Financial Administrator Interview Preparation Guide

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At one time, I had a fairly substantial disagreement with another member of the organizational team. We had conflicting views about whether a certain investment would further our company’s financial goals and whether it was consistent with our long-term organizational mission. I listened carefully to her arguments and, in turn, conducted further research to determine whether my initial position was strongly supported. Eventually, we were able to reach a compromise and agree on a course of action that we could both support as being best for the company.

I was working so hard to keep my job while everyone around me was being cut that I didn’t have any time left over to look for another job. With all of the mergers that have been happening in our field, layoffs are a way of life. At least I gave it my best shot!

Yes, I did very well at my internship, and I had originally assumed that I would come on staff once I graduated from college. However, BB&L drastically cut back the number of new hires they were planning. As fate would have it, they will not be hiring any of the interns they had last summer.

I love working at BB&L, and I brought some references with me today to show you that my job performance there was stellar. Still, in some ways, I consider this new turn of events to be a lucky break for me, believe it or not.

I work pretty long hours most of the time. With the extra time, I try to find ways to “add value” to each assignment, both my own and the firm’s. When our clients read our reports, I want them to think that no one else could have possibly written them, except for our company.

I suppose that asking for name-brand vodka at the Christmas party, instead of the generic swill that they normally serve, doesn’t count, right? No, really honestly, I’m delighted to report that I never made a mistake that cost my company money.

This is my dream job and that’s why I approached you about it in the first place. I am excited about the prospect of helping your promotion agency upgrade and fine tune your loyalty programs.

Posing this question will help you key into your finance candidate’s ability to overcome adversity or challenges throughout their career. If you’re particularly interested in a piece of information on their resume, like a layoff, ask them directly about how they overcame that situation.

Are your candidates really interested in the finance industry, or are they just exploring their options? Passion for finance is essential to staying afloat in this industry.

Finance professionals regularly have to persuade and influence people to accept their services, their expertise and their advice. Determining needs, selecting the most suitable approach and deciding on the right interpersonal style are all factors in successfully influencing others.

Your interview answer should showcase your comprehensive research and knowledge of the company and how well you understand its achievements, its goals and the challenges it faces. Provide examples of the skills and ideas you bring that would result in a contribution to profits and growth.

As a financial service operations manager, I was responsible for several departments, including finance, accounting and fundraising. I worked to eliminate inefficiencies in communications and record-keeping between departments by acting as a liaison with other departments, such as IT and Human Resources, in order to maintain accurate and consistently updated records throughout. I worked with IT to create a streamlined database that was able to cross reference with the company’s other internal systems while maintaining appropriate security protocols. As a result, I discovered and was able to eliminate several sources of systemic redundancy and inefficiency.

Maybe in about twenty years, but by then, I suspect you’ll be running the entire company and will need a good, loyal lieutenant to help you manage this department!

When I first had the twins, my husband was working 24/7, and I really needed to be there to raise the kids. But during that time, I really missed working.

Fortunately, I kept my hand in the business during those years by consulting for several of my ex-clients.

Highlight your awareness and insight into the current economic situation and the state of the financial sector including regulatory changes, reputation issues, availability of credit, cost reduction and recent industry innovations among others.

Finance interview questions about team work look at your ability to build relationships and contribute to team success. Your ability to work successfully with other people in the finance business is essential. Show how you have assessed each team member and selected the best approach for their particular needs. Adaptability is key to success.

Asking your candidates to sum up your company and their industry knowledge will give you insight into how much homework they did prior to the interview. Candidates who “blank” on this question may be unfamiliar with your company and the finance industry as a whole, and applying to this role on a whim. You don’t want an employee who lacks the ability or desire to research.

Better interview questions are a key component in landing better finance hires. Carefully track their body language and reactions to the questions you present, as these are also effective indicators. Remember, you want a candidate who is truly passionate about the opportunity and not just trying to “win the job.” Always read between the lines.

I used to work for a boss who managed four offices making his time ultra-limited … he eventually called me one day, and begged me to review their work “unofficially.” But there had been a long history in my office of people who would “act like the boss,” sans any official title, only to be “beheaded” a few months later for overstepping their bounds.

During my first week on the job, I would ask my boss how she would prefer me to handle projects. If she indicated that she wanted a take-charge person under her, I would take the ropes. If she told me she wanted me to run ideas by her first, I would comply. I think the real challenge is being able to adapt to your work environment, and I’m flexible.

I’d recommend that we perform an on-site “test,” by hiring both candidates on a freelance basis for two weeks each.

CC&L is a great company, and thanks in part to my team’s contributions, they are doing very well these days. But that wasn’t always the case.

During the first two years that I worked there, people were being fired left and right, and just hanging onto my job was a feat.

Once the company began to turn around, [my boss] was offered a terrific job at a rival organization and it took CC&L six months to replace him, and when they did, the new boss was eager to bring in his own people. Once again, I tenaciously hung on to my job, and, even though I was long overdue for a promotion, I really didn’t think that the timing was right for me to broach it. No one from the old staff was there to even vouch for my performance!

As someone in a leadership position, I find that wise and efficient delegation is the best way to get the job done. I have confidence in my team members and believe that they have the expertise and good judgment needed to perform. In my position, I frequently need to rely on information generated by others and to collaborate with team members. When a leader is unable to delegate, other team members are discouraged from showing initiative and the leader ends up taking on an unrealistic workload, which inevitably leads to mistakes and systemic dysfunction. I consider my ability to delegate and utilize the strengths of my team members to be one of my greatest assets as a leader.

Sometimes you need to take a step backward to move your career forward. Starting in an entry-level role would allow me to learn your business from the ground up.

The career that I’ve been in is so different than yours that I would love the opportunity to start over again in your field. The salary cut will be well worth it.

I was hired by a woman who was on her way out. She asked me to be her “fall guy” on a number of assignments. I just learned to drop the assignments off with my boss on the day that they were due, and when the managers would ring me up, I would recommend that they simply follow up with her. This kept me out of hot water with my boss and with her superiors.

Here the employer is exploring your resilience and ability to persist in the face of a challenge. Setbacks and difficult clients are part of the financial business and you need to demonstrate your ability to deal with this. Provide an example that clearly shows your determination and the interpersonal skills used to reach a positive outcome.

One department that I often work closely with is the legal team. Making decisions that affect the business and financial operations side of our company often involves questions of legal expertise. Many business decisions fall into this category. Questions of taxation, licensing, copyrights, antitrust statutes and corporate structure often need the input of both finance experts and legal professionals. In turn, the legal department often needs further clarification in respect to the operations of particular financial instruments. By collaborating with the legal department, I minimize the risk of legal repercussions from future business and financial decisions while helping the legal team provide comprehensive and accurate legal advice.