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If you are applying for Insolvency jobs, Audit Jobs or Tax Jobs then it is almost time for your interviews, but what are your ultimate objectives from the interviews?

Within this post, we will talk about our experience of working with candidates before interviews and how important it is to define your goals and objectives when meeting with a potential employer.

Moving jobs can be a stressful time for most people as they are heading into the unknown. You will be stepping away from your comfort zone of walking into your current office where you are respected by colleagues (hopefully) and you know your job and what is expected of you. Suddenly you are putting your name out there and are now in a position where you will need to sell your skills, experience and personality to someone you have never met. Often this uncomfortable feeling will lead to nerves and it can often change the mindset of how someone approaches their search and how well they perform at an interview.

When speaking with candidates in preparation for interviews, we often find that 2 out of 3 candidates are unable to define their key objectives. Most people are good at explaining what they need to get across in the meeting and what they want to learn about the company but they are unable to clearly define what they want this to lead to.

The main answers we receive when asking ‘What do you feel are the 2 key objectives for you when attending an interview?” are as follows:

Category 1

• To sell my skills & experience
• To show them I am the right person for the role
• To get my personality across
• To demonstrate to them that I work well in a team and with clients
• To get on well with the interviewer

Category 2

• To find out more about the role and the client base.
• To see if I would be more suited to working in a smaller/larger work environment/firm
• To make sure the location of the office or clients work for me
• To see if they are a better firm to work for than my firm
• To see if the opportunity is better than another one I have been offered – It will give me a good comparison
• I have heard mixed reviews about the firm from people that have previously worked there but I would like to decide for myself

There are many more (some too ridiculous to mention), but the above are the main ones. As you will see, the responses have been split into 2 categories; the first is about impressing the interviewer and the second set are aligned to finding out more information on the company.

We often hear: “The interview is a two-way process. The company need to sell themselves to me so that I want to work for them”

It’s hard to disagree with this and we always speak with our clients before an interview and recommend that they do sell the opportunity as we are working in what many would class as a ‘candidate-led market’ where there are often more opportunities being advertised than readily available candidates that are looking to make a move. In this case, candidates have more than one option to consider so clients should be selling the opportunity, whilst also trying to gain an understanding of the person’s skills and experience and suitability for the role.

From a candidate perspective, the client selling the role to you is important and it’s great for you to feel the love but it is also a Two-way process for the client so it is more important that you identify and align your objectives in the correct order to ensure you get the best out of the interview.

Main Objectives:

Objective Number 1 – GET THE JOB!

Objective Number 2 – Decide if you want it! – Gather enough information about the opportunity to decide if it is for you.

Obvious, right? In plain sight, it is but it’s very rare that people come to this conclusion straight away and will often order them in the wrong way. We sometimes hear, “what’s the point in being offered a role I don’t particularly want”  This is a fair point but unfortunately, it is very difficult to come to this decision until you have met with the firm and it can, unfortunately, lead to an unsuccessful and disappointing outcome.

Prioritising them in the right order will hopefully leave you in a position of control. If you lose this control, then ultimately you could lose it as an option. It is much better to be in control and have more than one offer of employment on the table. Once a firm has made the decision that you will add value to their business and they want to employ you, we now have more leverage to go back and ask further questions to assist you in determining, is this role right for me!

Candidates should also consider how much time they spend in an interview asking questions. This could be your only chance to sell yourself to the firm and they may have other candidates under consideration. There is nothing worse than not being offered a role purely because you were unable to tell them about something they needed to know to make a positive decision. Asking good quality questions about the role, the firm and the overall opportunity is a key part of the interview but most of your time should focus on providing reasons as to why you are the best candidate for the position, rather than, are you the best company for me. You will have the option to ask any further questions at the end of the meeting and again, greater leverage to ask further questions once an employer has offered you a position and want you to join the team.

Preconceived ideas and order of preference

It is also very natural for people to have preconceived ideas about firms and often candidates will start to rank opportunities in order of preference before they have even met with a firm. Reasons behind this can be any of the following:

• Size of the firm and where they rank compared to others in the Top 100
• Location of the business
• The number of offices they have
• Opportunity to work overseas -Do they have an international presence
• Company brand and how they represent themselves online
• Other people opinions of the firm and what they have heard
• The job specification
• What other service lines do they have
• The interview process – Do they have testing and how many interviews will there be

It is very difficult to move away from preconceived ideas and preferences as we are all human and whilst they can sometimes be positive, the problem of holding preconceived notions as being true is that they can also lead us to very negative and critical beliefs that can also affect behaviours and how well you perform in an interview.

This is something that we discuss with every candidate we work with and it’s amazing how many times people will change their mind about a firm and where it sits in their order of preference once they have met with them.

Put yourself in the position of this happening to you. You have met with a firm that has shown interest in you joining and you have now decided that you really want to work for them, this is the job you have been dreaming about – If you knew this before the interview, what order would your objectives have been in? Are you now worried that you won’t be offered the job? Have you done enough to be offered the job?

By clearly defining your objectives and putting them in the right order, you should have prepared extremely well for this interview and done everything you can to achieve an offer. If an offer comes then you have hopefully reached both of your objectives successfully – WELL DONE TO YOU. If an offer doesn’t come, you have only successfully met one objective of deciding that the firm is right for you but unfortunately, you have not done enough to be offered the dream role and Objective Number 2 now becomes irrelevant!

It is so important that you do your best to remain in control so again your focus and Number 1 objective of going to an interview should always be:

GET THE JOB and then decide afterwards if you want it!

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We have a number of blogs posts that may help with your interview preparation;

• Nervous About an Interview?  8 Ways to Stay Calm
• Body Language in Video Interviews
• Guide to Acing the Interview Dress Code
• Asking the ‘Reservation Question’ in Interviews
• Winning the Video Interview Guide
• Competency-Based Interview Questions and how to ace them
• 10 Interview Mistakes That Could Cost You The Job
• The ‘Weakness’ Question

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My views are based on my 17 years+ of recruiting for Insolvency and Accountancy Practice professionals.

For advice about your career options, Insolvency Jobs, Audit Jobs or Tax Jobs, speak to Scott Lowes at Levitate Recruitment, specialists in placing insolvency professionals and practice-trained accountants across the UK, and find the right role to suit your ambitions.

As a specialist Insolvency & Accountancy Practice recruiter, it is our job to consult candidates throughout their careers and during their insolvency, audit or tax job searching process which can be for many, a stressful time. There is a lot to consider in the early stages of a search to ensure we can identify together what is the best next step but further down the line and one of the key parts, is of course the interview stage as it is the first and potentially only opportunity for a candidate to sell themselves to the potential employer.

The general objective when interviewing someone for a specific role is to identify if that person has the right skills, experience, personality and attitude for the role they are applying for. Different firms and interviewers have different approaches of how best to discover if someone is the right candidate. Some will ask a few questions that are relevant to what they are looking for but without any specific aim in mind other than getting an overall impression of you as an individual. Most of these questions are generally quite ‘open questions’ and often will not test any specific skill or competency leaving the decision to determine if someone is right to be quite subjective.

Within this article, we are going to concentrate on what competency-based questions are, why they are used and how best to answer them during an interview. For some of the people reading this, it may not be anything new, but having prepared over 500 accountancy professionals throughout my career for interviews, we are confident that there will be many who have never faced a competency-based question and some who haven’t even heard of them or have no understanding what they are.

What is a Competency-Based Interview Question?

Competency-based interviews (also known as structured or behavioural-based questions) are a series of questions relating to an individual’s behaviour in specific circumstances. The interviewer will generally decide what they feel are the most important competencies required within the role and they will expect specific examples of how you have managed and dealt with situations you have faced previously either inside or outside of the workplace.

It use to be the case that competency-based questions were generally only utilised by HR recruiters in the larger Big 4 and Top 10 firms. This was mainly because their recruitment processes were more refined due to the number of staff they employ each year and to ensure they are identifying the best professionals in the market.   As time has progressed and Mid-Tier and smaller firms have developed their processes, we have noticed that they are becoming increasingly popular and something that candidates should be aware of when preparing for an interview

Whilst competency-based questions can be challenging and put you on the back foot if you haven’t prepared for them, they should be seen as a great opportunity for professionals to demonstrate their skills and accomplishments and ultimately, a great chance to show potential employees why you are the right person for the role.

Preparation

The majority of interviewers will ask you to provide specific examples of previous work or situations you have faced whilst others may throw specific scenarios at you and then expect you to follow up with previous examples or if you have none to offer, how would you approach the situation to reach your objective.

Prior to the interview, it is important for candidates to think about what competencies are important for the role they have applied for. These competencies can often be uncovered within a job specification in the key skills section but it is also important for you to think about what other skills they may wish to uncover and what skills you are keen to get across during the interview.

Typical Competencies

It can be difficult to prepare for every question that an interviewer may ask as each person will have their own style and technique. The same goes for guaranteeing the competencies they will explore but we have set out below some of the key ones to consider:

Accountability – They will be looking for evidence that you are self-motivated and take responsibility for the decisions you make and the tasks you need to manage. Typically, they will ask you to tell them about a recent time when you took personal responsibility for delivering a project or assignment.

Business focus – The challenge here is to demonstrate your ability to identify business opportunities and successfully manage commercial risks. They will usually ask you about some of your recent client work and look for evidence of how you have helped grow the relationship and identify new business opportunities.

Building relationships – Much of your work will be in teams, so they will be looking for evidence of how well you work with others. They will ask you about times you may have helped a colleague or recognised the need to change your style to get the best out of others.

Making an impact – Clients expect you to be a confident professional who is capable of making an impact and building strong business relationships. They will therefore be judging how strong an impact you make on them during the interview, and are likely to talk to you about times when you had to persuade a client to follow your advice or successfully negotiate a difficult issue.

Developing people – It is important as you progress your career as an accountant that you can support the development of colleagues. Sharing knowledge, giving constructive feedback and coaching or mentoring others are important people management skills. The questions here will focus on times when you might have supported the development of others or coached a colleague through a difficult problem.

Delivering quality service – It’s essential that you can deliver a high quality of service to clients (both internal and external). They might well ask you to describe a time where you have had to manage multiple tasks and they will need you to tell them about your ability to prioritise and delegate to make sure you deliver the service clients expect.

Problem-solving – They will question you about how you approach a problem and look for evidence of your ability to analyse complex data and reach an appropriate solution.

Professionalism – It goes without saying that acting with integrity and being professional at all times are business-critical requirements. The questions might ask you about a time when you received great client feedback for the quality of work you delivered.

Drive and Resilience – We’ve all faced times when we’ve had to overcome challenges or setbacks to achieve a goal. They will ask you about times when you’ve needed to overcome obstacles or worked under pressure with enthusiasm and a positive attitude.

Feedback and Learning – Most businesses encourage everyone to continuously learn from their experiences and seek out their own development opportunities. The questions here will focus on both your own recent learning experiences and how you’ve encouraged others to learn and develop.

Interpersonal Skills – Having the ability to build rapport and relationships with colleagues and clients is a key part of most roles within accountancy. The questions will focus on how you have managed to do this across different levels and they may also focus on when you have struggled to do this and how you have overcome the issue.

Organisation – It is key for you to be organised as an accountant, especially one that works within practice where you are managing a range of different clients and working on multiple projects at any one time. These questions will not just focus on how you manage your own workload but also potential projects and how you may have acquired people and other resources to accomplish a goal.

How to answer a competency-based Interview Question

If you were to type ‘How to answer competency-based questions’ online then you will find 1000s of results from HR and recruitment professionals. Whilst, not every opinion is the same, you will find the majority will advise you to use the ‘STAR’ approach.

S.T.A.R stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result.

• The ‘Situation and Task’ form the introduction: Here you will describe the situation and the task you were faced with, when did this happen, where were you at the time and who else was involved in the plan?
• Action: How did you achieve what you needed to? What action did YOU take? Sometimes people focus on what the group did and this makes it difficult for the interviewer to extrapolate your involvement. Make sure you refer to your contribution with statements such as ‘I did this’
• Result: What results did you achieve? What was the benefit of your involvement? What did you learn from the experience, what may you do differently next time?

By using this structure, you will be able to provide a comprehensive answer and demonstrate to the interview that you can take a considered approach to situations before finding a solution or reaching your objective.

Practice and rehearse your answers 

It is important that any question you answer in an interview is delivered in an articulate manner but it is also important with competency-based answers to ensure that they are detailed and structured in the right way. Try to think of a few examples you can give for each competency and practice them over and over to ensure your delivery is effective

How is the interviewer responding?

As you explain your examples, it is important that you can assess the interviewer’s body language and that you are generating a positive response. If this isn’t the case then be confident enough to ask if the interviewer would like any further examples.

If you are generally struggling to think of an example then make the interviewer aware that you may not have ever faced a certain scenario but if you were faced with a certain situation then explain what you would do so that they are aware you will be able to take action and you have the ability to manage a situation.

Working with Levitate

We appreciate that many of the professionals we work with are experienced in client meetings and can present themselves well. Whilst this is the case, searching for a new job and being interviewed to talk about yourself is a completely different scenario and can be for some, one of the most stressful situations they have faced. Not preparing properly can lead to a lack of confidence and the potential of not being offered the position or perhaps an offer but with a lower salary.

Everyone at Levitate Recruitment has been trained in Interview preparation and will work closely with the professionals we represent to ensure that they have thought about the questions that will be asked and how best they can demonstrate to the interviewer that they should be the preferred applicant and ultimately offered the job.

If you have any questions about the accountancy job market or interview techniques then we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your situation and provide educated advice to make your next step, a well thought out and success assured career move.

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We have a number of other blogs posts that may help with your interview preparation;

• Your Interview Objectives
• Nervous About an Interview?  8 Ways to Stay Calm
• Body Language in Video Interviews
• Guide to Acing the Interview Dress Code
• Asking the ‘Reservation Question’ in Interviews
• Winning the Video Interview Guide
• 10 Interview Mistakes That Could Cost You The Job
• The ‘Weakness’ Question
• How to handle a telephone interview

My views are based on my 17 years+ of recruiting for Insolvency and Accountancy Practice professionals.

For advice about your career options, Insolvency Jobs, Audit Jobs or Tax Jobs, speak to Scott Lowes at Levitate Recruitment, specialists in placing insolvency professionals and practice-trained accountants across the UK, and find the right role to suit your ambitions.

Telephone interviews have always been a big part of the recruitment process for those looking to make an international move for insolvency jobs and audit jobs, however, we have seen an increase in the number of our clients in the UK requesting an initial telephone interview with prospective employees.  In a competitive insolvency jobs and audit jobs market, they see them as an opportunity to speed up the recruitment process. It is often quicker and easier to arrange a telephone call than it is to align diaries to meet face-to-face.

As well as fast-tracking the recruitment process it also allows the employer the opportunity to assess an individual’s viability for their opportunity before committing to a face-to-face interview. They are an easy way for companies to cut down the number of applicants.

The questions are usually more general than in a face-to-face interview and will be a chance for you to sell yourself. The key is to treat a telephone interview just like any other interview. Below are some suggestions to help you make the most of the opportunity.

Prepare!

One of the biggest advantages of a telephone interview is that you don’t have to be seen. This is particularly useful if you’re nervous because there won’t be any issues with body language.

It also means you can have notes prepared to give you a quick reference point. Write down a list of your skills and the answers to any potential questions you might be asked. However, be careful not to sound like you are reading or shuffling papers around.

Practice your telephone manner

We all speak on the phone quite a lot, whether this is in a professional setting or not. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean we have a good telephone manner. If you have concerns about the way you conduct yourself on the phone, practice with a friend in advance so you can nail the professional phone voice. Alternatively, record yourself speaking and listen for any issues of clarity or pronunciation.

Where you sit for the interview can make a massive difference. It can be tempting to slouch on the sofa, but this has an effect on your breathing, which in turn affects your speech. Sit at a table or desk with your back straight, and speak with a calm, clear voice. If you think you have issues with your pace, speak slower than you think is acceptable. It’s all too common to speed up when you’re nervous.

A tip I was given a long time ago was to smile whilst talking on the phone to clients and candidates. When you smile whilst talking your voice can sound warmer and friendlier.

Be professional

As much in the same way as dressing appropriately for a face-to-face interview, you should ensure that you are all set up and ready for the incoming call.

This might only be the first stage, but showing your professionalism now is a good way to stand out from the crowd. It almost goes without saying, but make sure there are no distracting noises (TV, pets etc) in the background, and that you have a good signal on your phone.

In conclusion

Listen carefully to their questions, and don’t be afraid to ask them to repeat something if you missed it. Make sure you don’t become too casual while talking and keep your answers short and sweet. It can be all too easy to forget who you’re talking to during a telephone interview. If appropriate, take notes during the call so you can be ready to ask any questions at the end.

At Levitate Recruitment, we think every stage is important, and so we’ve provided these tips to help you excel. As always, research the company and be prepared with any information that might be relevant. It’s always better to have too much than too little.

We have a number of other blogs posts that may help with your interview preparation;

• Your Interview Objectives
• Nervous About an Interview?  8 Ways to Stay Calm
• Body Language in Video Interviews
• Guide to Acing the Interview Dress Code
• Asking the ‘Reservation Question’ in Interviews
• Winning the Video Interview Guide
• Competency-Based Interview Questions and how to ace them
• 10 Interview Mistakes That Could Cost You The Job
• The ‘Weakness’ Question

My views are based on my 17 years+ of recruiting for Insolvency and Accountancy Practice professionals.

For advice about your career options, Insolvency Jobs, Audit Jobs or Tax Jobs, speak to Scott Lowes at Levitate Recruitment, specialists in placing insolvency professionals and practice-trained accountants across the UK, and find the right role to suit your ambitions.

You’ve been interviewing for insolvency jobs, audit jobs, or tax jobs and now secured a new role. It’s time to hand your notice in.

Handing in your notice can be both a great and awful experience. Whether you’re moving on to your dream job or you’ve just had enough of your current role, it can be easy to use your notice period as a time to not adhere to rules and to tell them what you really think. However, it’s always best to remain professional.

Here are a few tips to help you when handing in your notice.

Write a resignation letter

A resignation letter is one of the few documents you should still deliver by hand, rather than email, and this is for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it’s always best to make sure it’s been received, and it gives you a chance to discuss things further with your boss.

There’s no need to go into too much detail in a resignation letter. In fact, you need little more than to notify them that you intend to leave the business state your notice period.

It’s not necessary to state why you’re leaving, but feel free to include this information if you wish – just keep it professional.

It’s always worth including a thank you for the opportunities they’ve given you, even if you didn’t enjoy the job. After all, you might need a reference from them in the future.

Choose the right time

Picking the right time to hand in your notice makes all the difference to the reaction. Try to avoid busy or stressful periods, as you don’t want an over-negative reaction to your news. Try to pick a quiet time of the week that will give you plenty of chance to discuss the matter in detail. The more respectful you are in dealing with the situation, the better the reaction is likely to be.

Prepare what you’re going to say

Knowing what to say when resigning can be difficult, especially if you have a good relationship with your employer. It’s worth practicing in advance or writing down the main points you wish to discuss. Whatever you choose to say, keep your emotions in check and remain professional. If your boss chooses to take your resignation badly, the worst thing you can do is rise to it.

If your reasons for leaving the company are negative, then choose your words very carefully. It’s not unreasonable for a boss to react badly to negative feedback about their company or management style. Consider phrases such as “the role just isn’t for me” or “I think it’s time I explored opportunities elsewhere.” If they ask for more information don’t feel obligated to give it. After all, you’re the one in control of this situation.

Be aware

This is often the time when your employer will tell you that they can resolve all your concerns, increase your salary or offer you the ‘world’ so you will stay.

Remember, you are handing your notice in as you have already gone through the decision-making process to find a new job. You have met with new companies and established that you can advance your career elsewhere.

Don’t let your employer’s reactive response to you leaving stop you from progressing your career. We have seen it time and time again, that those who decide to stay based on promises made when handing their notice in are typically looking to leave again within 6 months.

The main thing to remember when handing in your notice is always to remain professional. It’s much better to leave a job with your head held high than to voice your true feelings. Leaving a good last impression makes all the difference and will work in your favour in the long run.

Some of our other blog posts around this subject may help;

• Leaving on Good Terms
• Easiest Way to Get a Payrise
• Making the Right Choice: What to Think About Before Accepting a Job Offer
• 10 Steps You Should Take Before Quitting Your Job

My views are based on my 17 years+ of recruiting for Insolvency and Accountancy Practice professionals.

For advice about your career options, Insolvency Jobs, Audit Jobs or Tax Jobs, speak to Scott Lowes at Levitate Recruitment, specialists in placing insolvency professionals and practice-trained accountants across the UK, and find the right role to suit your ambitions.