Interviewing well for any job is a skill which takes preparation together with practise within any field. Sales and trading interviews are no different to that, whether you are looking for a sales position in British or Virgin Media or one that trades Forex or a company like City Index who specialise in CFD trading. An interview for a job at any of these companies, no matter their size or location, requires effort and practise in order to succeed.
One of the main things that your prospective employer will be looking for in your sales and trading interview will be to establish your ‘fit’ with the company. Do you fit in with their value and will you represent the company in the way they wish? In order to prepare for this aspect of an interview; it is important to do as much research as you possibly can about their company, to understand their philosophy, what is important to them as a company and how they like to work. If possible speak to those who currently work at the company or have previously. You can then use this knowledge to demonstrate in your interview that you really understand the company’s culture and that you really can fit into the way they work, live their values and ultimately become a success there.
The majority of roles within sales and trading jobs will require great communication skills as well as the ability to build relationships and rapport with others. So that you will be expected to have a flair for networking and being able to speak to anyone. Therefore, this will need to be highlighted and seen during your interview. On the other hand, if you are applying for a job dealing with the technical side of the business, which involves developing financial models or something similar; then you will be expected to demonstrate your technical knowledge within an interview.
Lastly, it will be very important that you are able to demonstrate a certain level of industry knowledge. If you are going for a management job, or something else higher up the ladder then you will most likely need to be able to demonstrate the prior experience you have had within the industry; together with other influential characters in the marketplace. Furthermore, one will have shown how your experience and know-how is relevant to this job you are currently applying for; and why this knowledge means you are ideal for this role as well as contribute to the company’s bottom line.
If you are applying for an entry-level job at the company it is likely that interviewer won’t expect you to have a vast amount of prior experience within the industry. You will, however, be expected to be able to demonstrate a key interest in sales and trading and show that you are familiar with the specific industry. This is vital in proving to your potential employer that you possess the initiative, drive and passion for the industry and their company.
As is the case with any job interview, preparation is key and sales and trading jobs are no different. Make sure that you have learnt as much as you possibly can about the company together with the market they operate within; and that are you able to show that you are really excited about the company and want to be a part of their future success.