Things to look for in a finance candidate

With finance being one of the most popular field of study, hundreds and thousands of candidates will apply for companies, no matter the size. It is important to choose the right candidates carefully. While the check list down below is important, it is not critical to selecting the right candidate. This is just a rough outline, and are some qualities that a finance application should have.

1. License/qualifications/grades: Because finance is heavily based around hard and technical skills, the right candidate should have the license or qualifications to prove their ability in that role. Likewise, you should take into account the candidate’s grades if they are a graduate or an intern. Some qualifications to look out for include: a Certificate IV Financial Services/or Business Administration, as well as a bachelor’s degree in commerce majoring in finance. These are highly useful in a finance candidate. As for interns or graduates, look out for extracurricular activities that may have developed their finance skills (such as being in a finance society).

2. Interpersonal skills: One of the biggest soft skills that a candidate needs are interpersonal skills. No matter what area of business, interpersonal skills are crucial to working in the industry. Strong interpersonal skills means that they are effectively able to connect and communicate with their team members and clients, thus enhancing their performance. Likewise, strong interpersonal skills indicate experience in working in teams and collaborating, as well as innate talent with connecting to people.

3. Analytical skills: Strong skill in interpreting data and information relevant to the market is critical to a finance candidate. In order to bring success and perform well, they must be able to analyse the context of the market and thus make proper decisions to bring profit to the company and team. This requires keeping up with the latest news and events that can affect the market.

4. Ability to learn and improve: Like all other areas of job seeking, one of the biggest indicators of a well performing individual is their ability to take criticism and learn and improve from their mistakes. An arrogant individual who is unable to take criticism will fail to perform better in the future, so the right candidate should always be confident, but humble.

5. Knowledge of current technology: Because finance is heavily technical based, it is important that the candidate is able to utilise current technology to give them a competitive edge. Inability to keep up with software such as MATLAB. This is heavily related to their ability to learn as well – to be a lifelong learner is a critical feature in any candidate.