Interviewing for a new role can be exciting, especially if it’s your first time interviewing for a role in investor relations. As with all professional endeavours, it’s wise to come prepared. This article will walk you through what questions you may be asked in an investor relations job interview, and what competencies you will be expected to demonstrate.
Qualifications and Certifications For Investor Relations
For starters, it’s important to understand the duties of investor relations and what skills will be necessary for success in the role. Prerequisites for entry level roles in investor relations typically include:
- 5+ years of accounting/finance experience
- BA or BS in Business or Finance
- An MBA or CFA is often preferred, but not always necessary
- Excellent written and verbal skills
- Experience working with upper management
While it may be possible to land an interview with only some of the above qualifications, it may help to have some experience in finance for your first investor relations role.
See Also: How To Get a Job in Investor Relations
Interview Questions For Investor Relations
Below, we’ve listed some of the potential interview questions you may expect in an investor relations job interview, as well as some tips for how you can prepare for them. Please note that this list is not exhaustive.
What do you know about our company?
This is a fantastic opportunity to show the interviewer that you’ve done your homework. You may wish to represent what you know about the public brand, as well as what you know about the company stock. Make sure you look at the company’s main website and their investor relations website if they are separate.
How do you ensure your financial models are up to date and relevant?
This question is meant to test your financial and mathematical skills. Use this opportunity to demonstrate your method for constructing financial models, as well as to highlight any relevant professional or academic experience.
Similar questions:
- Give me an example of some of the financial and analytical work you do daily in your current role.
How would you manage the relaying of negative feedback from the investment community to the C-suite?
One of the main measures of seniority in a finance career is proximity to senior executives. This question helps interviewers understand your communication style and if you will be a good match for the executive team. If possible, answer this question with an anecdote that highlights your communication skills.
Similar questions:
- Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership skills in your current role.
- Give me an example of a time you disagreed with a coworker about a decision at work and how you resolved it.
If we select you, what would you propose doing in your first week, first month and first year?
This question invites you to share what your plans for this role are. Make reference to what you know about the company and anything that was recently mentioned in their shareholder documents. Specifically, you can also reference the duties listed in the job description to inform your answer.
Once again, if you’ve done your research on the company’s current IR department, this is your time to shine. This question lets you demonstrate your vision for the role, and address how you would apply your strengths to it.
Similar questions:
- If hired for this position, what skills do you consider most important to be successful?
- What difference do you think you can make in this role?
Describe a time you’ve had to handle a challenge at work.
This is an example of a behavioural question. The interviewer is looking to see your problem solving skills and how they work alongside your communication skills. When asked questions that rely on your story telling, it helps to frame your answer using the STAR technique.
S: Situation – Give the context of the Situation and outline your role in it.
T: Task – Describe the Task at hand.
A: Action – Outline the Actions you took to complete the Task.
R: Result – Describe the outcome or Result of your involvement in the situation.
The STAR technique ensures that your answer stays on track and leaves no room for misinterpretation.
Similar questions:
- Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work and how you handled it.
- How would you respond to a major investor who missed an application deadline?
Tell me about a business deal you were working with an investor on and the thesis behind the deal.
This question helps the interviewer understand your business acumen and strategic thinking. It provides an opportunity for you to highlight your strategic mindset and demonstrates how you might approach challenges in the incumbent role.
General Tips for Investor Relations Job Interviews
It should go without saying for every job, but especially with investor relations roles you want to do your homework – not only do you need to understand the company’s consumer brand and value proposition, you also need to understand why they appeal to investors. If you have access to analyst reports or other shareholder materials, be sure to incorporate these into your research.
Additionally, it’s important to ensure that your interview is not one-sided. This is a chance for both parties to see if there’s a mutual fit. Ask questions that will help you understand if the prospective company is a good fit for your career aspirations. Ideally, you should walk away from the job interview experience with no questions unanswered.