It is fair to say that everyone gets somewhat
nervous when preparing for an interview. Whether you are
interviewing for the president position or a first-year staff
accountant, an interview can be stressful.
An interview is a crucial and potentially
life-changing event, yet it only lasts for two or three hours.
Given this limited amount of time, it is only natural to want
to say and do everything efficiently and effectively in order
to land a great job. The following interviewing tips may be
helpful for new accountants.
First and foremost, be confident. If you are
not sure of yourself, the company representatives you are
meeting will not be confident about your abilities. The best
way to show confidence is to be prepared for the interview.
Candidates with polished responses grab the attention of the
interviewer. Another simple way to communicate confidence is
to maintain good eye contact. Most of all, be yourself. It is
important that the company has a real sense of who you are to
determine whether you are a good fit for its culture.
Second, remember that an interview is a
two-sided information exchange. Spend time before the
interview researching the company. Be sure that you ask
questions about the company and the position that will help
you make the right career choice. Always leave the interview
with your questions answered. This critical step is often
overlooked by candidates, but failure to find out about the
firm may lead to accepting a position that is not the best
fit. As the interviewee, you are interviewing the company just
as it is interviewing you.
Third, choose a few positive attributes to
focus on before the interview. You will inevitably be asked
about your strengths. You must be prepared to respond using
concrete examples. The attributes you want to emphasize may be
leadership skills, strong interpersonal communications or
organizational skills. Regardless of which skills are your
best, emphasize a few of the strongest in many of your
responses.
Besides being prepared to discuss your
positive attributes, you will be asked about your successes to
date and how they will help you contribute to the firm. The
interviewer will often ask for specific situational examples.
If you are a recent college graduate, your responses to these
types of questions will be based on internships, group
projects or coursework. Be sure to take time before the
interview to recall several examples of group activities or
classroom projects that you may want to use in your responses.
Also remember that it is OK to take a minute
to think. Sometimes it is difficult to answer spontaneously.
Remember that silence in an interview doesn’t mean that it is
not going well. The interviewer would rather have you take the
time to formulate an informative response than to answer
quickly.
Appearance, of course, is very important. Many
companies have business casual dress codes and the traditional
business suit has become less common. However, for an
interview in the accounting field, a business suit is
essential. A suit projects success and professionalism. If you
feel it is necessary, add color as an accessory.
My last tip is very simple: smile! It is more
likely that the interviewer will feel a connection with you if
you show that you are genuinely happy to be considered for the
position. It is expected that you will be nervous, but by
smiling you can calm yourself and conceal your nerves.
I hope that these tips can assist you in
earning a position in the great field of accounting. Good
luck!
