Interview questions

Interview questions for graduate jobs in Accountancy

Job seeking is a real challenge. If you would like to apply for the job in the accounting field, in this article we would like to tell you what you should say during your interview. Why is it so important? By and large, first impression when you meet somebody is essential. You have got only five or ten seconds in which you can impress your potential employer. You need to show them you’re confident and that you feel comfortable in this specific environment. One of the most common questions is: “If you discovered invoice discrepancy, what would you do? How would you solve this problem? ”. At the beginning, tell your interviewer why discrepancy might be considered serious problem. Then, explain step by step how you can solve such problem, and finally, describe what skills and knowledge are necessary to solve the problem of discrepancy. Another very popular question is: “How many invoices on average do you handle on weekly or monthly basis?”. This question undoubtedly will be asked if you had an experience in accountancy. This is very personal issue, however, be honest and try to justify your answer, not only give the number.

We also want to pay your attention to the following question: “What are the steps to take before you approve an invoice or payment?”. By this question, your interviewer is going to measure your understanding of invoice verification process. Typical process should include checking whether received goods are presented in satisfactory manner or not. Moreover, you can be also asked about types of software applications you used for accounts receivable. Remember not only to list down all of such applications, but also describe their functions. Be ready that you can be also asked to give some examples of the accounting reports you have prepared. In giving examples, keep in mind that demonstrating of your experience in complying with the accounting regulations, practices and procedures set by the company you had worked before, are also very important.  It is crucial point as all reports must be prepared with due regard of the company’s policy. Highly recommended is also to show that you are able to deal with some tight deadlines as well.

There also should be mentioned about some more universal questions like: “What do you know about our organization?”. Before the interview, do some research about the company, got through what are their successes and achievements. Do not forget about absolutely the most popular questions such: “Why should we hire you?”, “What is your management philosophy?”, “How you can handle with working under pressure?”. All of them are not strictly connected with accountancy, but even if your answers for previous questions were excellent, but for those “more common” are inappropriate, you are likely to make really bad impression. Anyway, if you are applying for the accountant position, before the interview, you need to be prepared for at least all aforementioned questions.