Sometimes it can seem like a work just to look for a job. It takes a good amount of work merely to land an interview between spending numerous hours reading through job postings, improving your LinkedIn summary, and writing a cover letter. Once you get past the first round of interviews, an employer will base their choice on what you say just as much as on your ability to perform the job.
Surprisingly, a lot of individuals neglect to declare “I want this job” in between listing our three strengths and flaws and positively framing our wage expectations.
But why are these four tiny words so important? During and after an interview, it’s critical to express your desire for the position, especially because doing so “opens the possibility of asking more important questions,” according to human resources specialist Cristian Rennella, such as “Why do you want to work here?” and “How will this job fit with your professional goals?”
It also “helps the interview become more efficient and productive” when an applicant is proactive in stating that they desire the job that they are interviewing for, continued Renella. And it is logical. You’ll be one step closer to perhaps receiving a job offer if you can clearly express your desire for the position and provide compelling justifications for it.
However, keep in mind that balance is key. According to Fiona Adler, hiring manager and developer of the Actioned App, “there’s nothing worse than having negative people on your team, so when recruiting, most people are looking for signs of enthusiasm and positivity.” Furthermore, “You don’t want to sound desperate for the job, but you do want to let it be known that this job is a great fit for you and that you’d be delighted to be offered the role.”
Preparation is Key to Close an Interview
Why don’t more job applicants use these four words? It can be a general lack of preparation for the interview or apprehension about sounding overly eager.
According to Sarah Johnston, a former hiring manager and current job search coach, “from my personal experience, one of the top reasons candidates don’t move to the next round in an interview (other than cultural fit or rambling) is that they can’t close the interview.”
Henry Goldbeck, president of Goldbeck Recruiting, stated that the key is “Not just saying, “I want this Job,” but being enthusiastic, confident, and informed about the job and what you will be able to accomplish.” Many experts appear to prefer a well-informed, well-prepared job candidate.
This entails being able to articulate why you’re interested in the position and how you’d benefit the business. And doing extensive research in advance is the greatest approach to be able to do this. Know a company’s goals, its past accomplishments, its competitors, and its present activities.
To conduct a convincing and genuine interview, you must genuinely want the position. Therefore, before you say those four words, be sure the position is a good fit.
Your Career Place hopes you liked reading this research piece, which covers other crucial questions and interviewing techniques in addition to the four words people often forget to say during job interviews: “I want this job.” Expressing your interest in the position is crucial since it starts the dialogue and provides the opportunity for crucial questions and answers about the role.Your Career Place hopes you liked reading this research piece, which covers other crucial questions and interviewing techniques in addition to the four words people often forget to say during job interviews: “I want this job.” Expressing your interest in the position is crucial since it starts the dialogue and provides the opportunity for crucial questions and answers about the role.
In today’s competitive landscape, hiring executives must sharpen their recruiting skills to find that rare gem — a candidate who’s smart, creative, and a good fit in the workplace. That means there’s a lot of pressure during interviews — both on the candidate and on the hiring manager. Questions that hit the mark or uncover a blind spot can be valuable tools.
Finding the right balance is tricky. A study conducted by Glassdoor Economic Research in 2015 showed that more challenging job interviews are linked to higher employee satisfaction across the six countries that were studied in Europe and North America. But the study also found that a hiring process that is too difficult can backfire by discouraging candidates. The optimal interview difficulty level is an interview experience that is difficult but not overwhelming.
With that in mind, we asked experienced executives around the world to give us an example of a go-to question that they pose to finance candidates either because it is essential or because it can reveal a good match.
I work in the cruise line industry. When I interview candidates for a finance-related position who have never been on a ship before, I like asking one simple question to gauge their analytical skills, something that they are not likely to know beforehand. Something like: “How much does a ship cost?” Or, alternatively: “How many people do you think we carry on the megaships?” I’m able to see many things here. There are those candidates that shoot from the hip and quickly answer “about 2 million”. Then there are those that justify not knowing because they have never been on a ship before. Others will take forever figuring out thousands of variables and get lost in the question, and then there are those that say something along the lines of: “If the ship has 12 decks and you have 150 rooms per deck with an average occupancy of 2.5 people per room, you carry about 4,500 guests.” Hired! It is very difficult to figure out if a person has analytical skills. I have found that asking simple questions such as the ones above has helped me to quickly see how people think and also how they react under pressure.
Kate Grangard, CPA, CGMA, the CFO and COO, Gehring Group & BenTek (US)
Favourite Interview Question / Answer:
My favourite interview question is: “What would I find on your nightstand or coffee table?” It might seem unusual, but the response provides great insight into the discipline, interest, and mindset of the respondent, and it almost always leads to a great discussion. My goal through this question is to gain insight into the type of person I am interviewing, how they use their free time, and what they choose to represent them. Answers have varied from industry periodicals (which are especially important for finance and IT candidates), newspapers (of course, I ask which one), Kindles, magazines, puzzles, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, candy, alarm clocks, and, of course, my favourite answer — leadership books.
Christopher Garner Smith, FCMA, CGMA, executive director, EMEA/APAC SSC, The Walt Disney Company (UK)
My goal in an interview is to assess where the candidates fit. Where will they help me? What specific skill will they add to the team? Is this a career to them? And where do I see them growing with us? Most candidates we bring in to interview already have the technical skills; I want to assess if they will be a good fit for the needs of our growing organisation, a collaborative member of the team, a partner for management in contributing ideas, and a fit for the position in question. I also like to ask candidates to give me an example of a work-related problem they had and how they worked towards resolving it. Are they collaborative? Did they pick up the phone? Did they avoid conflict? Did they take the blame, give the blame, or share the blame in the scenario? Did they offer a solution, mediate a solution, support a solution, or have others solve the problem?
I have just returned to the UK after working for Disney in China. For my team in the Accounting Shared Service Centre in Shanghai — where there are around 100 talented accountants working at the regional centre responsible for US GAAP reporting for media, studios, consumer products, and retail — we developed the “10 C’s”, highlighting values such as communication, collaboration, career, culture, continuous improvement, and commitment. Throughout the recruiting process, these C-values are always on the checklist for fit, as we consider these qualities essential to success in the fast-growing environment of the centre. It is a rapidly expanding place, and the top talent are highly engaged, which leads to a dynamic and high-performing team.
The “team charter” including the 10 C’s is posted outside my office, and so whenever internal candidates in Disney’s Asia-Pacific region were interviewing for promotion, I would ask them to give examples of how they matched the specific culture: in other words, to tell me how they were “C-engaged”. This question was very revealing on several fronts. It told me whether the candidate was alert, familiar with the centre, and had done the research legwork before the interview. It also told me about their engagement and whether they were a good fit with the fast-paced culture of the centre.
Ludovic Bessière, business director, France & Belgium, for Accountancy & Finance Division, Hays (France)
Today we seek to identify the candidate’s entrepreneurial and “financial future telling” capacities. So we choose descriptive questions, like role-playing, and ask them to tell us how the candidate is going to “change our world” or how we are going to take up a slice of the market together. Or we could ask the candidate to explain the business model of their business or latest employer, and ask the candidate to place themselves in the role of the business owner or boss, to explain to us what he would have done differently. This kind of role-play plunges the conversation directly into an operational aspect.
For a long time in France we referred to finance as “business partners”, but today we just refer to business, full stop. Finance within a corporate structure is no longer an advisory or support function; it has much more exposure today to the operation and management of the whole. So among all other questions that may be asked during an interview, we always circle back around to the business, either the business model or the strategy to capture a share of the market.
One day I interviewed a candidate who was a management controller for a high-profile luxury leather goods brand, and to my question, he answered that he had put in place an IT process to connect the arrival of large air contingents arriving from Asia and stock in key retail outlets and manufacturing centres. Their revenue had increased 25% in those key outlets as they were able to automatically adjust stock levels to the demand from large groups of tourists. This is an example of why I like this question and why my clients also love this question — because it reveals if the candidate can think out of the box.
Andrew Pullman, managing director, People Risk Solutions (UK)
I am looking at the recruiting process from a human resources perspective, as I run an HR consultancy specialised in helping firms in the financial and professional services sectors. A question that I like to ask is a classic, but it’s always a revealing open question: “OK, so you’ve come to interview for this job, where do you see yourself in about five years’ time?” What I’m also asking is, “What are your aspirations?” What this tends to draw out from people, more than their specific career plan, is an understanding of what their expectations are in terms of the type of work that they’ll be asked to do. Do they want to become a manager, run a bigger team, work overseas? It really starts to give you an idea of what direction the person is going in. If they have a very limited answer to that, or haven’t really thought about it, you also get to find out that the individual hasn’t really got a plan. They may be jumping from job to job. It tells you something else about the candidate, where their head is, how ambitious are they, so it’s quite revealing.
I’ve had people that we were considering for management roles, and then they answered that they didn’t enjoy leading people, that they would rather enjoy becoming a specialist. I also had people who had unrealistic expectations, saying they’d like to be a director of the firm in a five-year time frame. That wasn’t going to happen at the level they were coming in. At the senior level, the question also gives you an idea of whether they want to take on a bigger role and become head of a division, or CFO, whatever the case may be. It’s a really useful question at every level and can save time and aggravation for all involved.
David Wu, CPA (Canada), founder and CEO at GMPTALENT International, a member of IMD International Search Group (China)
As an executive recruiter, I often ask this question during my interviews with finance executive candidates: “What do you know about our client’s business, their competitive advantage, and the industry they are in as a whole?”
Asking candidates to describe our client’s company and show industry knowledge will give me an indication of how much homework they have done prior to coming in for the interview. It is often a reflection of their degree of motivation and of how serious the candidates are about this particular job opportunity. Candidates who blank or mumble their response to this question may be either unfamiliar with our client’s business and the industry as a whole, or they may have applied for the role on a whim. Also, we carefully track the candidate’s body language and reactions to the questions we present, always reading between the lines, as these nonverbal cues are also effective indicators. After all, you want a candidate who is truly passionate about the opportunity, and not just browsing around to “test their value” in the market.
Andy Mensah, FCMA, CGMA, human resources partner, IBM Ghana & Central Africa (Ghana)
When we recruit for finance department roles, at some point in the interview process I will ask: “To what extent would you go in order to close a deal?” I tend to ask this question because of the particular environment we operate in, where perceptions of corruption and kickbacks are high in the marketplace. As an organisation we are looking for individuals with a very finely tuned moral compass and a high level of honesty. The response to this question helps gauge the candidate’s likelihood of going against business conduct guidelines.
We sincerely hope that you have enjoyed reading our analysis of the best interview questions at Your Career Place. To determine how much preparation a job prospect has put into the interview, ask candidates to describe a client’s business and show their sector experience. It frequently gives insight into the candidate’s degree of motivation and commitment to the position.
The Fear of Networking can be Overcome with a little Preparation.
If you tend to be more reserved, you might think networking isn’t for you. It can be intimidating to approach strangers and introduce oneself. Networking can also come out as forced or unnatural.
However, networking is a talent like any other, and even if you’re naturally shy, there are many ways to develop your networking skills. Changing how you view networking might be beneficial. Don’t view it as a chance to network with as many people as you can or as a way to promote your company or yourself. Instead, think of it as simple networking to increase your contact list of new acquaintances, mentors, and potential employers.
Other strategies shy people can use to network successfully include:
Practice. If networking isn’t your strong suit, start honing the skill right away. Commence with your body language, which is significantly more expressive than words. “Be careful of body language from start to finish in conversations,” advised David Almonte, CPA, an audit manager at Warwick, Rhode Island-based accounting firm DiSanto, Priest & Co. Establish eye contact. While too little can make you appear uneasy or dishonest, too much can make the other person feel as like they are being watched. Maintain a straight back. Avoid crossing your arms because doing so could give the impression that you’re distant.
To practice your discussions, you don’t need to be at a networking event. There is no better setting for small talk practice than a family outing with loved ones, according to Almonte.
Recognize that other people are also anxious about it. Denny Faurote, CPA (inactive), founder of the Faurote Group, an Indianapolis-based professional training and coaching company, remarked that the other person is probably feeling just as uncomfortable as you are and will likely appreciate and respect you for starting the dialogue. Possess go-to inquiries. Prepare your remarks in advance. It’s acceptable to enter events with go-to phrases you use repeatedly. Introduce yourself and say where you work as a simple place to start. Next, request the same information from the other person. “People love to talk about themselves,” said Kristen Rampe, CPA, principal of Kristen Rampe Consulting, a firm that specializes in coaching and leadership development. Ask attendees why they came to the event or how they decided on their profession, suggested Faurote, noting that cell phones should be kept away during conversations. Ask attendees at a conference which session they attended most recently and what they thought of it.
Skip through delicate subjects. Most individuals are aware that talks about politics and religion may quickly turn contentious. However, avoid criticizing your boss or anyone else as it comes out as unprofessional. Don’t exert excessive pressure to close a contract. Pushy salespeople are the one thing that Almonte dislikes most at networking events. “I adore networking events that encourage forming connections rather than generating leads.”
Be on time. Almonte makes an effort to get to his activities early because entering a packed space can be scary. Take use of the opportunity to survey the space. The conversation comes to you when people enter the room by being one of the early arrivals, as opposed to the other way around, he claimed. Finding individuals to approach can be less stressful than approaching groups. Identify the appropriate time to discontinue it. The ability to end discussions may be the most difficult aspect of networking. It’s okay if you just have one excellent conversation the entire time. However, you can go on to the next person if the other person gives brief responses, seems indifferent, or if you run out of things to say. Rampe advised taking a closer look at the other person’s feet. She advised both of you to end the conversation if their feet were pointed outside of it. You may try saying something like, “It was great to meet you, I hope you enjoy the rest of the event.” or “It was pleasant speaking with you. Go ahead and get a glass of water for me.
A follow-up. Follow up is important because the ultimate purpose of networking is to assist one another in the future. In order to take notes once the conversation is finished, Faurote carries notecards. Within 48 hours, he adds new contacts to his Outlook contacts. It is appropriate to offer a LinkedIn connection right away. Inform everyone that you would love to resume the conversation at a later time as the chat comes to a close. Request their contact information and assure them that you will get back to them. The most crucial piece of advice is to do as you say, according to Almonte. “Reach out to arrange a meeting as soon as you indicate you’ll do so.
Your Career Place thinks you will find our research article on networking tips for shy persons to succeed in interviews interesting. If networking isn’t your strongest suit, go to work on it as soon as possible. Practice. If networking isn’t your strongest suit, go to work on it as soon as possible.
What is “servant leadership” and how can it make you a better leader?
Focus On People Instead of Tasks:
Often in life and work, we become focused on tasks instead of people. If left unchecked, this “results first, team second” mentality can lead to low morale and even lower performances. However, by leading from the ground up and serving your team you end up with a group of high-performing individuals. So how can you tap into servant leadership, and lead your people effectively?
Kevin Kruse: You say there are a lot of misconceptions about “servant leadership.” What does it mean to you?
Dr. Ken Blanchard: When I talk to groups, initially they think it’s about the inmates running the prison. But they don’t understand that there are two aspects of servant leadership. The leadership aspect is about vision, direction, and goals. Because leadership is about going somewhere. And that’s the responsibility of the hierarchy.
If people aren’t clear on what business you’re in, what you’re trying to accomplish, your values, your goals, then shame on you. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t involve them. It’s just your responsibility to make sure that that’s clear. And that’s the leadership part of servant leadership. And then, once that’s done, now you move to the servant part of servant leadership. And, philosophically, you’ve got to turn that pyramid upside down, so now you work for your people, who eventually work for your customers.
When people understand that, they really get it. That, “Okay, now once the vision, direction, and goals are clear, the job of the leader is to help people live according to the vision of values and goals, and to be successful.” Now you’re working for them. You’re the head cheerleader.
So often in organizations, you get self-serving leaders. They need that hierarchy to be alive and well, so everybody’s sucking up the hierarchy, and now as a customer, if you have a problem, you’re talking to a duck. And they’re going, “Quack, quack, quack. It’s our policy. Quack, quack. I didn’t make the rules. Quack, quack. Do you want to talk to my supervisor? Quack, quack, quack, quack.”
We call the supervisor a duck, the Head Mallard. They just quack at a higher level. Where if you have a really servant leadership organization, when you’re talking to a front line person, you’re talking to an eagle because they’re allowed to bring their brains to work.
Kruse: How can managers remember that they are not just managers of tasks but leaders of people. How can we put this into our daily and weekly work?
Blanchard: We all have two selves. We have an external task-oriented self that’s used to getting jobs done. Then we have a thoughtful, reflective self.
Now, which of those two selves wakes up quicker in the morning? Of course, when the alarm goes off, you jump out of bed, and you’re into your task-oriented self. You’re trying to eat while you’re washing, you’re on the phone in the car, then you’re in a meeting, and you’re running around.
People are so into their task-oriented self, that they really don’t have time to reflect on who they want to be in the world, and how they want to be that day. So one of the things I’ve talked about is that, if you want to be an effective servant leader, you have to enter your day slowly. And by saying that, I’m not talking about hours. But taking at least 10 minutes. I like to sit on the side of the bed and think about, “Okay, what do I have on my calendar for today? How do I want to be today? What do I want to do?” That’s really very helpful in setting a day.
The fear of networking can be overcome with a little preparation.
If you tend to be more reserved, you might think networking isn’t for you. It can be intimidating to approach strangers and introduce oneself. Networking can also come out as forced or unnatural.
However, networking is a talent like any other, and even if you’re naturally shy, there are many ways to develop your networking skills. Changing how you view networking might be beneficial. Don’t view it as a chance to network with as many people as you can or as a way to promote your company or yourself. Instead, think of it as simple networking to increase your contact list of new acquaintances, mentors, and potential employers.
Practice. If networking isn’t your strong suit, start honing the skill right away. Commence with your body language, which is significantly more expressive than words. “Be careful of body language from start to finish in conversations,” advised David Almonte, CPA, an audit manager at Warwick, Rhode Island-based accounting firm DiSanto, Priest & Co. Establish eye contact. While too little can make you appear uneasy or dishonest, too much can make the other person feel as like they are being watched. Maintain a straight back. Avoid crossing your arms because doing so could give the impression that you’re distant.
Practice, Practice, Practice
To practice your discussions, you don’t need to be at a networking event. There is no better setting for small talk practice than a family outing with loved ones, according to Almonte.
Recognize that other people are also anxious about it. Denny Faurote, CPA (inactive), founder of the Faurote Group, an Indianapolis-based professional training and coaching company, remarked that the other person is probably feeling just as uncomfortable as you are and will likely appreciate and respect you for starting the dialogue. Possess go-to inquiries. Prepare your remarks in advance. It’s acceptable to enter events with go-to phrases you use repeatedly. Introduce yourself and say where you work as a simple place to start. Next, request the same information from the other person. “People love to talk about themselves,” said Kristen Rampe, CPA, principal of Kristen Rampe Consulting, a firm that specializes in coaching and leadership development. Ask attendees why they came to the event or how they decided on their profession, suggested Faurote, noting that cell phones should be kept away during conversations. Ask attendees at a conference which session they attended most recently and what they thought of it.
Skip through delicate subjects. Most individuals are aware that talks about politics and religion may quickly turn contentious. However, avoid criticizing your boss or anyone else as it comes out as unprofessional. Don’t exert excessive pressure to close a contract. Pushy salespeople are the one thing that Almonte dislikes most at networking events. “I adore networking events that encourage forming connections rather than generating leads.”
Be on time. Almonte makes an effort to get to his activities early because entering a packed space can be scary. Take use of the opportunity to survey the space. The conversation comes to you when people enter the room by being one of the early arrivals, as opposed to the other way around, he claimed. Finding individuals to approach can be less stressful than approaching groups. Identify the appropriate time to discontinue it. The ability to end discussions may be the most difficult aspect of networking. It’s okay if you just have one excellent conversation the entire time. However, you can go on to the next person if the other person gives brief responses, seems indifferent, or if you run out of things to say. Rampe advised taking a closer look at the other person’s feet. She advised both of you to end the conversation if their feet were pointed outside of it. You may try saying something like, “It was great to meet you, I hope you enjoy the rest of the event.” or “It was pleasant speaking with you. Go ahead and get a glass of water for me.
A follow-up. Follow up is important because the ultimate purpose of networking is to assist one another in the future. In order to take notes once the conversation is finished, Faurote carries notecards. Within 48 hours, he adds new contacts to his Outlook contacts. It is appropriate to offer a LinkedIn connection right away. Inform everyone that you would love to resume the conversation at a later time as the chat comes to a close. Request their contact information and assure them that you will get back to them. The most crucial piece of advice is to do as you say, according to Almonte. “Reach out to arrange a meeting as soon as you indicate you’ll do so.
Your Career Place thinks you will find our research article on meeting tips for quiet persons to succeed in interviews interesting. If networking isn’t your strongest suit, go to work on it as soon as possible and practice.
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