Nailing the CFO Interview Part 3: After the Interview

In the final post in this series, Lewis Daidone discusses the importance of conducting the job interview follow-up effectively. Lewis Daidone is a Certified Public Accountant and a consultant to financial services firms and tech companies.

 You might think that nailing the CFO job interview is the final hurdle of the process. Here’s how you can continue to give your prospective employer a fantastic impression of your abilities right up until your first day at the office.

Send one follow-up email, and make sure it makes an impression.

Do not bombard the CFO with follow-up questions and calls. Send your thank you message 24 hours post-interview, and then back off.

Your message should contain a reference to a subject that was discussed during the interview. If you have a book or article recommendation, make sure to mention it. Also, if you want to follow-up on an interview topic, or if you want to elaborate on something that was said, the thank-you note is a good vehicle for additional information. Just don’t make it overly long. Three paragraphs maximum.

Do not try to connect with the CFO on social media.

After a successful interview, you might be tempted to connect with your interviewer on LinkedIn. Resist this temptation. It might be seen as presumptuous or invasive. (If the CFO requests a connection from you, however, that’s a great sign!)

Keep the details of your interview off of your blog/social media.

Once again, social media can be a job application trip wire. Don’t mention your interview in any respect, and definitely don’t complain about the interview or the company.

If you have other job offers, don’t use them to strong-arm the CFO into making a decision. However, if you decide to go with another company before you are offered the position, make sure you notify the CFO . If the CFO was on the fence regarding your hire, it could reinforce your value since another company is willing to commit to hire you. Also, it may prompt the CFO to stop dragging his feet and make a decision. In either case, if this was your position of first choice it could work to your benefit!

Turning the Informational Interview into a Job

You don’t necessarily have to wait for a job opening at your dream company. In the following article, Lewis Daidone offers strategies that will help you get ahead of the competitive curve through informational interviews. Lewis Daidone is a Certified Public Accountant and a consultant to financial services firms and tech companies.

 Do you dream of working for a particular company? But there aren’t any current open positions that fit your skill set and/or experience. You may still be able to meet with company representatives through informational interviews. Showing initiative and interest in a company will go a long way towards putting yourself in the best position for future opportunities .

Although not very common, these question-and-answer sessions are fantastic tools for introducing yourself to executives and corporate decision-makers, as well as getting a good idea of the company’s culture. Here are a few tips for scoring valuable informational interviews.

Research multiple organizations.

Since informational interviews aren’t necessarily a standard process for most companies, make sure you research these organizations thoroughly before reaching out for your interview. Sites like Glassdoor will give you an idea of how employees feel about the company and whether or not it is managed by the kind of team that would welcome preliminary interviews.

Prepare yourself.

This isn’t a traditional job interview—in a sense, you’re the interviewer. It is crucial that you prepare your topics and questions in advance. Make sure that you are well versed with the company’s products and/or services and can intelligently articulate how your skills and experience can benefit the firm. Thoughtfully prepare your resume and/or CV with this company in mind; highlight experience that would be of interest to potential hiring managers.

Follow up

Send everyone you spoke to a thank you letter or email the day after the interview. Highlight the value of specific suggestions made or other important information conveyed during the interview. It not only demonstrates that you were engaged in the conversation, but reinforces your genuine interest in the company.

You don’t have to wait for specific job opportunities to fall into your lap—you can create great opportunities for yourself!