In today's fast-changing accounting and financial world, it pays
to occasionally talk to professionals who work with accounting
careers every day. None of us can predict when it will be helpful
to know a good financial search and placement professional.
DK Cole handles every professional with the utmost level of confidentiality
and respect. Your information is held in the strictest of confidence,
and your resume is never sent to employers without your consent.
The Three-part WIN is the only way we can be successful: 1. Candidate
must be happy 2. Client must be happy 3. DK Cole must be happy;
EVERYONE WINS. That's why we always keep your best interest at
heart with everything we do.
Good people are eliminated every day due to poor interview skills,
poor resumes and lack of knowledge. Take the time to review these
important tips.
INTERVIEW TIPS:
- Screening Call: This is often the first step
in obtaining an interview. This call could be made by HR or someone
besides the hiring official who has reviewed your resume, and
its purpose is to eliminate candidates. This interviewer will
be verifying facts on your resume and to uncover exaggerations
or false statements. Be sure to answer questions in a pleasant
tone, but concisely and with confidence. The most common mistake
on these calls is "giving too much information," or giving long,
involved answers to simple questions. Keep it brief and to the
point!
- Planning for the Interview: Practice answering
tough questions in a confident manner, research the organization
and review the requirements of the position as best you can,
get directions so you can be on time, and certainly be courteous
and polite to everyone from the receptionist to the president.
- Face-to-Face Interview: In most cases, you'll
be interviewing with the hiring official who understands the
technical nature of the position and is either going to be a
peer or someone to whom you will report. These individuals are
busy and often distracted, so they may forget to ask pertinent
questions related to your background. For these, you can provide
more information as it applies to the role. Ask what they believe
it will take to succeed in the position, and then point out the
important aspects of your background that match.
- Image is Everything: Did you know when
people first meet you, they develop an opinion within seconds?
If you expect to handle accounting or financial matters for an
organization, you must look the part. It is typically always
best to be over dressed (in a relatively conservative, but updated
style of attire) than under dressed. Be sure to inspect every
detail of your attire (indicating you pay attention to details),
hair and accessories. Finally, don't forget the "old fashioned" firm
hand shake with eye contact, and go easy on the perfume or cologne.
- The Dine-Out Interview: This is a common interview
technique designed to see how you conduct yourself in a social
setting. Proper etiquette is vital for this one. Be sure to order
a "medium-priced" entree off the menu as opposed to either extreme.
- Managing the Interview: If the interviewer
starts talking completely off topic, seems bored or distracted
or bounces around a lot with topics, this means you're not doing
well. Try to pull the interviewer back on track by asking them
a question such as, "What do you believe it will take for someone
to succeed, here, as the Director of Internal Audit?" Once they
answer you, talk through your accomplishments and skills that
match with their answer.
- How Did it Go? You can get a good idea of
how an interview went by looking at your watch. Yes, the amount
of time you spent with someone has a lot to do with whether you
were successful. If you did well, some type of next step should
be discussed with you before you end the interview.
If you are in accounting or finance and feel it may be time to
investigate new opportunities, call us at 630-971-2990, or Email
us at info@dkcole.com with
information on your background |
