Interview steering for finance and accounting professionals
As Director of Everlasting Search at The Mason Group, I’ve a entrance row seat witnessing accounting professionals develop and thrive of their careers. This contains expertise just a few years in, or candidates with many years of expertise. Serving to finance professionals attain their optimum profession potential and connecting them with job alternatives they could not have discovered in any other case may be very rewarding!
With over a decade of expertise within the recruitment business, I’m pleased to share some ideas and methods accounting and finance professionals can use to face out in a job interview so as to showcase the most effective model of themselves beneath strain.
1) Do your Homework
To reveal your curiosity within the place and your engagement with the corporate, learn up on the corporate and perceive the tasks of the job description. Assessment the corporate’s web site and observe basic data, exercise and historical past, latest press protection, business benchmarks, information experiences … specifics you could find which can be related and will be simply woven into your interview solutions. Assessment the interviewer’s LinkedIn profile, DO NOT add them as a connection!
Put together no less than three strong questions that you would be able to ask on the finish of the interview to additional reveal your curiosity within the firm and the function you’re interviewing for. At all times ask questions, even at a second or third spherical interview. Keep away from questions for which solutions will be googled. For instance, good questions to finish the interview on the proper observe may very well be:
- What are an important abilities for somebody to excel on this function?
- What do you want most about working right here?
- What could be my first venture ought to I get the job?
2) Be Able to Reply Compensation Questions
Earlier than your job interview, have your reply for compensation expectations prepared and if requested, keep away from giving a wage vary. The interviewer will solely hear the decrease quantity. Present exact numbers as an alternative, similar to: “I might require an $80K base wage plus a ten% bonus.” Say it and pause. Let the interviewer resume the dialogue.
Final however not least, don’t ask questions on trip insurance policies, working hours, or compensation (nothing “me” targeted), however be ready to reply these questions if requested.
3) Assessment Behavioural Questions and Embody Tangible Metrics
At all times be ready for technical (accounting and finance) questions, in addition to behavioural questions. To organize for technical interview questions, intently assessment the job description and discover related examples out of your present job and/ or coaching or training.
Discover pattern behavioural questions and apply by ‘strolling by’ them. Put together just a few detailed examples forward of your job interview. You don’t wish to memorize or sound rehearsed, you do wish to have concrete solutions with element and substance. A great way to reply behavioural interview questions is the STAR methodology through which the interviewee solutions by describing (1) the particular scenario (2) the duty (3) the motion, and (4) the end result.
The aim is to readily recall to mind previous experiences, enabling you to hold out the interview in a easy and assured method. Every time you possibly can, embrace tangible metrics in your solutions (measurement of workforce, greenback values, and so on.). Strive to consider examples which can be related to the job you’re interviewing for, wherever attainable. When you haven’t performed one thing that’s being requested, tie in an instance of one thing you taught your self, or once you hit the bottom working.
Take a look at Pattern Interview Questions for a complete listing of behavioural questions that might come up throughout your job interview.
Whereas giving detailed solutions, by no means give a ten-plus minute reply to 1 query. Pause, examine in with the interviewer, ask if they want you to go on, “shall I elaborate?”. You don’t wish to lose them in a long-winded reply. Typically a primary spherical interview is as quick as half an hour. Keep in mind you possibly can solely rating 30% if you happen to solely reply three out of ten questions!
4) Say Sure to Prep Calls
At all times take a buddy, recruiter, HR skilled, or mentor up on a prep-call provide or ask somebody to rehearse with you (you may give them pattern interview questions from Google). Work out varied job interview situations and interviewer kinds.
Apply sufficient so that you just really feel assured, however watch out to not sound such as you memorized your solutions. The aim is to jog your thoughts forward of time to sound ready however not rehearsed. You by no means wish to stroll out of an interview wishing you mentioned one thing else.
5) Costume to Impress
Costume for the job you need. Be sure you look skilled, put collectively, well-rested, and keep away from carrying robust fragrance or cologne. Keep impartial and costume appropriately for the job you’re interviewing for. For instance, go for a full swimsuit to make a robust first impression when interviewing for a job at a conservative financial institution establishment.
Alternatively, select extra informal apparel when making use of to hitch a millennial-founded tech start-up. When unsure, overdress.
6) Make a Good First Impression
You by no means wish to be late for a job interview. Bearing this in thoughts, give your self loads of EXTRA time for subway delays, site visitors, accidents, building, hassle discovering parking, and/or the workplace constructing. You might go to the ground of your interview, however don’t introduce your self at reception greater than quarter-hour forward of schedule to keep away from showing disruptive or impolite (folks really feel they should meet you earlier, which may cause them to really feel rushed).
From the second you step into the elevator, bear in mind to deal with EVERYONE you meet as an vital a part of the interview course of and showcase your finest manners. At all times make eye contact with the folks you meet, be pleasant to the receptionist (don’t simply sit within the foyer and stare at your telephone!).
Eye contact reveals self-confidence and additional engages the interviewer in what you’re saying. Typically senior choice makers will ask reception what they considered a candidate.
7) Know Your Value and Play Up Your Confidence
Be assured, well mannered, engaged and nicely ready. Be taught to play up your confidence and expertise with out being cocky. Communicate to your successes and accomplishments. Promote your self.
You possibly can resolve after the job interview if you wish to transfer forward within the course of. The aim is to make the interviewer wish to rent you. Don’t act entitled, and don’t make the interviewer really feel they need to promote you on the chance (ideally this can occur naturally, particularly once you ask questions on the finish).
8) Present Your Curiosity and Match
All through the interview, present robust curiosity within the business and the corporate, in addition to your understanding of the tasks the job entails. To reveal your self as a robust match and a profitable candidate, weave in particulars about your abilities and previous work experiences that spotlight how certified you’re for this particular function.
9) Be Clear and Concise
Be as clear and concise as attainable in your solutions and keep on with the questions requested. By being temporary and to the purpose you let the interviewer information the stream of the interview. As famous above, if you happen to really feel extra may very well be mentioned on a topic, pause and ask, “shall I am going on?” and let the interviewer resolve if she or he needs to listen to extra on the matter.
Keep away from answering the primary query together with your life story. If the interview begins with “inform me about your self,” reply together with your clear and concise two-minute elevator pitch that highlights your profession’s story, and why you need this job.
10) Inquire About Subsequent Steps
Most job interviews finish with a query interval through which the roles are switched and the candidate will get to ask the questions. That is the proper time to 1) ask the questions you will have rigorously ready beforehand and 2) inquire about subsequent steps.
11) Ship a Thank-You-E-mail
At all times ship a thanks electronic mail the identical day/evening you had your job interview (until a recruiter advises you to not). Within the electronic mail, ensure to thank the interviewer for his or her time, contact on one factor you suppose they actually appreciated about your expertise and reiterate your robust curiosity within the place.
Don’t be too verbose, and don’t anticipate a reply (no reply isn’t essentially a nasty signal, bear in mind the interviewer is busy and they’re usually assembly a number of candidates). If the hiring supervisor didn’t share their contact data through the interview, ship the e-mail to your recruiter to ahead.
An interview is a job seeker’s second to shine. Being ready, assured, and calm is important in securing a constructive first impression and transferring to the following spherical. Take a look at these 8 tricks to stay calm throughout an interview for extra ideas.
Concerning the Writer
Katherine Marr (Duncan), CPA, CA is Associate of The Mason Group’s Accounting and Finance Everlasting Division in downtown Toronto. Her eager curiosity and real pleasure for the recruitment course of and providing profession steering made her transition into the recruitment business in 2006 after finishing her CPA, CA at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Passionate in all her endeavors, she has lived and labored in London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Toronto, has travelled to over 30 nations unfold throughout all continents, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp, and slept in a single day in Antarctica!
You might attain Katherine at 416-572-5261 or by emailing kmarr@masongroup.ca.