Financial Controller Interview Preparation Guide

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I’d like to think I react to situations as opposed to stress. The reality is, when handled correctly, many problems avoid becoming unnecessarily stressful. Come to think of it, I belive I actually work better under pressure. It’s help me produce some of my best work and to be honest I like being challenged. From a stress management point of view, I like to burn off the day with a workout or by going for a run.

Many consider this question to be a loaded gun – dangerous in the hands of the inexperienced. Often times, an interviewee will start talking salary before they’ve had an opportunity to illustrate their skill set and value making any sort of leverage valueless. Here, knowledge is power, as salary often comes down to negotiation. Do some research into your industry to establish base rates of pay based on seniority and demand but keep in mind – your employer is hiring you for what they believe you are worth, and how much benefit they feel you will provide.

One relatively safe approach is simply asking the interviewer about the salary range. If you wish to avoid the question entirely, respond by saying that “money isn’t a key factor” and your primary goal is to advance in your career.

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. Support your answer with a recent example.

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.

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.

It’s important to understand where the job you’re after is located on the company totem pole, and how your role would be linked to that of the individual you’d be reporting to (who in most cases will also be the person interviewing you).

Your prospective supervisor will in all likelihood have their own ideas about how a new hire will make their job easier, so be sure to ask them directly about how they see you supporting them. Plus, you’ll likely earn bonus points by exhibiting an appropriate level of deference.

This is an even more difficult question to handle well. You need to be honest, but also to demonstrate conclusively that you are not a problem employee by nature, and thus that you represent a good risk for the current hiring manager and hiring company to bring onboard.

I am interested in a career at Assistant Financial Controller. I want to know what is the best way to get a job at Assistant Financial Controller. If you work at Assistant Financial Controller, how did you get in? How did you get the interview and offer from Assistant Financial Controller? Any specific thing I need to pay attention to in resume and interview preparation?

That is a really great question. While I haven’t had the opportunity to develop within this particular role per se, I have actually become very involved in my local foodbank this year. This has taught me a great deal about community, teamwork, and taking initiative.
I took it upon myself to enroll in a summer business admin course at the local community college. Through this, I picked up some really great knowledge on communication and teamwork, as well as further develop overall managerial skills. Though it may not be directly applicable to this particular job, I believe the overall experience I gained could be a real asset here.

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.

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.

☛ What assignment was too difficult for you?
☛ Tell me about your strengths.
☛ Who else have you applied to/got interviews with?
☛ List five words that describe your character.
☛ What do you believe are your key strengths?

☛ What are the most important factors to consider in budget development?
☛ What is the most challenging financial project you’ve ever worked on?
☛ Recall a time you identified a financial opportunity for your company.
☛ How have you reduced expenses at previous companies?
☛ What are the financial strengths and weaknesses of our industry?
☛ How has your leadership contributed to the success of your current/previous team?
☛ How have you increased revenues in previous companies you’ve worked for?
☛ Recall a time when you improved the quality of financial information or the efficiency of sharing financial information.
☛ What kinds of reports or presentations have you developed for executive teams?
☛ Do you have any experience in setting up accounting/financial reporting controls? If so, please give an example of a control you were able to design and implement.
☛ Recall a time when you introduced new technology to your staff.
☛ What kind of accounting/financial reporting software are you familiar with?
☛ What is your approach to hiring financial staff?
☛ How have you helped junior financial staff advance in their careers?
☛ Recall a time you had to motivate your team to complete a complex project under a tight deadline.
☛ How do you monitor and evaluate the performance of your team?
☛ Recall a time you had to persuade an executive team to make an important financial decision.

☛ How do you see this job developing?
☛ How will you manage to come in on time to the office?
☛ What motivates you?
☛ How would you describe yourself as a manager?
☛ How do you handle tension?
☛ How do you continue learning on a daily basis?
☛ How would you define good customer service?

☛ Give me an example of a decision you made that benefited your company.
☛ I'm not sure you're suitable for the job, what do you think?
☛ What criteria are you using to choose companies to interview with?
☛ How did you hear about this position?
☛ How well defined is the job? Is there a written job description?
☛ How do you measure quality?
☛ What skills do you rely on most in your everyday work?

☛ Tell me about a difficult experience you had in working.
☛ What was the most complex assignment you have had?
☛ When given an important assignment, how do you approach it?
☛ What were your annual goals at your most current employer?
☛ What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?

Just confine your words to better opportunities. Emphasize benefits to the company. Don't be too specific by giving away a word for a particular period of time.

☛ Tell me about yourself.
☛ Who was your favorite manager and why?
☛ What are you expecting from this firm in the future?
☛ What are your long-term goals or career plans?
☛ What has been your biggest professional disappointment?

☛ Situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise.
☛ Describe a situation in which you had to collect information.
☛ How would you weigh a plane without scales?
☛ What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did you deal with it?
☛ How did you react when faced with constant time pressure?

☛ Give me an example that best describes your organizational skills.
☛ How would you describe your presentation style?
☛ Tell about a problem that you solved in a unique or unusual way.
☛ Example when you went above and beyond the call of duty.
☛ What is your usual role in a team?
☛ Give an example when you had to explain a complex technical issue to someone.
☛ Give some examples of teamwork as Financial Controller.

☛ What type of management style do you thrive under?
☛ What parts of your education do you see as relevant to this Financial Controller position?
☛ What do people most often criticize about you?
☛ You have not done Financial Controller job before. How will you succeed?
☛ Who has impacted you most in your career and how?
☛ Examples of situations when your initiative ideas for improvement have made a significant difference.
☛ How do you make your decisions in general?

☛ What can you do for us that other candidates cant?
☛ Give me an example of a high-pressure situation?
☛ Give an example of a time you successfully worked on a team.
☛ What kind of personality do you work best with and why?
☛ What do you like and dislike about the job we are discussing?

☛ Describe a team experience you found disappointing. What could you have done to prevent it?
☛ Give an example of a time when you assisted a co-worker to enhance their work skills?
☛ What do you like least about your job?
☛ What was the toughest problem you had to solve?
☛ Tell me what are the first 5 things you would do if you got this position?
☛ To what extent do your grades reflect how much you learned?
☛ What were your favorite courses in school?

☛ Discuss your resume.
☛ Discuss your educational background.
☛ Describe yourself.
☛ Tell me how you handled a difficult situation.
☛ Why should we hire you?
☛ Why are you looking for a new job?
☛ Would you work holidays/weekends?
☛ How would you deal with an angry or irate customer?
☛ What are your salary requirements?
☛ Give a time when you went above and beyond the requirements for a project.
☛ Who are our competitors?
☛ What was your biggest failure?
☛ What motivates you?
☛ What’s your availability?
☛ Who’s your mentor?
☛ Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss.
☛ How do you handle pressure?
☛ What is the name of our CEO?
☛ What are your career goals?
☛ What gets you up in the morning?
☛ What would your direct reports say about you?
☛ What were your bosses’ strengths/weaknesses?
☛ If I called your boss right now and asked him what is an area that you could improve on, what would he say?
☛ Are you a leader or a follower?
☛ What was the last book you’ve read for fun?
☛ What are your co-worker pet peeves?
☛ What are your hobbies?
☛ What is your favorite website?
☛ What makes you uncomfortable?
☛ What are some of your leadership experiences?
☛ How would you fire someone?
☛ What do you like the most and least about working in this industry?
☛ Would you work 40+ hours a week?
☛ What questions haven’t I asked you?
☛ What questions do you have for me?

☛ How do you evaluate your ability to handle conflict?
☛ Have you ever had difficulty working with a manager?
☛ What have you been doing since your last job?
☛ What do you think you can bring to this position?
☛ What is the difference between a good position and an excellent one?

☛ What have you done to support diversity in your unit?
☛ What support training would you require to be able to do this job?
☛ What major challenges and problems did you face?
☛ What do you think this position involves.
☛ What's most important to you in a new position?