3 WAYS TO (PLEASANTLY)

SURPRISE A TAX HIRING AUTHORITY

RESEARCH THE PERSON WHO’S CONDUCTING YOUR INTERVIEWPrior to your interview, find out who you’ll be interviewing with and do a quick search on Google or LinkedIn. Spend some time reading their publications to get a sense of their perspective on things related to tax or the company. If a similar topic comes up during the interview, mention how you read his or her publication and what your thoughts on the topic.DON’T spend time finding out their dog’s name, when their wife’s birthday is, their favorite restaurant, etc. This can come off as “trying to hard” or creepy.

RESEARCH THE COMPANY AND ITS TAX DEPARTMENTWant to really impress the hiring authority? Show up to the interview with your own ideas of how they can optimize their processes. For example, if you know the tax department is using antiquated technology or software for their compliance work, bring a few suggestions and why these would make the department more effective.This will show that you’ve not only taken the time to research the company, but you also took the initiative to make it more effective before you’ve even started.

WRITE A HANDWRITTEN THANK YOU NOTEAfter the interview, write a short thank you card and drop it off at the front desk before you leave.Mention something specific that you discussed in the interview. For example, if you talked about new state tax policies, mention how enjoyed discussing how this may effect the tax function.Keep thank you notes in your car so you can give it directly to the front desk instead of snail mailing it from home.