WHY SOFT SKILLS ARE SO IMPORTANT

So, You Want to Be a Credit Manager? Here's What You Need to Know

So, You Want to Be a Credit Manager? Here's What You Need to KnowCredit Management isn’t just about chasing payments — it’s about protecting the lifeblood of a business: cashflow. To help future finance leaders get a real feel for what it’s like to step into a Credit Manager role (and thrive!), we asked current Credit Manager, Philip Holborough to share their honest thoughts in our Voices of Transactional Finance Leaders Series. In this article, Philip talks about everything from the challenges he’s faced along the way, to the skills and attitudes that really make a difference. He also gives a glimpse into how the role is changing, what impact technology like AI might have, and why having a "bulldog attitude" could actually be one of your biggest assets. Whether you're just starting out or aiming for the next step in your career, their advice is packed with real-world lessons you won’t want to miss.What do you think future leaders should prioritise or focus on most in order to successfully make themselves appointable as a Credit Manager?Debtor payment trends. Regardless of industry the key to successful Credit Managers is analysis of payment performance – this is often the biggest tell-tale sign of potential payment issues in the future.What are both the best and the most challenging aspects of being the Credit Manager of a fast-paced business? Blending Credit with Sales. Often the two don’t mix well – but open, frank and honest conversations where clarity of objectives is understood on both sides will help in a very challenging environment.What are your opinions about the relationship between a Credit Manager and the FC/CFO and CEO? What is critically important in building a successful partnership and providing the right support to the FC/CEO/CFO? A good CFO will recognise the importance of a Credit Manager – not always the case with CEO as they are often more strategic and commercial in their approach and less likely to be open to credit conversations over sales performance.What new key skills or attributes do you think the next generation of Credit Managers are going to need to develop? Tenacity. Both internally and externally. “The squeaky wheel gets the oil!” Don’t be afraid to offer opinions based on gut instinct and past experience. You will earn the respect of the business very quickly if you are able to nail your colours to the mast! Are new technologies like Artificial Intelligence having much of an impact on your role as Credit Manager yet? What impact do you think they will have over the next few years? AI frightens me – but I recognise the importance of some labour-saving aspects. A computer will never get someone to pay a bill – only a human voice can do that.Is it possible to maintain a reasonable work life balance at Credit Manager Level or do you have to accept that there will be personal sacrifices in order to progress to that level?Clear boundaries are very important. CM can be a stressful occupation – you must be able to separate these to ensure no burn out!Away from core credit knowledge, what personality traits have been critical to your success as a Credit Manager? Are these natural or have you worked on developing them?The willingness to not let go! Bull dog attitude – obviously with respect to the customer and the wider business. Don’t give up.What is the one single best piece of advice you were given early in your career that still holds true today? “Show me the money!” Cashflow is critical to any business large or small – the Credit manager is the custodian of this process.If there’s one thing Philip’s advice makes clear, it’s that being a great Credit Manager is about a lot more than just ticking boxes. It’s about sharp instincts, real tenacity, clear communication, and a relentless focus on cashflow — all while building strong relationships across the business. The role might change over time, especially as new technologies come into play, but the core principles stay the same: know your numbers, trust your gut, speak up when it matters, and never lose sight of the bigger picture. For anyone thinking about a career in Credit Management (or already on the way), these lessons are pure gold. Take them on board, keep learning, and remember — the best Credit Managers aren’t just protecting the cash, they’re helping to drive the whole business forward. Looking for your next career move in finance or accountancy? At Sharp Consultancy, our expertise lies in matching your potential with the perfect temporary, interim, or permanent position. With a well-established presence in Leeds and Sheffield, our seasoned team of consultants extends their services across Yorkshire and beyond. Don't wait for opportunity to knock, reach out to us TODAY and let's chart your career path together.

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When preparing for an interview for a new position or aiming to gain a promotion, it can be easy to focus upon your job specific knowledge and experience and over look the soft skills which are just as important to ensuring that you land the role.

With more and more employers utilising competency based interviews as part of the recruitment process, failing to understand the importance of soft skills could see you trip yourself up as these will often assist employers differentiate between candidates of a similar calibre.

Whilst hard skills – your qualifications, training courses, experience and expertise – are undoubtedly important, soft skills demonstrate more to an interviewer about your people or interpersonal skills and generally cover areas such as communication, teamwork and problem solving.

The majority of candidates applying for a role will no doubt tick many, if not all, of the boxes – the hard skills - necessary to perform the role and any which do require improvement, such as mastering a particular IT programme, will often be in areas that can be addressed through training. Softer skills however tend to be the skills that a person ‘naturally’ possesses, and as such are not so easy to teach therefore can be harder to find an individual that displays the right qualities that will make them an ideal cultural fit for a particular organisation.

During an interview, employers will look to assess your soft skills through a series of questions aimed at getting you to talk about real life situations where you will be required to describe how you approached a particular scenario, your behaviour and what the eventual outcome was and what you took away from the experience.

Before attending an interview, it is worth preparing a handful of relevant examples that will enable you to demonstrate these skills.

Our top five soft skills for success:

1.Communication

Demonstrate that you are a good communicator by illustrating your examples with the type of language that you used, your tone, delivery and also your ability to listen and take on board the views of others.

2.Problem Solving

Show that you can think around a problem and come up with creative solutions and put in place measures to address any obstacles which you may come up against. It is also beneficial to highlight examples of where you have been proactive in anticipating a problem and where you have been able to overcome unexpected issues to produce a successful outcome.

3.Negotiating Skills

Can you deliver a compelling case for approaching a project in a certain way? Can you build effective relationships with other team members and departments to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal? Can you take on board other points of view and work collaboratively to help shape the eventual outcome?

4.Passion

Are you genuinely enthusiastic about the role and opportunity to join the company? Don’t be afraid to show that you are keen to become part of the team and that you have the drive and desire to make the role a success.

5.Confidence

It’s important that you demonstrate that you are confident in your ability – but don’t let that come across as being arrogant. Show that you believe you are the right person for the role with examples of how you have made successful contributions, by sharing your goals and ambitions for the future and how you think you can make a real difference to the organisation.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today to speak to a member of our team about your next career move.