Interviewing is the most important aspect of the job hunting process. It is also one of the hardest parts to master because it is a very subjective thing. No matter what anyone says, there is no science to recruiting- just ask NFL scouts! The fact of the matter is, you have to make your interviewer like you (or at least not DISlike you!). The good news is interviewers are generally trying to get you to like them too (or at least not DISlike them!), so that makes your job a little easier.
The next couple of weeks are on-campus interviews for you accounting undergrads, so I hope you find this blog post timely. I want to keep it short and sweet, because I know you are busy and because I’m actually between interviews at the moment.
Keep these things in mind for your next interview:
2. You need to “package” the experiences you have listed on your resume. If an interviewer asks, “So tell me about your time at XYZ?” they don’t want a laundry list of duties and tasks. Prepare ahead and “package” your experience with a pretty bow- a couple sentences about your role, but focus the most on what you learned and how you can apply that knowledge to a future role.
3. Be genuine and enthusiastic. It is important to be yourself; interviewers have seen it all, so they can spot a fake personality a mile away with their eyes closed. With that said, studies show that people favor others who are similar to them; therefore, it is also important to take your interviewer’s temperature. If they are a more laid-back person, you might consider taking your style down a notch and mirroring their energy level. The same is true if your interviewer is high energy- you want to keep your true personality but take your energy level up a notch.
4. Some companies ask behavioral questions (we never do, because you have a canned answer and I don’t want to hear it!) so be prepared. Take advantage of the fact that you already know what the questions will be and polish your answers. The idea is to appear effortless in your response- polished but not canned (even though it really is).
5. Interview your interviewer! With accounting firms, you will be doing pretty much the same work no matter where you go. You will also be spending the majority of your time with the people you work with (especially during tax season) so be sure that you are comfortable with and like the people you meet during the interview process!
GOOD LUCK!!!
