Lateness is the obvious cardinal sin of sabotaging your interview success, but once you’re in the door – and on time – it’s soft skills that trip job hunters up.
Realistically, hiring managers know from your CV if you have skills to do the job, so the interview is often more of a vibe check.
From it, they’ll determine your working style, your attitude, your confidence, your ambition and your general demeanor. Your potential manager will know if they want to work with you every day.
While progressive hiring managers now look beyond 'cultural fit', which has been shown to limit DE&I efforts, there are plenty of things that won’t be overlooked at interview stage. Here’s how to prepare for your next one.
1. Stop avoiding the difficult questions
We all have questions we dread coming up in an interview, and yet they crop up again and again, whether we are prepared or not. 'What’s your greatest weakness?' and 'What’s your salary expectation?' are just two examples of tricky-to-answer questions that
are worth facing head-on in the run up to your interview.
Gone are the days when you could blurt out the old 'being a perfectionist' as a weakness line. Preparing a truthful, but progressive, answer is a must.
For example, 'I do have a knowledge gap in AI and ML, which is changing so quickly, but I’m working on it by doing a course in X and keeping abreast of developments by subscribing to Y.' Show initiative.
And when it comes to salary expectations, negotiation experts will advise not to name a number first, so you should be willing to open the conversation up, stating expected compensation would depend on responsibilities, targets and benefits.
Then sit with the silence. Afterall, they created the role so they must have a number in mind.
2. Know your failures
It’s likely that your CV lists off your successes and awards, and you’re probably well-versed in championing them, but what about weaknesses and failures?
We’ve all made mistakes in work, but what’s key here is to show how you learned from those times. Show how you recognised the error, and how you made amends, ideally illustrating how it changed you and your company’s processes for the better.
3. Take ownership of your mistakes
Once you’ve successfully and diplomatically discussed your failures and mistakes, round this off by taking ownership of them.
If you didn’t meet the sales target, you didn’t meet the sales target. The product being priced too high is a conversation for another day.
Or if your report was incorrect as a colleague submitted incorrect figures, that’s on you for not double checking. Be a team player and don’t blame others.
4. Stay positive about former employers
Look, if you loved your former employers, you’d probably still work there. Prepare a positive quitting story that doesn’t sound hackneyed.
Step up from the generic 'seeking a new challenge' spiel, and elaborate more about exploring a new skill set or being interested in a new industry or direction, or perhaps your current company’s values don’t really align with your own.
Whatever you do, don’t discuss being treated unfairly, and definitely don’t name names.
5. Keep up to date on the company
Know the company’s USP and competitors, and take time to understand its product offering and company values. It’s all there online and you will be asked why this role/company appeals to you.
Also, the night before your interview, and the morning of, check Google News and the company’s website for any topical changes that might be discussed. Often a company is hiring after a successful fundraising round, so you’ll need to be versed in this.
Looking to flex your interviewing skills by searching for a new role? Visit the
Finextra Job Board today to see what’s on offer, like these three.
Staff Product Security Engineer, Ripple Labs Inc., London
Creating crypto solutions for financial institutions, businesses, governments and developers, Ripple is now hiring a
Staff Product Security Engineer to help build an extraordinary Information Security programme. The successful candidate will be a technical InfoSec leader, ensuring the security of the company’s product line, and will mentor other engineers. Ideally, applicants
will have 8 years hands-on experience in product or applications security, experience with threat modeling and other risk identification techniques, and profound knowledge of architecture and secure design principles. Experience with Cloud technology, particularly
AWS, and C++ and Java are all pluses.
Apply here.
UK Crypto MLRO Manager, PayPal, London
PayPal has created a role focused on anti-money laundering (AML) and enforcing compliance in its crypto business. The
UK Crypto MLRO Manager will be accountable for ensuring all activity is above board, and that any non-compliance is addressed or escalated to the Audit, Risk, Compliance & Conduct Committee (ARCC) and the PayPal board, where required. The successful candidate
will develop, implement and manage ML and TF financing policy and procedures, including monitoring and oversight programmes in line with ever-evolving regulatory obligations. A track record operating at a senior level with a regulated financial services business
is required, knowledge of the UK regulatory environment, and excellent knowledge of UK Financial Crime, obligations and methodology are all required.
Find out more in its very detailed job spec.
Solution Engineer - Salesforce Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce, London
Salesforce is seeking a
Solution Engineer with experience in the fintech vertical, and with knowledge of how they bring products to market. Working in close collaboration with sales teams, partners, product and industry specialists, the successful candidate will plan and deliver
sales campaigns, lead client discovery and workshop sessions, and present and demonstrate technical solutions. Ideally, you’ll have excellent presentation skills, a keen attention to detail, knowledge of tech architecture and CRM, and experience with influencing
business and IT decision makers.
See more about this role here.
Want a new job in 2024? Check out the Finextra Job Board today