Fresh Financial CFO Interview Questions & Answers:

1. What have you done to improve your knowledge As Financial CFO in the last year?

Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job As Financial CFO. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.

2. Describe what a "lot of work" looks like to you As Financial CFO?

Ideally you'd like to state that you can take on a lot of work - this shows your work ethic, but at the same time it's okay to tell them that you value work and life balance.

3. If you have multiple projects on your plate, how do you handle completing them on time?

Prioritize based on business importance. Set clear timelines for each so that you know which ones to knock out first. Get your teammates to help if necessary.

4. What do you like to do?

Discuss your passions As Financial CFO. Ideally if it's work related that's fantastic! If not, talk about your academic / extracurricular passions and WHY you enjoy them. For example: I love playing sports because of the team work aspect - it's fun winning together! (This example shows you're a team player)

5. What is your biggest weakness As Financial CFO?

No one likes to answer this question because it requires a very delicate balance. You simply can't lie and say you don't have one; you can't trick the interviewer by offering up a personal weakness As Financial CFO that is really a strength (“Sometimes, I work too much and don't maintain a work-life balance.”); and you shouldn't be so honest that you throw yourself under the bus (“I'm not a morning person so I'm working on getting to the office on time.”)

6. If you were given more initiatives than you could handle, what would you do?

First prioritize the important activities that impact the business most. Then discuss the issue of having too many initiatives with the boss so that it can be offloaded. Work harder to get the initiatives done.

7. What relevant work experience do you have in this career field As Financial CFO?

Talk about specific work related experience for the position you're interviewing for. Make sure the experience is relevant. Don't talk about previous experience that is not related to the position in question. If you don't have specific career related experience speak about prior experience that has helped you develop the specific knowledge and skills required for the position you are applying for.

8. What did you like least about your last (or current) job As Financial CFO?

Don't vent or focus on the negative with brutally honest answers such as "My boss was a jerk," or "The company culture was too politically correct," or "They just weren't giving me the opportunity to take my career to the next level." Instead, keep the emphasis on the positive, even though there are sure to be things you weren't happy about.

9. What do you do in your spare time?

If you want to show your fun side, discuss your extracurricular activities. If you want to show your ambition, discuss the work / school projects you do in your spare time.

10. Top 11 Questions to Verify Experience and Credentials As Financial CFO:

Sometimes people want a job a little too bad - and they may fudge their credentials and experience a bit.

If you've run into this problem, are worried about it, or have credentials and experience that are absolutely essential, you may need to ask a few verification questions.

If you are a candidate, you should review your resume and make sure you know all the key points, and that nothing has been misconstrued.


1. What grades did you get in college?

2. What were your responsibilities when you worked in job x?

3. How many people were on your team at your last job?

4. What will your previous manager/supervisor say when I ask where you needed to improve?

5. What was your beginning and ending salary at job x?

6. What were your beginning and ending titles at job x?

7. Are you eligible for rehire at job x?

8. What tools are necessary for performing job x?

9. Describe to me how you would perform [x typical job task].

10. What was the focus of your thesis?

11. When did you leave company x?

11. What can you offer me that another person can't?

This is when you talk about your record of getting things done. Go into specifics from your resume and portfolio; show an employer your value and how you'd be an asset.
You have to say, “I'm the best person for the job As Financial CFO. I know there are other candidates who could fill this position, but my passion for excellence sets me apart from the pack. I am committed to always producing the best results. For example…”

12. What three character traits would your friends use to describe you?

Friends would typically use attributes like (assuming you have these): Trustworthy, honest, hardworking, friendly, courageous, nice, diligent, organized and so forth. Not saying you have all of these, but the best way for you to find out is to survey your friends by asking them what they consider your brand to be.

13. Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree?

You want to first understand why the policy was put into effect. From there, if you truly disagree with it, explain your position to your management. If they don't change it, then you must accept their decision and continue to work or the alternative decision would be to find a new job.

14. How do you prioritize your work?

Depends on the situation... I like to label certain tasks as either A B or C...A being the one that requires immediate attention, and C which are tasks that aren't urgent but eventually need to get done... I like to focus my work As Financial CFO on the things that need to get done, and done quickly... While balancing the other work alongside our first priorities.

15. How did you become interested in this field/industry?

Describe how you've come to develop a passion or interest in this industry and use variables like "culture, people, vision, career development, and the work itself" to define your choice

16. Explain me what do you know about our company?

Bad Answer: They don't know much about the company. If a candidate is serious and enthusiastic, they should have done some basic research.

Good answer: An answer that shows they've really done their homework and know what the company does, any important current events that involve the company, and the work culture.

17. Who has been an inspiration for you?

Cite your role models (possible examples could be your parents, people successful in the industry, world leaders, etc)

18. Give me an example of how you handled pressure at work As Financial CFO?

The company is looking to see if you can handle pressure well. Share with them an example where you were able to stay calm during a pressure filled situation (perhaps it was a deadline, or there was an emergency with a customer occurring). Discuss the situation, your reaction and steps you took to resolve it and the outcome.

19. Describe some problems you encountered in your most recent position As Financial CFO and how you resolved them?

Discuss your work experiences. The key is to show you're calm under pressure and can handle sensitive situations with a clear train of thought.

20. Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa). How did you handle the situation? What obstacles or difficulties did you face? How did you deal with them?

First, the key is to state the differences in personality to give the interviewer some background. Second, you want to discuss how that was affecting the situation. Third, show how you were able to adapt to the way the person wanted to be communicated with to achieve your goals

21. How well do you know our company?

Well, a developed company that is gradually building their reputation in the competitive world.

22. How well do you perform under pressure?

This is a fair question, as potential employers want to know if you're going to be able to get the job done even when things get a little bit stressful. You may say that you thrive under pressure or that you're able to get the job done even when things get a little bit stressful, just make sure to provide some real world examples of your ability to work under pressure in a prior job.

23. Top 12 Stress Based Interview Questions As Financial CFO:

Some jobs require employees to work under stress, and some interviewers just like to see how applicants handle stressful questions.

There are many questions designed for putting the interviewee into an awkward situation, or throwing them off, to see how they do under stress. Here are some samples.

1. How do you feel this interview is going As Financial CFO?

2. How would you handle undeserved criticism from a superior?

3. How many other jobs are you applying for?

4. What would you do if you saw a colleague stealing supplies or equipment?

5. What did you do when you had a boss you didn't get along with?

6. What would you do if a colleague took credit for your idea, and got a promotion?

7. Was the stress of your previous job too much for you?

8. What would you do if a colleague admitted to lying on their resume to get the job?

9. What would you do if a customer verbally insulted you in front of co-workers?

10. What would you change about the design of a baseball hat?

11. Why were you fired from your previous job As Financial CFO?

12. How successful do you think you've been so far?

24. Your coworker highlights your mistakes in front of everyone, how do you handle the situation?

Admit to the mistake without being emotional, but then discuss how you are being proactive in getting it fixed. Lastly, pull the co-worker aside later on to tell them that you'd appreciate it if they gave you the feedback 1:1 first before throwing you under the bus.

25. Have you ever been caught stealing, or better yet, have you ever stole anything?

I guess everyone takes a pen or paper or little things like that. But other than that, NO. I have never stole from my employers or better yet As Financial CFO, from anyone.

26. How does your present position differ from past ones?

Describe the difference with regards to responsibilities, culture, team, career opportunity, and the work itself.

27. What types of situations do you consider "unfixable"?

Most situations are "fixable" - the ones that are not are typically related to business ethics (someone is cheating the company, someone is stealing, etc)

28. How would you describe your approach to Financial CFO?

In more general terms, a question such as this gives a candidate the opportunity to talk about their professional philosophy and skills. While the question is general in nature, the best answers are usually quite specific, picking one or two points and exemplifying them with instances from personal history.

29. How would your former employer describe you?

In all likelihood, the interviewer will actually speak with your former employer so honesty is key. Answer as confidently and positively as possible and list all of the positive things your past employer would recognize about you. Do not make the mistake of simply saying you are responsible, organized, and dependable. Instead, include traits that are directly related to your work as a medical assistant, such as the ability to handle stressful situations and difficult patients, the way you kept meticulous records, and more.

30. What does "collaboration with teammates" mean to you?

Drinking at the water cooler together is not the best example. Think of how you can collaborate with teammates to generate new ideas, to create initiatives to impact the business' success for the better (specifically in the department that you're applying for). For example, if you're applying to marketing, collaboration could mean discussing new ways of social media advertising to reach an audience of over a million people to strengthen the brand awareness of the company.