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Here’s the thing – people (and this includes your prospective employer who’s interviewing you in three days) remember the highlights of a conversation/interview. They’re also influenced by how the interview ends. In fact, here’s a fancy formula for an award winning interview: peak moments + strong ending = candidate of choice (ok, so it’s not E = mc 2, but it’s still a formula). Yes, that’s the magic mix to cross the finish line first, so what does a strong ending to a finance interview actually look like?
Do You Have Any Questions For Us?
The person interviewing you wants you to have questions. To him/her good questions show engagement and buy-in. So research the company, formulate questions that show you’re interested and listen carefully to the answers. Questions such as asking your manager what their vision is for the role, or how success in the position is measured at the 6 month or 1 year mark are good places to start. Here’s a great article that gives you a step by step guide to researching a company pre-interview.
The Closing Statement
Offering a strong closing statement helps reinforce that you’re a great candidate for the role. Make sure to do the following:
- State that you are interested in the position
- Express a genuine interest in moving forward with the company and list a specific reason or two why you feel you’re a fit – (be brief)
- Communicate confidently, but not arrogantly – pay attention to both your tone and body language
- Thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity to meet in person
- Ask if there is anything that needs to be clarified
You need to strike the right balance. Wait for your opportunity and don’t force the conversation. A sample closing statement might sound something like this, “I just wanted to thank you for a chance to meet in person. Now that we’ve discussed the role I truly feel that it’s the kind of challenge that I am looking for (explain why). I think that my leadership experience at XYZ and my proven track record with (explain) means I can offer a lot to the organization. I hope that I answered all of your questions sufficiently. Is there anything else you need from me?”
Timeline
Finally, initiate a discussion about the next steps. Ask what the timeline is for selecting a candidate, or when you can expect to hear from them? Determine who the contact person is. Once you have the information, reiterate that it was a positive experience to meet them, offer a firm handshake and a professional smile and let them know that you would be happy to answer any questions should any arise.
We know that people make decisions based on limited information, and that the information they remember tends to be the emotional peaks and endings. This means that if we want to be the one hired, we need to make sure that our accounting interview ends as well as it started.
Your Next Step
No one should walk the job search or hiring road alone. At Clarity Recruitment we help others realize their success through a process that marries proprietary technology with unwavering commitment. Contact us today to take control of your career, or to partner with us to hire well.
Clarity Recruitment, connecting exceptional people with remarkable companies.