For a job in the finance industry, having an education and background in finance is critical, as is going through in-depth interviews with hiring managers. It’s important to make the most of this time by preparing to answer the most common finance interview questions in a professional manner. Common finance interview questions may include those that are general job interview questions, company information questions, behavioral and competency interview questions, and more specific financial interview questions that pertain to the specific job duties.
When interviewing for a financial position, it’s critical to be prepared to answer some of the more general job interview questions such as “Why are you interested in working here?” and “Can you tell me a little more about yourself?” These questions will generally come at the beginning of the interview process. Prepare a general answer that will demonstrate your interest in the company and emphasize how your experience relates to the company's focus.
In addition to general questions, most hiring managers will ask finance interview questions that are geared at determining behavioral responses and competency levels of candidates. Typical examples of behavioral questions include “Explain the most difficult situation you’ve encountered while in a financial role and how you dealt with it.” or “What methods have you used in your previous occupations to become more organized?” Think carefully when responding and give specific examples from past jobs that include the software, tools, resources, and procedures that relate to work in finance.
Most human resources professionals will ask organizational information finance interview questions that directly probe candidate’s interest in their specific company. This is to determine each candidate’s suitability for the job and determine whether he's a good fit for the company. Look for finance interview questions such as “What skills and qualities will you bring to the workplace here?” and “Tell me what you know about our company leadership?” It’s best to do some research on a company before attending an interview to be prepared for these questions.
In advance of the interview day, seek more information from the human resources department about the specific job opening by asking for a written job description. This will help with answering finance interview questions that are about the position for which the interview is intended. There may be questions like “What do you think are the most important duties of this job?” and “Have you held any similar roles in past jobs.” By knowing exactly what the job description is, it’s possible to prepare and be ready for job-specific interview questions, which will make a good impression on the interviewer.
