Every great interview starts long before the candidate walks through the door.
As a social media marketing intern at Mitchell Adam, I have gained valuable insight into what truly drives successful placements in financial recruitment. Time and time again, it comes down to one undervalued step: the preparation call.
Recruitment is far more than matching a CV to a job description. The real work lies in the interview prep stage, where consultants must analyse both the client and the candidate in depth, building a picture that goes beyond qualifications. The stages leading up to this ensure a correct fit in terms of culture, attitudes, and future goals but the interview is the real test. Even the most accomplished candidate may miss out on an opportunity if they don’t enter with the right mindset. This is where the consultants make a difference.
What is interview prep?
A prep interview is the bridge between the interview offer and interview, the gap between being selected and performing well. A CV alone won’t ever win the room; it will only open the door. What happens next depends on how informed you are and how clearly you can define your career narrative.
The first thing a prep call does is transform the CV into a developed account. Not only do the consultants highlight the most relevant experiences and what to contextualise for specific role requirements, they focus on surfacing skills the candidate may have undersold on paper. Strong Excel modelling, systems experience, and stakeholder management often don’t make it into bullet points, but they are invaluable in conversation. Their job is to make sure the interviewer hears them.
Why is prep so necessary?
47% of interview failures are attributed to insufficient knowledge about the hiring company. This is why, at Mitchell Adam, we also cover practical dimensions of the interview and the company itself, as close as possible to the interview date to ensure its fresh in candidates’ minds. Details such as who will be in the room, the structure of the interview, and whether a presentation must be prepared in advance are all discussed. Furthermore, hiring manager expectations, company culture, and the reason for the vacancy are outlined in depth.
The more clearly a candidate can picture what they’ll walk into, the more confidently they can carry themselves while behaving authentically.
This interview preparation doesn’t coach candidates to say what the client wants but instead helps them present what’s true about themselves in the strongest possible light.
Good prep builds clarity, not a script
There is no single blueprint for preparation, and that’s precisely the point. What a good prep call provides isn’t a set of rehearsed answers – it’s a deep enough understanding of the role that the candidate can speak about it with confidence.
A candidate who has genuinely thought about the client’s business, how they align with it, and what differentiates them, will come across as considered, not robotic. When two candidates are equally qualified on paper, it is almost always the one who can deliver their experiences assuredly (not mechanically) who gets the role. Entering an interview with that kind of clarity gives people the confidence to present their best selves.
Preparation also shapes the conversation itself. An interview is not a one-sided evaluation. It is a two-way exchange, and candidates who understand this arrive ready to assess the opportunity as much as the client is assessing them. With the groundwork already laid: a well-matched job description, a tailored CV, and a thorough prep call, the interview is far more likely to confirm a genuine fit than reveal any doubts about one.
Why does it matter more for senior roles?
At a senior level, the technical expertise is assumed. What separates candidates is the quality of their communication, leadership philosophy, and the career decisions shaping their trajectory.
The stakes are higher, interviews more rigorous, and thus the margins between candidates are narrower.
Senior roles often involve more complex interview formats: multiple stakeholders, panel discussions, or presentations prepared in advance. Where senior candidates can truly differentiate themselves is in the specifics they bring, how specific choices they’ve made can directly apply to challenges within this role. Here, we aim to discuss candidates’ most relevant highlights, ensuring the interview time focuses on significant milestones.
The candidates who stand out at this level aren’t the ones with the most impressive CVs. They’re the ones who can make the interviewer feel that they already understand the business.
Preparation benefits everyone
Clients trust our recruiters to send candidates who are ready. Not just qualified on paper, but genuinely prepared to make a strong impression, ask the right questions, and represent themselves well. When a candidate arrives well-prepped, the interview is more productive and the client can more clearly assess true alignment, rather than helping the candidate find their footing.
As an intern, I came in thinking recruitment was largely about CVs and timing. What I’ve learned is that the most decisive moments often happen in a quiet conversation the week before – and the consultants who invest in those moments are the ones who make the strongest placements.
If you’re a business looking to hire in finance, or a candidate navigating the market, this is the kind of detail making the difference between a good process and an exceptional one.
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