Sharing real-life stories during an interview is a great way to demonstrate your skills and experiences and how they can be applied to the finance role you are interviewing for. It can help you stand out from other candidates and make a personal connection with the interviewer. When preparing your stories, try to focus on situations that showcase your problem-solving skills, ability to work in a team, attention to detail, and other relevant skills for the finance role. Practice telling those stories begore the interview to ensure that you can deliver them confidently and effectively. BS Accountancy; December 1997
Before going into an interview make sure that you brush up on your technical knowledge. Make sure you know the basics off the top of your head such as standard accounting rules and being able to explain core financial concepts such as the time value of money, WACC, etc. With the basics covered begin anticipating technical questions your interviewers may asked based on the role you are applying to. A great resource especially if you are looking to get into investment banking is the 400 Guide by Breaking Into Wall Street. Bachelor of Science, Business Data Analytics Investment Banking Industry Scholars Alumni Graduated December 2022
So you made it past the resume review and you securted the interview, congrats! Now is the time to start preparing for the interview. When I was making my rounds as a recent graduate looking for a job, I found that my best friend in preparing for an interview was through GlassDoor. For those who are not familiar with the platform, it is essentially a Yelp page for company workplaces. Employees can leave reviews of company culture, anonymously share their pay and compensation, and the best part for your upcoming interview is that they can also share what the hiring process looked like. What I would recommend is that you look up the company you are interviewing with, find your position, and then review what the process looked like for others (you may be able to find the types of questions they will ask). If you are unable to find your exact position with a company, you can also look at related roles with other organiztions.
Do some deep thinking about what parts of the potential role really speak to you. Once you have that, consider where you would want to go within that role and listen to what comes up for you. Frame your questions to fit your interests as this will authentically convey your excitement for the role. Relax and be yourself. Outside of technical questions, which do have a correct answer, most interviewers are only looking to see how you would fit the team/company and how your thought process works. Be easy on yourself. Most interviews will end without a job offer and as personal as this feels, it’s not; keep this in mind as you go through the process. Sometimes rejection can weigh so heavy that it will start to affect the way that you show up, which could sink an interview that you may otherwise nail.
Make sure you are familiar with the company's vision, core principles, and offerings before the interview so you can tailor your responses to the interviewer's queries. Learn how to respond to typical interview questions: Be prepared to answer inquiries like "Why do you want to work in finance?" and "What are your strengths and weaknesses" that frequently appear in finance interviews. You can use a variety of tools to get ready for finance interviews, such as books, internet communities, and mock interview services.
Know the company and know your interviewer. Take time prior to your interview to research the company, read press releases and study the "About Us'' section of their website. Similarly, review the LinkedIn page and other publicly available information on your interviewer as well as the C-Suite executives. Reviewing this material shortly before the interview will prepare for the inevitable "Why do you want to work for us?" question.