Being successful during the interview phase is necessary for any job seeker.
Chances are if you’re actively looking for a new accounting, finance or IT job opportunity, you mostly likely have your hopes set on one or two companies, and you’re probably anxiously awaiting a call to hear about an interview from at least one of them.
Whether you’re entry level, middle management or senior executive level, while you’re in that waiting pattern, take the time to fully prepare for the interview, so that you can make the most of the face-to-face time you’ll have with your potential future employer once you get that chance.
CFO.com recently wrote an article on a similar topic about what not to do during this important stage of the job-seeking process. The piece covered how important it is to present yourself in the best manner possible during a job interview.
We decided to share some of their points with you – so that you can ace the interrogation and ultimately land the job.
Be confident, not arrogant.
Of course you want to broadcast all of your accomplishments in order to prove you’re the best person for the job. However, be sure to keep your ego in check. It’s also good to show some humility. If you’re going for an executive-level role, talk about how you worked your way up through your career and mention people that helped you along the way. If you’re a lower to mid-level professional, show self confidence to prove that you’re not a pushover, but again, keep it in check.
Various people of all levels within the hiring company may be asked to interview you. So, you never want to make an interviewer feel inferior, no matter their role or yours. You don’t know who all has input into your hiring. Remember to always be kind and confident, not arrogant, so that you don’t botch a great opportunity.
Quantify your experience.
Especially for an accounting, finance or IT role where much of your day-to-day duties revolve around numbers and data, it’s important to express your job experience in terms of quantifiable attributes. Nowadays, being able to show metrics is imperative. Therefore, you must be prepared to discuss this during the interview process. If you’re hesitant to reveal confidential information from a past role or company, or even if your experience is within strategy or other high-level methodologies, you can use percentages or other reportable data to help express to the interviewer exactly what you’ve been able to accomplish in the past. This type of information can go a long way, especially if it’s a make or break part of their hiring process.
Do your homework.
No matter the profession, nor the industry, hiring companies want you to walk in knowing about them. A Forbes article mentions that one of the biggest gripes hiring managers have about interviewing job candidates is them not knowing anything about their company. In order to show that you’re serious about the role you’re interviewing for, do a little legwork and research the organization online. Make sure to know what type of services the company provides, the year of its inception, any recent news or mentions in the media and even social media topics. Doing your homework ahead of time will show that you took the time to prepare.
Embrace all of these steps, not only during the interviewing process, but throughout the rest of your career.
How else can you ace your next accounting, finance or IT interview? Comment below and let us know!