How To Present Yourself as a Strong Candidate in the Interview Process

An article recently was published on how to scope out a company before an interview and it got us thinking.

How do you do all of your research and make sure you’re ready for an interview, before you walk in the door?

Prep
Unfortunately, we’ve seen our fair share of prospects go to an interview under prepared. We can tell you first hand that tips for interviewing never get old. Doing your homework on the company needs to happen for every, single interview stage regardless of experience, age, or how you got there.

Questions
Overall, the key is to be very prepared for each interview. Preparation leads to confidence. Confidence leads to a better chance of landing the job.

Most people in accounting and finance do pretty well, in terms of interview skills and tailored answers. However, we believe how you close an interview is just as important as your prep and your answers during your meetings.

Closing
We strongly encourage candidates to keep the following in mind when the interview is coming to a close:

1. Ask if there are any concerns the interviewer has regarding the ability to be successful in the role, in the culture, or at the company overall, both short-term and long-term. If the interviewer expresses concerns, be sure to acknowledge the concern and give appropriate examples of how you can overcome the concerns and/or how you have faced other types of similar challenges and have been successful.

2. (Re)Communicate why you think you are an ideal fit for the role and company — be very specific — demonstrate that you understand the company culture, the role, and mention points that reflect you were listening during the interview.

3. (Re)Express your interest for the job. Interviewees want to see enthusiasm and drive for wanting to work with them. Don’t brown nose, but do make sure they know why you want to work there, what you bring to the table they might be missing, and how it will be working with you on the team.

If you can think about the interview in those three stages — prep, questions, and closing — we guarantee you will be confident and present a good, qualified candidate.