@Gottagetthroughthis101 @helenaskelton I think when it comes to displaying commercial awareness in any conversation, whether that be an interview or professional interaction - there's two layers:
1) Being able to show that you're commercially knowledgeable
2) Being able to show that you think in a commercial way
The first is pretty simple, it comes with research. And, the way most tend to go about this is either through LinkedIn, News Articles, Press Releases, Firm Websites etc. Essentially, you need to show a basic understanding of what is going on in the world that could impact the firm, their clients, or their clients' industries. So, when you read up on something - dissect it and consider how impactful is this to the firm you're applying for, and aim to be as specific as possible.
Where I feel most stumble, is however the second layer. Sure, you know what's going on in the world. You likely read up on it on FT but how can you leverage that information to bring about some value. After all, what good is knowledge if it doesn't amount to anything. So, you need to be able to display how you're a commercial thinker, and identify where such an approach has helped you in the past. Often or not, the examples aren't as intense as Open AI's 2026 growth strategy, they're as simple as link-selling products in your retail job to drive sales - so long as you can showcase that you're the type of candidate that can consider market conditions/customer needs/business performance etc.
So, talk through your knowledge, but also offer some examples where you can for your ability to think commercially in any given scenario.
