is the company’s approach to the market? Are they selling to other businesses, or directly to consumers? The more you understand the company’s target market, the more insightful your comments during the interview will be.

If you want to be the candidate who wins the day, research the company, understand both its clients and competitors and take the time to connect with past or current employees if possible. You’ll need to deliver in the interview itself, but it is your preparation that will increase your chances of success.