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Featured Jobs
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Private client tax advisor
London
47000 - 64000
We are recruiting for an international tax consultancy based in London. This is an opportunity for you to deal with high level work and shift towards an advisory focused position. The role will involve you dealing primarily with non doms and the complicated issues that arise when dealing with HNWI’s and UHNWI’s. The type of clients this team has would not be out of place in a Big 4 firm. Unlike a number of the larger corporate firms, this business has a great work life culture. Despite not working long hours, the team is highly successful and promotion is first rate - proof that you can have your cake and eat it. The team deals with high net worth individuals and their onshore and offshore structures, in addition to the general advisory work for Non Doms. Whilst this is a team with a strong international focus, they also have UK based wealthy families that are in need of advice - CGT, IHT etc. “Autonomous work-forces out perform their competitors.” The partner who heads up the team is a great believer in giving professionals responsibility and freedom. This is something most of us crave in work, but don’t always have. Promotion prospects You will be given the autonomy and support to develop towards a more senior position. There is no queue for promotion at this team and nor is it in the interest of the directors to keep you at your current level. You will not be competing with anyone to achieve promotion. If you are good, you get promoted. Benefits Bonus, work from home options, flexible hours. Career Control For Tax Professionals Take control of your career–join hundreds of other tax professionals who used our niche expertise to increase their salaries within a brand-new role. Easy application: Finding the perfect fit couldn't be simpler! Apply in minutes and enjoy a stress-free experience, led by your own expert consultant. Stress-free consultation: You're not interested in the hard sell and neither are we. Tell us which roles you're looking for and we'll ensure that's what you get. Matched to the perfect role: Interview for roles which fit your unique requirements regarding career aspirations, desired culture and location.
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Corporate Tax Manager
Milton Keynes
Competitive
Looking for your next career move in corporate tax advisory? Wanting to work with some great large corporate clients? We are looking for a manager or high quality (attitude and aptitude) Assistant Manager looking for a fast track to manager. The role is principally an advisory role assisting large international corporates in: Cross border transaction advice including M&A, group rationalisation and tax DD support Double Tax Treaty analysis & claims Taxation matters for international real estate clients SAO, Tax Strategy and CBCr advisory Other large corporate advisory matters (interest restriction, hybrid mismatches) etc And an opportunity to be involved in transfer pricing advisory and documentation. Please get in touch for more details and a confidential chat. Not using agencies for this requirement
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Corporate Tax Manager
Hemel Hempstead
Competitive Salary + Benefits
Are you a Corporate Tax Manager looking for a new and exciting opportunity? Keep reading, as Henkel are recruiting and are looking for people just like you! At Henkel, you can make a difference and craft your career. That’s why you own your projects and take full responsibility from an early stage. Our unique brands in markets around the world open up countless opportunities to follow your convictions and explore new paths. If you have an entrepreneurial mindset that allows you to always think out of the box - take the chance and shape the digital future together with us. Corporate Tax Manager responsibilities include: Preparing annual external corporation tax returns and computations and ensuring timely submission to tax authorities. Preparing quarterly internal corporation tax returns and computations. Preparing quarterly and annual tax accounting workings and supporting the annual tax review by external auditors. Reviewing all corporation tax returns, computations and accounting workings for technical correctness and compliance with tax law. Ensuring accurate forecasting and timely payment of all corporate tax liabilities. Providing corporate tax support on projects involving business, organisational and system changes. Monitoring potential corporate tax risks and working towards proposed remedial actions. Ensuring adequate transfer pricing documentation is maintained. Communicating changes in corporate tax law and tax authority practice to stakeholders. The ideal Corporate Tax Manager: Chartered Institute of Taxation qualification. Previous demonstrable experience in a corporate tax role ideally within industry Excellent written and oral communication skills Advanced Microsoft Excel knowledge If you have an excellent management skills, take your chance to help shape the digital future together with us as our Corporate Tax Manager. If you are looking for your next challenge as our Corporate Tax Manager, then we want to hear from you, please click APPLY!
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HOW TO IMPRESS AT INTERVIEW
Tips on how to impress at interview. With the mass of information available on the web, it’s sometimes difficult to navigate through the most important things to get across at an interview. Try this simple 7-point guide. 1. Values Make sure you're connecting your own experience with the company's central ethos or goals; recruiters are not only looking for skills and experience, but they are specifically looking for certain personality types. 2. Details When you're answering questions during an interview, don’t be vague, this simply won’t do especially in the world of tax or finance. Have a think about some concrete examples from your own experience. Incorporating specific details will boost your credibility and impress your interviewer. 3. Technical questions Be prepared to answer some technical questions but don’t be thrown if you feel an answer you gave wasn’t great. Sometimes clients are just looking to explore the boundaries of your technical skills rather than expecting a particular “right” answer. Also, sometimes they like to see how candidates react to a “curve ball” question they don’t expect them to be able to answer. 4. Be confident It's important to be your own advocate. If you find yourself tripping up at any point, take a deep breath and own it, don’t be afraid to start an answer to a question again. 5. Have a conversation While we will always say, “preparation is crucial”, it is possible to overdo it. Make sure you're always treating the interview as a conversation and answering questions, rather than reciting anecdotes. You’re only human, so let this come through. 6. Smile and be enthusiastic Show some passion and excitement about potentially working with a new employer. If you can't find this within you, you're applying for the wrong job. Be honest with yourself don't waste peoples time if the job isn't really what you're after. 7. Swot up This is probably the most important tip, don't skimp on the research. Check up on all resources you can to fully prepare yourself. The more research you do the clearer you will be in own mind what you're looking for in a job and importantly what you can deliver for a new employer. For independent tax career advice contact Sally Wright at sally@taxrecruit.co.uk or call 0333 939 019 www.taxrecruit.co.uk
HOW TO IMPRESS AT INTERVIEW
Tips on how to impress at interview. With the mass of information available on the web, it’s sometimes difficult to navigate through the most important things to get across at an interview. Try this simple 7-point guide. 1. Values Make sure you're connecting your own experience with the company's central ethos or goals; recruiters are not only looking for skills and experience, but they are specifically looking for certain personality types. 2. Details When you're answering questions during an interview, don’t be vague, this simply won’t do especially in the world of tax or finance. Have a think about some concrete examples from your own experience. Incorporating specific details will boost your credibility and impress your interviewer. 3. Technical questions Be prepared to answer some technical questions but don’t be thrown if you feel an answer you gave wasn’t great. Sometimes clients are just looking to explore the boundaries of your technical skills rather than expecting a particular “right” answer. Also, sometimes they like to see how candidates react to a “curve ball” question they don’t expect them to be able to answer. 4. Be confident It's important to be your own advocate. If you find yourself tripping up at any point, take a deep breath and own it, don’t be afraid to start an answer to a question again. 5. Have a conversation While we will always say, “preparation is crucial”, it is possible to overdo it. Make sure you're always treating the interview as a conversation and answering questions, rather than reciting anecdotes. You’re only human, so let this come through. 6. Smile and be enthusiastic Show some passion and excitement about potentially working with a new employer. If you can't find this within you, you're applying for the wrong job. Be honest with yourself don't waste peoples time if the job isn't really what you're after. 7. Swot up This is probably the most important tip, don't skimp on the research. Check up on all resources you can to fully prepare yourself. The more research you do the clearer you will be in own mind what you're looking for in a job and importantly what you can deliver for a new employer. For independent tax career advice contact Sally Wright at sally@taxrecruit.co.uk or call 0333 939 019 www.taxrecruit.co.uk
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5 SIGNS THAT ONE OF YOUR TEAM IS CONSIDERING A MOVE
Every manager dreads that conversation with a valued team member, often pre-empted by the email that reads ‘can I have a word?’ We have done a lot of research at Pro-Legal to help our clients retain their best people and being able to spot the tell-tale signs of dissatisfaction so that you can proactively manage the situation. I am not going to be so facile as to list: short notice leave requests, dubious “Doctor’s appointments” (people rarely book a Doctor’s appointment for the middle of the afternoon, by the way) or furtive whispered conversations on their mobile in a meeting room with the lights off or in the stairwell. These are all signs that someone is at final interview stages and in most instances, that’s too late. As an aside, if you are on an interview, never take or make calls in a stairwell, impaired lines of sight and how far sound travels in a stairwell are the perfect ingredients for being overheard by someone you don’t want to overhear you! But I digress… For the purposes of this article, I am going to focus on those very initial stages when people are considering a move. How can you spot a festering dissatisfaction at an early enough stage? Not wanting to talk about their career aspirations If a team member is evasive or non-committal when asked about their career aspirations, they are starting to feel that you might not be a part of their career aspirations. Lawyers are ambitious virtually without exception. This is not to say that they all want partnership or to be a GC but they all want continuous development. Bland appraisals and one-to-ones I am always amazed by the number of times I hear something along the lines of, “The resignation came out of the blue, we had his/her appraisal about a month ago and he/she said he/she was everything was fine…” I have never known EVERYTHING to be fine! If we as managers are honest with ourselves, we often suspect that we are being fobbed off but we are scared of pushing the point and hearing something that makes us uncomfortable. No manager has a monopoly on reason or good ideas and consistently asking your team members what they would change about the current set up will open up the possibility of them suggesting improvements that could really make a difference and give you the edge. It also enhances communication and their feeling of enfranchisement. It will also give you an early warning of them losing their commitment to your cause. They are ambivalent to change Lawyers are, generally speaking, a risk-averse bunch. They will meet any change, such as those to working practices, strategy, policies, reward structures or hierarchical structures, with scrutiny. That scrutiny will result in them concluding that it is a good or bad thing for them and reacting accordingly. If the reaction is ambivalence they are not considering the change to be something that will affect them for very long. They have booked a holiday for a few months’ time but not booked the time off The situation here is quite advanced; they (possibly subconsciously) have an exit timeframe in mind. You have no choice but to confront them about this but do it in a way that will precipitate a meaningful, productive conversation. “You’re an important member of this team and experience tells me that when someone books a holiday without booking annual leave, they’re checking out…” They have had the same job function for over 18 months and there is no sign of it changing in the next 6 months 64% of lawyers we surveyed said they would consider a move but that number rises to a whopping 86% when just surveying those who have been in their current role for over 18 months. If we exclude the lawyers who are currently in practice and want to move in-house, the most common reasons for leaving are to get more seniority, responsibility or complexity. In short, if an individual isn’t progressing internally roughly every two years, they start to think about looking externally. It is all well and good to be able to spot these signs but dealing with them is another matter. It is important to remember that a) you may not be able to change their mind and b) the sacrifices you might have to make to change their mind may not be worth it from a commercial or personal perspective. It is also worth remembering that prevention is better than cure and that there is no panacea for the broad spectrum of staff disquiet. Moreover, nothing will eradicate staff turnover entirely but being able to spot these things will help you prevent departures in some instances and be it will prepare you for departures and enable to plan accordingly in other instances. For more information about this article, or to speak to Nick about your recruiting needs or Legal jobs in London or Nationwide, contact him on 02072696328 or nick.allen@pro-legal.co.uk
5 SIGNS THAT ONE OF YOUR TEAM IS CONSIDERING A MOVE
Every manager dreads that conversation with a valued team member, often pre-empted by the email that reads ‘can I have a word?’ We have done a lot of research at Pro-Legal to help our clients retain their best people and being able to spot the tell-tale signs of dissatisfaction so that you can proactively manage the situation. I am not going to be so facile as to list: short notice leave requests, dubious “Doctor’s appointments” (people rarely book a Doctor’s appointment for the middle of the afternoon, by the way) or furtive whispered conversations on their mobile in a meeting room with the lights off or in the stairwell. These are all signs that someone is at final interview stages and in most instances, that’s too late. As an aside, if you are on an interview, never take or make calls in a stairwell, impaired lines of sight and how far sound travels in a stairwell are the perfect ingredients for being overheard by someone you don’t want to overhear you! But I digress… For the purposes of this article, I am going to focus on those very initial stages when people are considering a move. How can you spot a festering dissatisfaction at an early enough stage? Not wanting to talk about their career aspirations If a team member is evasive or non-committal when asked about their career aspirations, they are starting to feel that you might not be a part of their career aspirations. Lawyers are ambitious virtually without exception. This is not to say that they all want partnership or to be a GC but they all want continuous development. Bland appraisals and one-to-ones I am always amazed by the number of times I hear something along the lines of, “The resignation came out of the blue, we had his/her appraisal about a month ago and he/she said he/she was everything was fine…” I have never known EVERYTHING to be fine! If we as managers are honest with ourselves, we often suspect that we are being fobbed off but we are scared of pushing the point and hearing something that makes us uncomfortable. No manager has a monopoly on reason or good ideas and consistently asking your team members what they would change about the current set up will open up the possibility of them suggesting improvements that could really make a difference and give you the edge. It also enhances communication and their feeling of enfranchisement. It will also give you an early warning of them losing their commitment to your cause. They are ambivalent to change Lawyers are, generally speaking, a risk-averse bunch. They will meet any change, such as those to working practices, strategy, policies, reward structures or hierarchical structures, with scrutiny. That scrutiny will result in them concluding that it is a good or bad thing for them and reacting accordingly. If the reaction is ambivalence they are not considering the change to be something that will affect them for very long. They have booked a holiday for a few months’ time but not booked the time off The situation here is quite advanced; they (possibly subconsciously) have an exit timeframe in mind. You have no choice but to confront them about this but do it in a way that will precipitate a meaningful, productive conversation. “You’re an important member of this team and experience tells me that when someone books a holiday without booking annual leave, they’re checking out…” They have had the same job function for over 18 months and there is no sign of it changing in the next 6 months 64% of lawyers we surveyed said they would consider a move but that number rises to a whopping 86% when just surveying those who have been in their current role for over 18 months. If we exclude the lawyers who are currently in practice and want to move in-house, the most common reasons for leaving are to get more seniority, responsibility or complexity. In short, if an individual isn’t progressing internally roughly every two years, they start to think about looking externally. It is all well and good to be able to spot these signs but dealing with them is another matter. It is important to remember that a) you may not be able to change their mind and b) the sacrifices you might have to make to change their mind may not be worth it from a commercial or personal perspective. It is also worth remembering that prevention is better than cure and that there is no panacea for the broad spectrum of staff disquiet. Moreover, nothing will eradicate staff turnover entirely but being able to spot these things will help you prevent departures in some instances and be it will prepare you for departures and enable to plan accordingly in other instances. For more information about this article, or to speak to Nick about your recruiting needs or Legal jobs in London or Nationwide, contact him on 02072696328 or nick.allen@pro-legal.co.uk
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5 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW BEFORE YOU TAKE THE JOB
Are you a Tax Manager looking to move jobs within the new year? Taking a new Tax job, whether it be a Tax Senior Manager to a Tax Director, can be exciting but also an overwhelming experience. Besides using a Tax recruiter to ease you through the process, there are a number of things you should think about before committing to a role. In this short article, I'll give you my top five considerations when deciding on whether to accept a job offer or not. Why do they do what they do? Whether it’s a Big 4 firm, a commerce or industry business, a Top 10 or a boutique firm, it is important to understand exactly why they do what they do. The passion behind the senior stakeholders in the business will directly affect how they work and how they work with you, as well as how the entire business operates. It is also important to join a business that has beliefs aligned to your own. If your work ethic is different to the company you join, you may find it difficult to adjust. Culture and Office Environment There is nothing worse than going through the entire interview process, meeting colleagues and feeling assured that this was the right place for you, to then find on your first day a culture you are just not happy with. Always ask in your interviews what the culture is like. Do they have nights out with the team? Do they have regular sporting activities? How do the team deal with another member being sick? What are the company values? These questions and the responses will allow you to evaluate the company’s culture. The discussion about the office values will also help clarify the position’s work-life balance and will allow you to fully understand how the team support each other. Workload Would you want to go into a job thinking you will have a few small projects to start with, only to find out that there is a huge job that you will be working solely on for months? It is important to know what your workload will be before you join so that you can prepare yourself and efficiently manage your time. Are you ready to take on the challenge of restructuring a tax team, or would you rather join a firm that is more established for you to develop in your own role? Current Events You should research the current events before going for an interview. It is even more important that you know exactly what is going on within the team you are joining so that you can hit the ground running. Every industry has sources to keep you abreast of the news in both your sector and your company depending on which organisation you are looking to join. The past & the future How long has the company been around? What were the major events that lead the company to be the way that it is now? What are their successes and failures? The way a company and senior stakeholder team learn from mistakes will tell you everything you need to know about how they will manage you and your team. A senior leadership team that takes the time to train and develop a team who have mistakes may suggest a better attitude towards their people, whereas a leadership team that let go a team that makes mistakes may allude to their priority for excellence only. As for the future, while all companies will be focused on growth, it is how they plan to grow that can tell you a lot about the business and how that business will run with you. After taking the time to assess the above points and talking them through with a tax recruiter, you should not only have a better understanding of the company but also a better idea of exactly what you want to get out of this new opportunity. To speak to Kevin about your recruiting needs or Tax jobs in London or Nationwide, contact him on 02072696321 or kevin.racher@pro-tax.co.uk
5 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW BEFORE YOU TAKE THE JOB
Are you a Tax Manager looking to move jobs within the new year? Taking a new Tax job, whether it be a Tax Senior Manager to a Tax Director, can be exciting but also an overwhelming experience. Besides using a Tax recruiter to ease you through the process, there are a number of things you should think about before committing to a role. In this short article, I'll give you my top five considerations when deciding on whether to accept a job offer or not. Why do they do what they do? Whether it’s a Big 4 firm, a commerce or industry business, a Top 10 or a boutique firm, it is important to understand exactly why they do what they do. The passion behind the senior stakeholders in the business will directly affect how they work and how they work with you, as well as how the entire business operates. It is also important to join a business that has beliefs aligned to your own. If your work ethic is different to the company you join, you may find it difficult to adjust. Culture and Office Environment There is nothing worse than going through the entire interview process, meeting colleagues and feeling assured that this was the right place for you, to then find on your first day a culture you are just not happy with. Always ask in your interviews what the culture is like. Do they have nights out with the team? Do they have regular sporting activities? How do the team deal with another member being sick? What are the company values? These questions and the responses will allow you to evaluate the company’s culture. The discussion about the office values will also help clarify the position’s work-life balance and will allow you to fully understand how the team support each other. Workload Would you want to go into a job thinking you will have a few small projects to start with, only to find out that there is a huge job that you will be working solely on for months? It is important to know what your workload will be before you join so that you can prepare yourself and efficiently manage your time. Are you ready to take on the challenge of restructuring a tax team, or would you rather join a firm that is more established for you to develop in your own role? Current Events You should research the current events before going for an interview. It is even more important that you know exactly what is going on within the team you are joining so that you can hit the ground running. Every industry has sources to keep you abreast of the news in both your sector and your company depending on which organisation you are looking to join. The past & the future How long has the company been around? What were the major events that lead the company to be the way that it is now? What are their successes and failures? The way a company and senior stakeholder team learn from mistakes will tell you everything you need to know about how they will manage you and your team. A senior leadership team that takes the time to train and develop a team who have mistakes may suggest a better attitude towards their people, whereas a leadership team that let go a team that makes mistakes may allude to their priority for excellence only. As for the future, while all companies will be focused on growth, it is how they plan to grow that can tell you a lot about the business and how that business will run with you. After taking the time to assess the above points and talking them through with a tax recruiter, you should not only have a better understanding of the company but also a better idea of exactly what you want to get out of this new opportunity. To speak to Kevin about your recruiting needs or Tax jobs in London or Nationwide, contact him on 02072696321 or kevin.racher@pro-tax.co.uk
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How To Prepare For A Competency Based Interview
How To Prepare For A Competency Based Interview Published by Medet Ali Congratulations! You’ve landed yourself an interview… but now the nerves are kicking in. You were probably expecting the standard face to face interview, but you’ve just discovered it’s going to be a competency-based interview and you’ve probably got a few questions about what to expect and how to prepare. It’s not as scary as you think. The wonderful thing about this type of interview is that it gives you the perfect opportunity to showcase your previous experience. This guide will help you prepare for and ace that interview. What is a competency-based interview? Competency-based interviews (also known as structured, behavioural or situational interviews) work on the basis that past behaviour is a good indicator of future performance. Interviewers use specific questions relating to the skills required for the role to find out how you would behave in certain situations. These questions are designed to test your knowledge, skills and attitude and your answers are measured against a pre-decided criterion. An employer will typically use this type of interview if experience in the industry isn’t seen as essential. So, where some employers want to know if you have relevant experience in the industry, a competency-based interview does just that, it tests your competence. An example of this would be ‘how do you handle stress or pressure?’ Whilst stress can be negative, you can spin this into a positive by explaining how you perform better under a reasonable amount of stress and describe how you would cope with difficult situations. What are key competencies? Key competencies are skills that employers look for when recruiting to identify if you are a suitable candidate for the role. Key competencies can include: Teamwork – Whilst working independently is a great skill, employers want to know that you are also able to work effectively as part of a team. This is probably one of the most important competencies because if you lack in this area it can affect how the whole team performs. Being a good team member means being able to communicate professionally, help each other reach targets, resolve conflicts etc and it proves you are able to work well with others. Example question: Tell me about a team experience that you found rewarding. Commitment to career – Employers want you to demonstrate your commitment to your career, you can do this by finding out as much information about the firm, the role you have applied for and the industry. You should research this information prior to the interview. They want to know that you are serious about your application and that you fully understand the role you are applying for. Example question: What do you find interesting about this job? Communication – Communication is vital for any role. Good communication shows that you are able to present information (either written or verbal) in a way that can easily be understood by the recipient. When you work in the tax industry you need to demonstrate that you can clearly explain things like complex regulations in a clear and easy way for someone who isn’t specialised to understand. Example question: Describe a time you had to adjust your communication approach to suit a particular audience. Decision making – When it comes to decision making it is important that you come to an informed decision in a short amount of time and can back it up with supporting evidence. Having good decision-making skills shows an employer that you can use your own initiative and that you have the right skills to make the right decision. Example question: Give me an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision. What steps did you take? What was the outcome? Problem solving – It is guaranteed at some point in your career you will come across a problem that needs to be solved, it might be a small problem or possibly even a major problem. An employer wants you to demonstrate that you can resolve problems in a professional and positive manner. If during the interview you are provided with a scenario you could try using the IDEAL method to demonstrate your knowledge about problem solving, Identify the issue, Define the obstacles, Examine your options, Act upon an agreed course of action, Look at how it turns out, and whether anything else needs to be done. Example question: Identify a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem. Adaptability – It is important that you show you can easily adapt to change and demonstrate how you handle it. Employers want to know that you can take on new ideas and concepts and that you have a willingness to learn. They want to see that you have a positive ‘can do’ attitude. Example question: How do you adjust to changes you have no control over? Provide examples. Commercial awareness – Commercial awareness shows that you have a genuine interest in the tax industry. Do as much research as you can to expand your knowledge, follow different trends relating to the tax industry and read relevant articles. You should be able to talk about the industry confidently and discuss the latest news and trends. You should also be able to discuss why you are interested in working in the tax industry. Example question: What do you understand of the role this firm plays in the tax industry? Attention to detail – When it comes to the tax industry it’s vital that you have a high attention to detail, you need to be able to demonstrate an understanding of tax law and the regulations. Example question: Tell me about a piece of work you produced where accuracy was essential. Accountability – Do you take responsibility for all work activities and personal actions. Are you able to follow through on commitments? Can you implement decisions that have been agreed upon? Can you maintain confidentiality with sensitive information? It is important that you are able to acknowledge and learn from mistakes without blaming others and recognize the impact of one’s behaviour on others. Example question: Describe a time when you took personal responsibility for delivering a project or assignment. Initiative – Initiative refers to your ability to improve a situation without waiting for instructions and understanding how your own actions relate to the strategic goals. Can you recognise and respond to opportunities in order to reach a goal? Are you able to seek new and improved techniques, solutions, and approaches to completing assignments? These are all examples of how you can show how you use your initiative. Example question: Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead. How to prepare for a competency-based interview As the saying goes, by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. Preparation is key to success. It is likely an interviewer will ask you to provide examples of your previous experiences and they may even ask you what you would do in a scenario based on your examples. Prior to your interview it is important for you to identify what competencies are relevant for the role you are applying for in order for you to be prepared for the questions that might come up. Competencies are the knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviours that are necessary for the job. Make sure you understand both the job and person specification, you will usually find that this includes information around the competencies the employer is looking for. You can also look online at other examples of job descriptions for the job title you are applying for. For each competency you have identified write down examples based on your previous work, education or personal life experiences. Be positive with your answers and showcase your skills. You can use the STAR technique to construct your answers. The STAR technique is becoming increasingly popular. It offers a straightforward format you can use to answer competency-based interview questions by using the following steps: Situation – Describe the situation and what you needed to accomplish. Give specific examples. Task – Explain the task or activity, what was your goal? Action – Outline the actions you needed to take, what steps did you take? And what was your contribution? Don’t discuss what your team did, talk about yourself and what actions you took. Result – Describe the outcome. Take credit for your actions, speak about what you learnt. Make sure the outcome is positive, don’t focus on any negatives. How to ACE your interview So now you know what a competency-based interview is and what the interviewer is looking for, now all that’s left is to go and ace it. Practice your answers prior to the interview so that you are comfortable discussing them with the interviewer. Don’t try and think on your feet, this will more than likely end up with you slipping up or not knowing what to say. Update your CV, the interviewer may ask you questions, so be sure to have evidence to back it up. Be confident, you need to show the interviewer that you’re capable of fulfilling the role. Be honest with your answers, if you haven’t got a previous example then be honest with the interviewer and explain how you would deal with that situation. Research the company. Start with their website, read their news articles to keep up with the latest industry news. Show them that you have a genuine interest in the industry. Make sure your answers are relevant to the question asked. Listen carefully to what the interviewer is asking. Research the IDEAL and STAR techniques noted in the article to find more examples. There are also other techniques out there that you might find easier. Remember to be yourself, this is probably the most important tip when you are preparing for an interview. The Interviewer wants to get to know you and will want to hear about your own individual experiences. Here are a few more examples of competency-based interview questions: Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills. What was the outcome? What did you learn? Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it. Tell me about a time where you had to prioritise your workload because you had too many things to do. Give me an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision. What steps did you take? What was the outcome? In what ways can you contribute to our company? What do you find interesting about this job? Give us an example of a challenging situation you've overcome. Describe a situation where you showed leadership Where do you want to be in 1, 3 or 5 years’ time? (keep your answer relevant to the role you’re applying for).
How To Prepare For A Competency Based Interview
How To Prepare For A Competency Based Interview Published by Medet Ali Congratulations! You’ve landed yourself an interview… but now the nerves are kicking in. You were probably expecting the standard face to face interview, but you’ve just discovered it’s going to be a competency-based interview and you’ve probably got a few questions about what to expect and how to prepare. It’s not as scary as you think. The wonderful thing about this type of interview is that it gives you the perfect opportunity to showcase your previous experience. This guide will help you prepare for and ace that interview. What is a competency-based interview? Competency-based interviews (also known as structured, behavioural or situational interviews) work on the basis that past behaviour is a good indicator of future performance. Interviewers use specific questions relating to the skills required for the role to find out how you would behave in certain situations. These questions are designed to test your knowledge, skills and attitude and your answers are measured against a pre-decided criterion. An employer will typically use this type of interview if experience in the industry isn’t seen as essential. So, where some employers want to know if you have relevant experience in the industry, a competency-based interview does just that, it tests your competence. An example of this would be ‘how do you handle stress or pressure?’ Whilst stress can be negative, you can spin this into a positive by explaining how you perform better under a reasonable amount of stress and describe how you would cope with difficult situations. What are key competencies? Key competencies are skills that employers look for when recruiting to identify if you are a suitable candidate for the role. Key competencies can include: Teamwork – Whilst working independently is a great skill, employers want to know that you are also able to work effectively as part of a team. This is probably one of the most important competencies because if you lack in this area it can affect how the whole team performs. Being a good team member means being able to communicate professionally, help each other reach targets, resolve conflicts etc and it proves you are able to work well with others. Example question: Tell me about a team experience that you found rewarding. Commitment to career – Employers want you to demonstrate your commitment to your career, you can do this by finding out as much information about the firm, the role you have applied for and the industry. You should research this information prior to the interview. They want to know that you are serious about your application and that you fully understand the role you are applying for. Example question: What do you find interesting about this job? Communication – Communication is vital for any role. Good communication shows that you are able to present information (either written or verbal) in a way that can easily be understood by the recipient. When you work in the tax industry you need to demonstrate that you can clearly explain things like complex regulations in a clear and easy way for someone who isn’t specialised to understand. Example question: Describe a time you had to adjust your communication approach to suit a particular audience. Decision making – When it comes to decision making it is important that you come to an informed decision in a short amount of time and can back it up with supporting evidence. Having good decision-making skills shows an employer that you can use your own initiative and that you have the right skills to make the right decision. Example question: Give me an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision. What steps did you take? What was the outcome? Problem solving – It is guaranteed at some point in your career you will come across a problem that needs to be solved, it might be a small problem or possibly even a major problem. An employer wants you to demonstrate that you can resolve problems in a professional and positive manner. If during the interview you are provided with a scenario you could try using the IDEAL method to demonstrate your knowledge about problem solving, Identify the issue, Define the obstacles, Examine your options, Act upon an agreed course of action, Look at how it turns out, and whether anything else needs to be done. Example question: Identify a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem. Adaptability – It is important that you show you can easily adapt to change and demonstrate how you handle it. Employers want to know that you can take on new ideas and concepts and that you have a willingness to learn. They want to see that you have a positive ‘can do’ attitude. Example question: How do you adjust to changes you have no control over? Provide examples. Commercial awareness – Commercial awareness shows that you have a genuine interest in the tax industry. Do as much research as you can to expand your knowledge, follow different trends relating to the tax industry and read relevant articles. You should be able to talk about the industry confidently and discuss the latest news and trends. You should also be able to discuss why you are interested in working in the tax industry. Example question: What do you understand of the role this firm plays in the tax industry? Attention to detail – When it comes to the tax industry it’s vital that you have a high attention to detail, you need to be able to demonstrate an understanding of tax law and the regulations. Example question: Tell me about a piece of work you produced where accuracy was essential. Accountability – Do you take responsibility for all work activities and personal actions. Are you able to follow through on commitments? Can you implement decisions that have been agreed upon? Can you maintain confidentiality with sensitive information? It is important that you are able to acknowledge and learn from mistakes without blaming others and recognize the impact of one’s behaviour on others. Example question: Describe a time when you took personal responsibility for delivering a project or assignment. Initiative – Initiative refers to your ability to improve a situation without waiting for instructions and understanding how your own actions relate to the strategic goals. Can you recognise and respond to opportunities in order to reach a goal? Are you able to seek new and improved techniques, solutions, and approaches to completing assignments? These are all examples of how you can show how you use your initiative. Example question: Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead. How to prepare for a competency-based interview As the saying goes, by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. Preparation is key to success. It is likely an interviewer will ask you to provide examples of your previous experiences and they may even ask you what you would do in a scenario based on your examples. Prior to your interview it is important for you to identify what competencies are relevant for the role you are applying for in order for you to be prepared for the questions that might come up. Competencies are the knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviours that are necessary for the job. Make sure you understand both the job and person specification, you will usually find that this includes information around the competencies the employer is looking for. You can also look online at other examples of job descriptions for the job title you are applying for. For each competency you have identified write down examples based on your previous work, education or personal life experiences. Be positive with your answers and showcase your skills. You can use the STAR technique to construct your answers. The STAR technique is becoming increasingly popular. It offers a straightforward format you can use to answer competency-based interview questions by using the following steps: Situation – Describe the situation and what you needed to accomplish. Give specific examples. Task – Explain the task or activity, what was your goal? Action – Outline the actions you needed to take, what steps did you take? And what was your contribution? Don’t discuss what your team did, talk about yourself and what actions you took. Result – Describe the outcome. Take credit for your actions, speak about what you learnt. Make sure the outcome is positive, don’t focus on any negatives. How to ACE your interview So now you know what a competency-based interview is and what the interviewer is looking for, now all that’s left is to go and ace it. Practice your answers prior to the interview so that you are comfortable discussing them with the interviewer. Don’t try and think on your feet, this will more than likely end up with you slipping up or not knowing what to say. Update your CV, the interviewer may ask you questions, so be sure to have evidence to back it up. Be confident, you need to show the interviewer that you’re capable of fulfilling the role. Be honest with your answers, if you haven’t got a previous example then be honest with the interviewer and explain how you would deal with that situation. Research the company. Start with their website, read their news articles to keep up with the latest industry news. Show them that you have a genuine interest in the industry. Make sure your answers are relevant to the question asked. Listen carefully to what the interviewer is asking. Research the IDEAL and STAR techniques noted in the article to find more examples. There are also other techniques out there that you might find easier. Remember to be yourself, this is probably the most important tip when you are preparing for an interview. The Interviewer wants to get to know you and will want to hear about your own individual experiences. Here are a few more examples of competency-based interview questions: Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills. What was the outcome? What did you learn? Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it. Tell me about a time where you had to prioritise your workload because you had too many things to do. Give me an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision. What steps did you take? What was the outcome? In what ways can you contribute to our company? What do you find interesting about this job? Give us an example of a challenging situation you've overcome. Describe a situation where you showed leadership Where do you want to be in 1, 3 or 5 years’ time? (keep your answer relevant to the role you’re applying for).
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