Accounting Jobs: Job Interview Questions

Hello,

I am looking for accounting jobs. Can you tell me some of the current questions asked by the interviewers apart from skills and experience, such as a problem solving questions or what you learned from a certain situation? How should I respond to those questions?

Please can you send me more information on what an employer looks for?

Regards,

Usham

Usham,

If you could provide some more details on the type of accounting job and industry, it would be helpful.  Without that information, I can give you other things aside from number and analytical skills and experience that someone is looking for, such as the following traits:  

• Detail-oriented - Can point out the one mistake in a sea of numbers.
• Meet deadlines – Good time management skills since accounting is done on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis with very strict deadlines.
• Thorough - Will check things twice.
• Methodical - Is process oriented and organized.

Aside from that, a potential employer will likely be looking for a personality type that will be a good cultural fit. This factor will largely depend on the company. You can find out a lot about culture, e.g. relaxed, conservative, etc., through their website. It’s the “would they like to hang out with you for a beer” test. 

There are other questions that they may ask depending on the industry. For example, if you were in a highly regulated industry, like a stock brokerage, then I would probably ask you specific questions related to how well you do in following instructions and rules. 

I did an interview for CFO Magazine a while back and you may find these articles helpful:

Nine Things to Ask Your Future Boss, the CEO

Are Your Interview Skills in Tune with the Times?

I have sent your question out to a friend who is an accountant and if I hear back we’ll see what accountants today are asking in interviews, as the above ideas are really general and there may be something more current. Send more details and I will get back to you.

Best wishes,

C.J.