ifg blog

Interviewing 101, Back to Basics

Congratulations! You got the call you’d been hoping for: The company you’ve had your eye on, with the dream job you’re very excited about, wants to bring you in for an interview. That’s halfway to having a new job.

Prepare for the interview

• Do your research. Know some of the basics of the company’s history, its primary focus and most prominent clients, understand their role in the market and their place in the local world of their work. Are they the biggest broker in town and a growing player on a larger scale? Have that fact at the ready and use it to compliment your interviewer. Understand, as much as possible, the company’s value and reputation and use that to express why you want to work there. Read the website and learn all you can to show you’re prepared and that the job matters to you.   

• Research the role and be prepared to explain what you’d add to it. Have a few questions ready about the position and be prepared to follow-up with examples of how your experience can not only meet those expectations but build on them to create new levels of success for the company. If your current job is similar in scope, be ready to talk about what you’ve learned, how you’ve applied that new information, and how you’ve expanded your skills to make yourself prepared for a new, bigger challenge with this company. Study your resume and be ready to explain how your work history makes you exactly qualified for the job.   

• Be ready to offer examples. Jobs in the financial field are tied to growth and success. Have a few situations in mind and tell, with as much concise detail as possible, how you’ve helped increase revenues, expand market share, bring on new clients, etc. Use numbers when possible to show how much of a difference you’ve made. Use what you’ve done for previous employers as an appetizer to suggest what you’d be able to do for this new company.   

• Prepare for the most common interview questions.  This includes “why do you want to work here,” “where do you see yourself in five to ten years” and “what are your biggest strengths and weaknesses.” It’s impossible to know exactly every question that you’ll be asked — and some companies will throw out some off-beat questions to see how you respond to the unexpected — but questions like those are standard. The person or people interviewing you want to know who you are and what kind of worker you’ll be and are looking for more details than they can glean from your resume. These are good questions to be able to answer in general and can help you better understand why you want this particular job as well. If possible, have someone help you out by conducting a test interview so you can rehearse the answers and, when the time comes, you’ll know exactly what to say.  

• Make sure your interview outfit is ready. If you’re confident that you look your best, that can help calm nerves off the bat. It’s a little thing, but it’s all part of that first impression when you walk in and say hello. Wrinkles aren’t a deal breaker, but it speaks to appearances, and how much you care about how presentable you are, how you value the company’s time, and how much attention you pay to details. Iron anything that might be wrinkled, clean your shoes, trim your nails, anything that can help you look as prepared as you feel.   

The day of your interview 

Get plenty of sleep the night before the interview and take a deep breath before going in. They’re already interested in you; with a little bit of preparation, you’ll seal the deal and have the chance to start a whole new chapter in your career.

Meet with an IFG business partner 

When you’re looking for a new opportunity, be sure to check IFG Global’s job database. We work with some of the top financial and accounting firms and have access to their job postings, one of which might be exactly what you’re looking for. Contact IFG Global today and let’s get started. Good luck!