Lannick was proud to participate in CPA Ontario’s Networking 4 Success Event on Saturday, March 2nd in Toronto. This unique networking event brought together CPA professionals, students, and those interested in learning more about obtaining a CPA designation. Our keynote presentation, “How to Ace Your Next Finance & Accounting Interview” explained how to navigate the interview process with confidence, breaking down the different types of interviews, sample questions (and how to answer them!), and tips for managing stress throughout the process.

1. How to Ace
Your Next
Finance &
Accounting
Interview

2. Hi, I’m Dinesh
● University of Waterloo graduate
● CPA, CA at Deloitte (External Audit)
● Made the switch to Recruitment in 2016
● Avid ultimate frisbee player and golfer
● Next challenge: learning Ukrainian and Russian
Dinesh Balakrishnan, CPA, CA, MAcc
Manager, Recruitment Services
Lannick Finance & Accounting

3. Leading Vaco’s
expansion into the
Canadian staffing
market
Vendor of Record
with the Government
of Ontario
100 staff across
Toronto, North
York, Mississauga
and Markham
Serving the
Greater
Toronto Area
since 1985
Recruitment & Staffing Experts
ABOUT LANNICK

4. phone screenings annually
35,000+
of Lannick Finance and
Accounting staff are CPAs
70%
in-person interviews
annually
10,000+
divisions to serve you
4
invested in marketing candidate
profiles to Canada’s top employers
$500,000
placements annually
1,300+
By the Numbers
ABOUT LANNICK

5. Intermediate to Senior
Search | Contract
Junior to Intermediate
Perm | Temp
All roles and levels
Perm | Contract
All roles and levels
Perm | Contract

6. Client Services Associates
build relationships with hiring
managers at top companies
across Canada
Recruitment Services Associates
provide you with access to all
roles at Lannick
Research Associates
Maintain our ever-
expanding proprietary
database of client
companies CANDIDATE
Dedicated Service Model

7. Are You a Newly Designated CPA?
● Get a mentor. They can provide invaluable independent and objective advice
○ Someone you want to be like
○ Consider your managers, professors, family members and friends - anyone!
○ Your mentor can change as your career evolves
● Don’t rush specialization - take the time to discover what interests you
● Register with a Recruiter even if you aren’t actively looking for a new job

8. The Power of a CPA Designation
● Your designation will have a profound impact on your income and the trajectory
of your career
● Salaries increase by 10-15% after obtaining a CPA designation
● Your career options are extremely diverse
● Highly skilled CPAs are always in demand in the GTA, regardless of how the
economy is performing

9. QUESTION
How many of you have interviewed
for a job?

10. QUESTION
How would you rate your current
confidence level in going through
the interview process?

11. QUESTION
What are some of your major
concerns specifically about
interviewing?

12. Tips for Interview Success
1. Focus on what you can control; don’t worry about the rest!
2. Be hireable. Be persistent. Be tenacious!
3. Know yourself. You are your own subject-matter expert
4. One half is what you say, the other half is how you say it. Be confident!
5. Manage your stress or it will manage you
6. Believe in yourself, but lean on each other for support. We’re all in this
together
7. Interviews are not designed to stump you. It’s a chance to learn about one
another, so ask meaningful questions!

13. Perspective Matters
Factors you CAN control Factors you CANNOT control
● Your preparation
● Your professionalism
● Your attitude / mindset
● Your approach to the
interview
● Employer’s hiring needs
● Technological issues
● Hiring decision of the
employer

14. Tip #1
Focus on what you can control,
don’t worry about the rest.

15. Types of Interviews
1. Phone call
2. Skype / Video-conference
3. In-person
4. Case-based / Presentation

16. Phone Interviews
● More common for the first round of interviews
● Treat it like an in-person interview, not a casual conversation
○ Prepare, practice, be professional!
● Remove all distractions
● Have a copy of your resume for reference
● Have a glass of water before your interview
● Know how to easily mute/unmute your phone (just in case!)
● Still dress professionally as this impacts your mood and mindset

17. Skype / Video Interviews
● Test equipment (audio/video) before
interview
● Assess if the background is appropriate
● Dress professionally
● Before answering questions, confirm that the
interviewer can see/hear you
● Let the interviewer know if you cannot
see/hear them
● Look into the camera!

18. In-Person Interviews
● Be prepared for 1-on-1, panel set-up, or group interviews
● Opportunity to get to know the employer as well
● Respond with confidence (eye contact, posture)
● Clear, concise answers, and ask for a minute to think if you need it
● Remember, the interviewer is assessing your fit in their company
Group Interviews
● Balance your response and be respectful of others’ time
(interviewers will pay close attention to this)
● 1-on-1 interviews can arise subsequent to group interviews, so be prepared

19. Case Interviews
● Rarer format of interview; usually in the
2nd or 3rd round of interviews
● More common for corporate
finance/management consulting roles
● Topics will be either:
○ Shared with you in advance (present at a
later date) OR
○ Shared with you at the in-person meeting
(present immediately)

20. Case Interviews - Common Topics
● Advise a client on how to manage their funds/finances
○ Focus on company’s needs and ethics
● Evaluate a company’s share price / financial health
○ Technical skills: NPV, IRR, ROI, DCF, etc.
● Prepare a set of pro-forma financial statements
○ Quantitative analysis and recommendations
● Make or buy decisions
○ Compare one situation to another; quantitative and qualitative
● Acquire a company or not?
○ Evaluate all factors: financial, strategic, risk, RH, marketing

21. Tip #2
Be hireable.
Be persistent.
Be tenacious!
Show them what you’re made of!

22. QUESTION
What are some examples of
interview questions you’ve been
asked in the past?

23. Types of Interview Questions
Behavioural
● Conflicts
● Teamwork
● “What would you do
if…”
Technical
● Either know it, or
don’t
● Research / leverage
what you know
Experience-Based
● Avoid
embellishment
● Draws from your
past
● Show desire /
willingness to learn
Personal
● Salary expectations
● Availability
● Location
● Informational
questions
Open-Ended
● Strengths and
weaknesses
● Short-term and long-
term goals

24. Sample Interview Questions
● Tell me about yourself
● What do you know about this company?
● Why are you looking (or why did you leave your last job)?
● Where do you see yourself in five years?
● What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
● Tell me about a time you set a goal and were able to achieve it.
● Tell me about a time you were able to use persuasion to convince someone to
see things your way.
● Give an example of when you tried to accomplish something and failed? What
did you learn?
● Describe a situation when you had to deal with an upset client/co-worker
● Do you have any questions for us?

25. Tip #3
Know yourself.
You are your own subject matter
expert.

26. Tell Me About Yourself…
Good Response
● Target 3-5 minutes
● Top selling points (4-5)
● Avoid scripting; stick to bullet
points
● Step 1: Who you are
○ Professionally
● Step 2: Why you’re qualified
○ Your accomplishments
● Step 3: Why you’re here
○ Focus on the company /
learning experience
Bad Response
● Rambling on and on
● Incoherent, jumping around in
timeline
● Full life history from birth to now
● Getting side-tracked
● Too many personal details that
are irrelevant to the interview

27. Answering Questions Effectively
SITUATION
Give as many
contextual
details as you
can.
TASK
What did you
have to do?
ACTION
How did you
do it? What
strategies did
you utilize?
RESULT
What was the
outcome?
Quantify
where
relevant.
S T A R

28. Answering Questions Effectively
How it affects
role/company
S.T.A.R format Your personality
Connect to knowledge,
skills, attributes,
behaviour demonstrated
Strong
Response

29. Tip #4
One half is what you say.
The other half is how you say it.

30. Body language communicates a lot!

31. QUESTION
What are some strategies you use to
manage stress?

32. Tip #5
Manage stress or it will manage you.

33. Managing Stress - Day Before Interview
● Be prepared - research the company and your interviewer(s)
● Practice questions with a friend or the mirror
● Plan ahead
○ Clothes, shoes, resume, business cards, notebook, pen
○ Location and timing of interview (anticipate traffic!)
● Visualize positive outcomes
● Avoid major distractions - keep your goal in mind
● Exercise to help keep yourself calm
● Get a good night’s sleep!

34. Managing Stress - During the Interview
● Listen carefully to questions asked
● Clarify the question if unsure
● Remind yourself that this is an opportunity for you to learn about them as well
● Start slightly broader and work towards specifics - this will give you time to
formulate your answer
● Keep smiling! Be positive!
Download our
Candidate Resource
Guide at
Lannick.com!

35. Tip #6
Believe in yourself, but lean on each
other for support. We’re all in this
together.

36. Keeping the Search Active
● Keeping your job search active is critical
● More applications → more interviews → more offers → better fit
● Partner with a specialized professional recruitment firm
● Be open to roles and suggestions from your Recruiter
● Consider contract opportunities
○ Gain experience and make contacts in your industry
○ Can convert into a permanent role
○ Faster recruitment process than full-time permanent roles

37. Tip #7
Interviews are not designed to
stump you. It’s a chance to learn
about one another, so ask
meaningful questions!

38. QUESTION
What is your biggest takeaway from
today’s session?

39. Recap
1. Focus on what you can control; don’t worry about the rest!
2. Be hireable. Be persistent. Be tenacious!
3. Know yourself. You are your own subject-matter expert
4. One half is what you say, the other half is how you say it. Be confident!
5. Manage your stress or it will manage you
6. Believe in yourself, but lean on each other for support. We’re all in this
together
7. Interviews are not designed to stump you. It’s a chance to learn about one
another, so ask meaningful questions!

40. Tip #8
Diversify your risk.
Interview, interview, interview.
Keep your options open!

41. QUESTION
How would you rate your current
confidence level in going through
the interview process?

42. Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Head over to Lannick.com
● Register with us at
www.lannick.com/candidates
● Download our Candidate
Resources
● View our open jobs

43. Thank You!
DINESH@LANNICK.COM