Executive Recruiter in the Banking and Finance Industry Provides Insider Interview Tips from Real-Life Experiences
Willing to Hunt has completed hundreds, if not thousands, of interviews with potential candidates for banking and financial industry clients, mostly in the Chicago area.
Some of these have been as a volunteer to help prep marginalized communities who are looking to step up their careers. Most have been interviewed to initially meet a potential candidate and then to prepare them for their interview with a bank or financial institution (a very important step in successful recruitment!).
We asked Willing to Hunt CEO Greg Hunt about some of these interviews to get a peek at what works best … and what doesn’t … during an in-person or video conference interview.
1. Don’t get too personal.
Q: Is it bad to get too personal in an interview?
Greg Hunt: The interview is basically assessing your skill sets and capabilities for a particular job. So ask yourself, by divulging personal information, how does that help in the assessment of your skill set? How does that help in terms of whether you'll be a good fit for the job? Even with something as basic as “tell me about yourself,” the tendency of most candidates is to go back to when they were born. That's too much. You don't need a life story when they say tell me about yourself. Most people don't like the question because, again, they don't know where to start.
Q: So how would you suggest someone answer that type of question in a way that's going to sell their expertise and personality?
Greg Hunt: Understand that an interview is an assessment. When you go into an interview, part of what you know is that you have a job description. Maybe you've done some research on the company. And so I think “tell me about yourself” has to be related to what's in front of you.
Whether you start with “I started my career after graduation at a certain financial institution or certain finance company, I've learned this, I've done that.” I think a lot of it is tied to being able to provide information in just about every response that allows the person interviewing you to really understand if it's a good fit.
If you do want to put a little bit more of a personal spin: I'm a big believer in telling stories. If you can tell a compelling story about either working with a customer or something you did uniquely with a coworker… something that either ties into some great communication skills or tied to something in terms of really taking initiative and helping out a coworker, whether it being a good collaborator with other people on the team to achieve a certain goal or to finish a certain project… Those are all great things to talk about.
2. Don’t speak negatively about previous jobs.
Q: Have you ever had people speak negatively about previous jobs?
Greg Hunt: Oh, absolutely. That's a no no. I prepare or do a prep with all the folks that interview with my clients. And that's part of what we talk about is, again, there's really no value in trashing your previous employer. From an assessment standpoint, it makes you look like you’re petty. It makes you look like you're holding a grudge. Now, if it's something in the public sphere, sure. If there are articles out there about your company about some wrongdoing or being investigated or something of that nature, then it's okay to mention it as a reason that you are looking for a new job.
Q: So how would one explain past negative workplace experiences in a way that is professional?
Greg Hunt: Here's the thing I've always told everybody when we start talking about why you're leaving somewhere: The goal is to really think strategically about why you're leaving. You could have had a terrible boss or felt like they were cheap, but if you start to peel back the onion, there could be some strategic reasons why you left. So let’s say you were working at a very small company and the bottom line was “I had to wear 50 million hats. I would like to be in an organization where I can focus on one or two things.” Or vice versa. “I work at a large company, and I feel like I have a narrow view of things, so I would like to work at a smaller company where I can get more exposure and I can see more of the business.” So, you see, we start to talk more strategically about why we're leaving versus this idea that they're not a good boss or they’re not paying me enough.
Avoid saying things like:
- I didn't have enough vacation days.
- They won't reimburse me for my MBA.
- They don't offer pet insurance.
3. Avoid the Bubble Gum.
Q: What’s one thing that people have done that is obvious that you shouldn’t do?
Greg Hunt: One thing that people do in interviews that drives an interviewer crazy? Chewing gum. I'm talking about in the actual interview. I don't really care if they're doing it while we're prepping. If they're doing it, then I will let them know, “Hey, don't do that in the interview.”
Q: When someone's chewing gum in an interview, what is your perception? How does that negatively affect the way that you view them?
Greg Hunt: Well, with something as formal as an interview, it just doesn't make a professional impression. Other than assessing your skill set, it's all about making a good first impression or a good, lasting impression. Don’t do anything that's going to cost you the job.
Don't put yourself in a position where they can point at one or two things and say, “You know what, I just don't think so and so is a good fit for this position,” and it turns out that it’s for a reason that's not associated with your ability, skill sets, aptitude, or educational background. It's because of something insignificant. Chewing gum is insignificant.
4. Look Good. Feel Good. Be Professional.
Q: How would you suggest people dress for interviews in the banking or finance industries?
Greg Hunt: I work in an industry that's very traditional. I look at banking the same way I look at law, accounting, and to some extent insurance. They're very buttoned-up industries. They're not creative, like marketing and branding and PR companies.
I remember getting an email from one of the people that interviewed a female client of mine. The interviewer started talking about her eyeshadow, and I was like, oh, boy, this is going to be something bad. But in this instance it ended up being the opposite. She was like, “Oh, no, I loved her eyeshadow. As a matter of fact, I asked her what color it was. Was it M.A.C? Was it Bobby Brown, Sephora?” This story ended well, but again, you just never know. And the key thing is she noticed.
You want people to focus on your abilities and your professional work history. Don't give them a reason to eliminate you based on something superficial.
Q. So, what should people wear to a banking or finance interview?
Prior to the pandemic and today's more casual work environment, the recommendation was for men to always wear a suit and tie, and for women to always wear skirts and pantyhose or some form of a pantsuit. But now we've gone to more of a casual kind of work environment. From a banking standpoint, I still recommend that for men. You can do pants and a blazer and no tie, but I would recommend the blazer. Look as buttoned up as possible so that you're not getting called out. You don't want to draw attention to things that are not associated with your ability, skill sets, and education.
Certainly, colors make a difference, too. I wouldn't advise anybody to show up at an interview with a yellow suit or a yellow blazer. Maybe after you're hired… haha. But in the interview, try to go with more traditional colors, like black, navy or charcoal. Women on the other hand have a bit more leeway with color.
5. Be mindful of nonverbal communication.
Q: What are some of the nonverbal things that people should consider when interviewing?
Greg Hunt:
Maintain eye contact: I think one of the biggest ones to me is eye contact. You have some people that will answer questions and totally look away, and never look at the person that they're talking to.
Be mindful of your body language: The other major nonverbal cue to consider is casually sitting back in a chair versus really being engaged. Leaning forward is a sign of interest. Try not to cross your arms, as that can come off as defensive.
6. Overcome your nerves.
Q: I get really nervous in interviews. I forget how to speak sometimes. I find myself sweating, and I'm always trying to overcome my mental anxiety. What are your suggestions?
Get there 15-20 minutes early. That way you have time to go to the powder room and dab any sweat away, touch up your makeup if you're wearing any, wash your hands, shake it out, and take time to do some breathing exercises. Having that time for affirmations, reviewing notes, doing a “woosah” [calming yourself down] and centering yourself versus getting to the interview right on time or late, rushing, and then having to go right into the interview will give you better results.
If it’s a video conference, sign in early to avoid any technical difficulties. Give yourself some time to compose yourself in front of the camera.
“Believe it or not, a lot of my job is psychology. Most people just don't think about the interview process as being scientific. Everybody thinks of it more as an art. I look at it more in a scientific way and really break it down to understand what the meaning is behind the experience. “ - Greg Hunt, Founder and CEO of Willing to Hunt
