Top 10 Interview Tips
Below are our top 10 interview tips to ensure you land the job you want.
1. Check the Company Website
A few minutes extra browsing the audit company’s website can be invaluable. Their news section might have an interesting recent event that you can drop into conversation that will show you’ve done your research. Maybe it’ll give you a bit better idea what the company does, so you can think about exactly the kind of answers they will be hoping to hear from a prospective employee.
2. Google the Company
Don’t limit your research to just their website. See what the trade press has to say about them. They might have recently won an award or been in the news for less desirable reasons. The more you know about the company the better you’ll interview will go. It’ll give you an advantage over other candidates and make you stand out.
3. Write a List of Questions
Think like the interviewer, if you were recruiting for a new auditor what would you ask? It might seem simplistic but envisioning questions before you get them will help avoid being caught off guard. You don’t need a canned response to every question but you don’t want to be unable to answer any of the questions they field.
4. Double Check the Interview Location
You’d be surprised how many people get lost on the way to an interview or assume it’s taking place at one office when it might be taking place at another. Double check the correspondence you’ve had. If you’ve printed a map from the internet make sure it matches up with the one on their website.
5. Walk Around the Block
Acclimatise yourself to the surroundings of your interview. It will not only help you calm down it’ll help you decide if they offer the job would you take it. Is it the kind of place you’d like to spend your lunch hour?
6. Read the Financial Times
Pick up a copy of the Financial Times or the latest edition of the trade press, a few minutes spent reading might give you a great topical example to use in your interview. It’ll show you’re aware of the industry as a whole; this outward facing commercial understanding is a great skill to present for any audit job interview.
7. Research Your Interviewers
If you know who is going to be taking your interview, it’s worth doing a bit of background research. You might find a common interest or be able to read something they’ve written in the trade press but be careful to avoid seeming like a stalker. They have probably typed your name into a search engine to research you so it’s worth doing the same.
8. Avoid Rushing
Whether you are using public transport or driving it’s almost inevitable you’ll get held up at some point, so leave plenty of time, expect the unexpected and you’ll be there with time to spare.
9. Read Through Your CV
It will refresh your memory about your skills and achievements. It’s also likely that the interviewers will use the document as a leaping point to ask questions about you so try and pre-empt any difficult questions.
10. Have You Got the Company’s Number?
It’s only a small thing but can really be a life saver. Make sure you have a phone number to call if you get lost or are being delayed. You might think it’ll make a bad impression ringing but it’s much worse turning up late.
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Written by CareersinAudit.com