How To Ace An Accounting Job Interview

By Selipha Kihagi

An accounting job interview is fairly like any other interview, you have to prepare well, do your background research and rehearse expected questions and answers. But while it shares the familiarity of other job interviews, interviewing to become an Accountant can go further than the norm. Remember that accounting jobs are more technical and hence will require extra assessment than the normal question and answer kind of interview.

So, as an accountant scheduled for an interview, do you have the aces up your sleeve or are you still not sure where the ace card is in the stack? Whether you are well equipped or not, at entry level or mid-management level, here are a few tips on how you can ace the accounting job interview.

Tips To Help You Ace That Accounting Job Interview

1. Be fully acquainted with expected questions and answers
As is in any job interview you will come across, how you answer the questions a recruiter or employer asks during the interview will determine how well qualified for the position you are. This is why it is always important that you get acquainted with the common interview questions for accounting jobs by thoroughly rehearsing answers.

Once you do, you can be sure the interview will go well. You can read more about questions to expect in an accounting job interview in this earlier article.

2. Use numbers when discussing your work experience
When employers and recruiters are filling a position, work experience is given priority over other qualifications. For example, a candidate with CPA K and 4 months internship experience could lose the job to a candidate who is just starting out on their CPA but with more than 1 year experience. This is because employers are looking for candidates who will get on the job fast as explained in this article.

So, to ensure you do not miss out on a chance because of your years of experience, demonstrate to the interviewer that you are suitable by using numbers and percentage to quantify your experience. Interviewers will be more inclined to hire the person who demonstrates detail and determination in their job, and what better way to do this but use numbers? Remember accountants are all about numbers and data.

3. Be knowledgeable about the latest accounting software
Again, accounting jobs are all about computing and the easier and more effective the process is, the better an employer will be impressed. To ace an accounting job interview, you must be well knowledgeable about the latest accounting software. If you are not sure about this, the job description can be your source of help in this. Go back to the JD and confirm which software the job in question requires you to be good at.

If you haven’t used it before, make Google your friend during the interview preparation stage. You can also approach a friend to help out. Instead of just being familiar with one of the listed software, make sure you acquaint yourself with all of them.

4. Make sure you demonstrate to the interviewer that you are detail-oriented
An accounting job is technical and analytical, which means you have to be detail oriented for you to succeed in such a job. Now, if the way you handle yourself in the interview portrays that you are not into detail or organized, you just might miss out on it altogether. Care more about the little details and you won’t be sorry.

From your handshake, how you speak, to the analytical test you are likely to undertake, make sure the interviewer is overwhelmed by your attention to even the little details. This is necessary in any evaluation.

Also, check out this video on how to go about situational interviews.

Do you have any questions or concerns from a past accounting job interview? Share below.

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