Robert Half International surveyed 1,400 CFOs to determine the most important skills they look for in executive candidates … beyond technical skills and industry knowledge.
Percentage of CFOs reporting skills they look for: | |
Verbal communication skills | 34% |
Problem-solving abilities | 34% |
Confidence | 13% |
Negotiating skills | 4% |
Personality/character | 3% |
Teamwork abilities | 2% |
Other | 3% |
No answer | 7% |
Are you a good communicator? If not, seek out a Toastmasters group today, and get active with them! Weekly meetings and regularly scheduled and impromptu speeches will improve your communication skills very quickly … which will in turn improve your interviewing skills.
Possessing solid problem–solving skills means you understand how to “walk the talk.” It is not enough to tell “what” you did (responsibilities), you MUST tell “how” your accomplishments impacted the bottom–line (value). That means, creating stories that incorporate Challenge–Action–Result + Strategic Importance to the organization.
One of the newest interviewing techniques involves solving a “case study.” This is designed specifically to understand your thought processes when solving problems rather than getting “one right” answer. A logical approach to solving the problem … and the ability to clearly communicate that thought process is critical … wins!