My playbook to get a strategic finance role in Silicon Valley

A guide to approaching the strategic finance interview process at tech companies

It wasn’t easy. I was switching careers into strategic finance after 12 months of working on my own as a growth, business development, and finance consultant. Making matters tricky, the outbreak of COVID-19 at the beginning of March and subsequent economic nosedive meant new openings were hard to come by and all interviewing had to be done virtually.

The good news is that despite these challenges I emerged with the outcome I wanted — a few offers, a number of final round interviews at great companies, and a much better appreciation for how recruiting works at tech companies. Plus lots of conversations with smart, driven people.

I was incredibly fortunate to have gotten an offer at a time like this, and am providing this guide to help others in a similar position land their dream roles in strategic finance. This post is split into four sections — Networking, Interviewing, Publishing, and Helpful Resources — which correspond to the areas I found most important in getting hired. Hope you find something in here that is helpful.

This also wouldn’t be complete without a big thank you to all the friends, mentors, and colleagues that helped me in so many ways through this journey.

Brief Background

I came to the interview process having worked as a consultant for the last year; before that I spent seven years in banking, private equity, and corporate development. My qualifications made me well-positioned for the strategic finance roles to which I was applying.

Below I share an infographic of my interview process. 20+ applications led to 14 initial interviews, five final rounds, and three offers. Were I to have done the process again with all the learnings I gained through the process (esp. more interview prep), I think my outcomes could have been even better.

Pillar 1: Networking

While almost all mid to late stage tech companies post jobs publicly, I found that a network can still have a big impact. An introduction to a hiring manager, a one-off text of support, or even a tip of a new posting can go a long way at the right time. That said, a network isn’t essential for landing a role — especially in the more junior ranks — tech companies have a big focus on merit-based hiring relative to other industries I’ve seen. I went far in many processes where I didn’t know anyone at the company.

Cold emails worked for me when I did them with intentionality, both for school alumni in strategic finance roles and hiring managers. I found hiring managers at earlier-stage companies (Series B and below) were more likely to respond and look favorably on cold emails vs. more established companies. Here’s an example of a simple LinkedIn message that got a reply.

Networking events got me in the room with the right people, helped my industry leanings, and provided a break from the interviewing grind. CFO Connect SF is an example of an event that had relevant attendees and good content.

Finally, recruiters were a great way to surface opportunities and provide candid feedback on likelihood of landing a given role. DeWinter Group and Opus Search are two good firms specializing in finance and tech.

Pillar 2: Interviewing

The first step to a successful interview is writing a custom cover letter for each opportunity. This not only increases your conversion rate to the interview stage, but helps you answer the ‘why our company’ and ‘why you’ questions you will get in that initial interview. Here is a cover letter here that converted for me.

When preparing for the interview itself, I broke potential interview questions into sections (e.g., technical, behavioral, career trajectory, etc.) and then created an interview checklist for the questions I’d be most likely to get. Here is a checklist I used. I also practiced live case interview questions as these come up often, as well as financial modeling. (note: Pillar 4 has lots more resources for interview prep)

Practicing interviews with friends helped with my nerves, improved my content, and made my wording more smooth in the actual interview.

Follow-up / thank you notes after the interview can help you to be remembered. And if you don’t get the role, ask for feedback.

Pillar 3: Publishing

By publishing I refer to the process of producing original content related to your professional field. For me this took the form of blog posts on Medium; for others it could include podcasting, Youtubing, tweeting, LinkedIn, etc.

Publishing helped give me balance through the interview process, helped me brush up on topics I was rusty on, and aided in keeping my critical thinking skills in good shape.

I found success and enjoyment in publishing, both in topics I was interested in and had some prior experience in. I also found it liberating to post content on Medium without explicitly looking for approval.

Pillar 4: Helpful Resources

A number of resources helped me level up my strategic finance skills, learn about tech dynamics, and do research on companies. A few of my favorites are below. If you have additional resources, I’d love to hear them!

Blogs & podcasts

• The Backbone. Podcast interviewing CFOs, VPs, and Directors of finance at tech companies.
• 20 minute VC. Podcast featuring founders, VCs, and others in the startup ecosystem.
• Kellblog. Blog focused on SaaS startup topics.

Interview prep

• Case questions. Caseinterview.com is a must for understanding how to break down a case. Victor Cheng knows his stuff.
• Practice models. I have a few on my Medium; Breaking Into Wall Street is another great resource.
• Sample interview questions. Glassdoor.com is a good place to find previous questions. I also have a Medium post with the types of questions I received.

Company information and compensation guide

• Crunchbase.com. A free trial of the pro version allows you to screen for companies by region, stage, and funding. Also good for checking funding amounts for companies you are interviewing with.
• Compensation guide. Opus Search has a guide for salaries at tech startups based on your role. Download it here.
• Equity research reports (if your friends have access)

Final thoughts on the interview process

Stay sane! Embrace the ups and downs that come with the interview process. Things won’t always go your way. If you focus on the big picture, including where you want to be in 20 years, it helps put today in proper context.

Be flexible, and pay attention to feedback. Feedback can help you identify areas to work on, and what is or isn’t working in your interviews. Finally, lean on your friends! Interviewing is a stressful process. Lean on your friends, family, and anyone else who can to get you through it.

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Hope this was helpful. If I can ever be of help, please reach out to me in the comments or at harry.macinnis@gmail.com. Best of luck with your searches!