Ace Your Finance Manager Interview: 5 Essential tips for Success

2 minute read: I sit on lots of panels where we interview for finance manager roles. A job listing will normally give a brief outline on the business but it aways amazes me how candidates overlook the importance of researching the business and tailoring their resumes to the specific role. You can also check out my 41 point checklist to prepare for a first round interview

Research the business, the owners, the product, and the industry

This will enable you to hold conversations on industry trends, business models, profitability, strategy, and other commercial topics. Remember small business owners are usually very enthusiastic about their businesses and they will be looking for those traits in you. Find out as much as you can about the owners so that you will know what's important to them.

Complete a mini financial review on the company

I know it sounds obvious, but many interviewees don't ask any financial or commercial questions. You're going to be the finance manager so find out about the finances!

Research the website, media and other publicly available information on the business or its competitors. In most countries you will be able to find a redacted version of the companies accounts.

For example, if you are looking to join a company in the UK you can get free financial information about a company from the UK Companies House website and the equivalent registers for each country in the European Union are listed on the European Justice website.

(Readers! These are just examples, feel free to send me links to other countries in the comments below and I will update this section)

Find out:

• What the company legal structure?
• Who are the shareholders, related companies and related parties?
• Is the company making money?
• What are the key income and expense elements that make up their profit & loss account or income statement? Where does there revenue come from and what are the material costs?
• How healthy is the balance sheet? What are its sources of funding and when / how do they expect to get a return on their investment?
• Are there any unusual accounting policies you should refresh your knowledge on before going into the interview?

If you can't get access to the specific accounts you can get competitors or larger companies in the same industry. The key is to think through what the business may look like and then you can discuss and confirm or better understand the issues during the interview.   

Craft a cover letter explaining why you are interested in the company

A job listing will usually detail the role and its responsibilities. But don't just send in your CV. You should provide a cover letter as to why you are choosing the business.

Carefully review the role and its responsibilities and tailor your own resume into a format that easily allows the interviewer to match your current experiences with what is needed. 

Showcase how you can adapt to the job's demands

At this stage in your career, you may not have ‘on the job experience’ so show you can apply yourself to the job asks with examples from projects or other work experience.

Sharpen your interview technique

• Practice your interview skills, including body language and the way you respond to questions.
• Arrive promptly and dressed appropriately for the business culture.
• Show your enthusiasm for the job with a positive attitude.

Good luck!

And remember, if you don't land the job, always seek feedback from the interviewers on areas for improvement.