Accountancy CV and Interview Preparation
Having hired hundreds of accountants in a wide variety of disciplines while working in recruitment at both Deloitte and KPMG there are common interview technique errors I have seen that once corrected can enable you to interview with more success. Here are ten tips to apply.
- Putting enough detail on your CV means interviewers can take less time pulling information from you at interview, which is going to hold you in good favour, as having to spend time retrieving missing information can annoy some interviewers – particularly the professional accountants, whose time, as you know, is money.
- Additional detail (often mistakenly left out) that is needed on the CV will be dependent on your area of expertise, for example:
Audit:
- Size of audits conducted
- Industries audited
- T/O of companies audited (no need to mention client names)
- Public/Private ratio of companies
- Number of people in any team you led
- Accounting standards applied eg. IFRS, Irish GAAP e.t.c
- Other technical knowledge e.g. BASEL II, SOX
Tax:
· Who were your clients e.g. corporate, private, high net worth, public?(no need to mention client names)
· Industries of corporate clients
· Give size and t/o where applicable
· What matters did you manage
· Any international tax legislation knowledge
· Any Cross border projects
Transaction Services/Corporate Services:
· Size of transactions/deals
· Your role in the transaction/deal
· Size and t/o of clients (no need to mention client names)
· What area of CF, e.g. M&A, MBO, IPO, PPP, PFO?
· What was your involvement in the deal?
· Which side of the deal were you representing e.g. buyer, seller?
Candidates in accountancy can improve their CV by adding a back page to the CV listing their audit client exposure/tax client exposure & matters/transactions and deals in bullet form, hiring partners find it helpful. You do not need to mention the client name, for example use instead ‘FTSE 100 Financial Services company’, to describe the client.
Business Development
The more senior you are the more business development is important, remember to list this on your CV as a separate section, size and value of client wins.
3. Having placed this detail on the CV it is important to remember it, as you should be probed on this information to get a broader understanding of your knowledge and responsibilities in the applicable area. Often this is something people have forgotten or they clearly start making numbers up and it is obvious in an interview. This lack of memory means you will not get the job.
4. Rehearse your answers to applicable technical questions and the information as it applies to your experience above.
5. Another area that has let candidates down is underestimating the HR interviewers, often found in top 10 firms and corporates. Although they are ‘only’ HR interviewers they have often been interviewing far more people than the hiring managers/partners. They will have been trained and know enough knowledge of these areas to know if you are ‘making up detail’ or not and it is their job not to waste their hiring partners time, as they cannot afford to put people through to second interviews if they are unable to answer the questions, such as those above.
6. In interviews it will be expected that you may be interviewing elsewhere. Be sure to always show commitment to the particular firm you are interviewing at, even if you do not want to work there. Always say that the firm/company you are in the interview for is the firm/company you definitely want to work for. Remember to have at least two good reasons to explain why e.g. reputation in particular area, particular clients, career progression etc.
7. If you are interviewing at a mid-large firm career ambition is important. If you are fully qualified show and say you have what it takes to reach partner, do not hold back and be modest, modesty will not help you get the job. If you are interviewing at a smaller firm check to see how many partners there are, some firms may not have progression to partner if they are a sole proprietor in which case steer clear of being seen to be too ambitious for partner, as they may feel you won’t be sticking around long and that will not get you the job.
8. Often accountants have shown an interest in having their own practice one day, that is fine for graduates to state at a graduate interview but for qualified professionals this is a faux pas. No partner wants to worry that you may take his or her clients away in a few years time, particularly if you are good.
9. Salary expectations must be in line with the firm/company that is hiring. If you are using an agent they should know the salary of the role you are interviewing for, do not price yourself out of the market if you are given a guide. Unless you are in a highly specialized area and in demand at the moment, such as Forensics or insolvency, then you can negotiate. Right now audit, tax, Corporate Finance are not in great demand so be an accountant for yourself, know how much money you need to live on and the minimum you can take as a salary and stick to it if it is within the range of the salary on offer.
10. One golden rule of interviews is to look the part. If you are interviewing in practice or a corporate then fit the stereotype of an accountant. There will be time to be yourself once you are hired. People unconsciously approve of people who are like themselves, it will make them warm to you. Dark suit, dark shoes and professional grooming are normal dress code for accountants. If you are unsure of the image of a firm/company, why not walk by their office a day before interview at lunch time or at the end of the day and take note of what people are wearing, as they leave the building – looking out for people in your age range as some junior staff may not have grasped the unwritten code of dress.
Recap
- Add quality detail to your CV (as above)
- Know your detail on the CV and be prepared to elaborate on it
- Add a separate client/transaction/deal page to the end of the CV in bullet points
- Be prepared with answers to technical questions at HR interviews too
- Show preference to the company you are interviewing at
- State ambitions according to the structure of the firm, if partner is possible state you want to be a partner one day.
- Show long term commitment to working for the firm/company (hide ambitions to do something else in a few years)
- Research salary information and know your minimum and stick to the range.
- Dress for the role you want to be in
- Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse your answers up to the interview
This article is written by Clare Reed, RTO Group (ex Head of Recruitment for Deloitte) 2009 © Article can only be copied with express permission of RTO Group. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of RTO Group.
RTO Group is an interview coaching, CV writing psychometric testing company based in Dublin 2. www.rtogroup.ie Tel: 01 416 9828
