Preparing For Financial Services Interviews
Preparing for any job interview can always be nerve-wracking and challenging, but if you revise sample questions and find out the sort of things you are likely to be asked on the day, you stand a much better chance of impressing your new employer.
If you are taking your first steps into the world of financial services – whether as an accountant, finance manager or banker – you can naturally expect the interview to be tailored towards your suitability for the financial sector. This could mean anything from describing your own relevant experiences in previous jobs or positions to being presented with mathematical problems that test your numeracy skills.
Your interview is the time to sell yourself, so prepare to answer questions related to your relevant training, study plans and qualifications, as well as any knowledge you already have of the financial services industry that could prove handy in your new role. Your interviewer will also want to know about your core competencies, which could include strong analytical and numerical skills or the ability to communicate well.
Last but not least, your personality is another major contributing factor to your success, especially if you’re applying for banking jobs that involve strong internal communication skills. Your employer needs to feel that you are sufficiently motivated and able to handle a pressurised environment.
There are more ways you can prepare for your interview than just thinking about what questions might come up. Your actions the night before can contribute significantly to your performance on the big day, and that includes making sure you go to bed at a reasonable time to feel well-rested and alert in the morning.
You can also save time and anxiety on the day by preparing the clothes you want to wear the previous day, and eating a nutritious breakfast will help you avoid embarrassing problems such as your stomach rumbling during quieter moments of the interview. Make sure you know exactly where the interview is taking place too, even if that means printing off a map and visiting the area beforehand.
Thinking about what to take into the interview room with you contributes to how well you present yourself. Cleaning out your briefcase is a vital first step, making sure you don’t have any irrelevant papers cluttering it up, and you will want to bring two copies of important documents such as your CV, written references and work samples. Because interviewers often work in pairs, this will allow them both to look over your work together.