An insider reveals top interview tips for fintech workers

Interview etiquette has a whole new dynamic now that video is the norm, writes Jobbio's Aoibhinn McBride.

Fintech continues to be one of the more robust sectors in the UK thanks to London’s position as a global hub for fintech investment. 

The city’s tech ecosystem is worth £257bn—and over the course of 2021 alone, the fintech industry attracted a record £9.5bn in investment––nearly half of all investments in Europe.

However, with layoffs coming thick and fast,  workers are actively gearing up for potential layoffs and CWJobs reports that 53 per cent of UK tech workers are hedging their bets and applying for new jobs over fears of redundancies at their companies.

The highest area of risk is London, where the number rose to 63 per cent.

So what can fintech workers do to stay ahead of their professional peers all vying for the same coveted roles? Up their virtual meeting game.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

It’s estimated that 79 per cent of companies now conduct interviews with candidates via video call, compared to 22 per cent pre-pandemic, and the video interview market is expected to grow to around £2.7bn by 2025.

And while you might use video conferencing every day in your current role, when it comes to an interview setting, you need to go the extra mile to ensure your meeting can get underway without a hitch.

For starters, your laptop should be fully charged and plugged in, notifications should be temporarily blocked from popping up on your screen––essential if you plan on screen-sharing––and your background should be clear, well-lit and devoid of clutter.

“I think you want to look like a pro every time,” advises Frank Weishaupt, CEO of video conferencing company, Owl Labs.

“The tech doesn’t always work, so one minute prior to every call I open Zoom or Microsoft Teams or whatever platform I’m going to be using, I start a meeting and make sure my camera is working, my background is appropriate, and my audio is working.”

There are new rules and etiquette in play now. “You have a purpose for setting this meeting, and I don’t want to waste your time paying some sort of meeting tax,” he says.

Look the part

Visibility in an interview is a key component of making a good first impression so you should always start with your camera on.

“Never make the assumption that you’re going to be audio only because I think if you go into a meeting and you don’t have your video on and someone else does, there’s a little bit of awkwardness there,” Weishaupt says.

“There are companies that I have meetings with and everyone’s video is always off, and I think it’s really interesting because I feel more connected in our conversation because I can see you. I think video is an important part of that.”

Ready to flex your new and improved video interview skills and put them to the test? The AltFi Job Board is filled with opportunities across fintech, in companies that are actively hiring, like the three below.

Business Banking FinCrime SME, Monzo, London

Monzo is looking for an exceptional Business Banking FinCrime SME to drive forward the development of its business banking fincrime capabilities. You will need to understand fincrime regulatory frameworks and have expert knowledge in developing systems, rules and models to effectively detect and prevent all types of financial crime. You’ll work with a team of dedicated financial crime engineers, data scientists and machine learning experts to tackle all the different areas of crime as a cohesive unit. View more details here.

Android Engineer, Starling Bank, London

As a fully digital bank, Starling is looking for engineers that are able to understand and prioritise security when implementing new features, fixing bugs or making technical improvements, across all the layers. As an Android Engineer you will design, build and release new screens. Testing is also a significant element of this role. Applicants should have experience using Espresso and JUit. This is a hybrid role and as such the new hire can work from its London, Southampton or Cardiff offices. See the full job description here.

Dev/Tech Lead, Third Republic, London

Third Republic is working with a fintech company that is shaping the future of banking to find a Dev/Tech Lead. Leading a small team of developers, in this role you’ll offer technical direction and be responsible for implementing the technical vision and contribute to product design, architecture, system reliability and scalability of service. You’ll need excellent knowledge of Java 8, Java/J2EE and other concepts including OO & Service Design in JSON or RESTful, experience with relational Databases and SQL tuning and experience with Kubernetes and Docker. View more details here.

For thousands more opportunities in fintech, visit the AltFi Job Board today.