Senior Accountant Interview Preparation Guide

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A sample answer to accounting interview questions like this is:
In response to the changing market accountancy professionals have to provide more management and consulting services, in addition to financial management. They have to assume a greater advisory role and develop more complex and flexible accounting systems.

Then continue to explain how you can meet this challenge.

Chartered Accountancy firms put a lot of weight on A-level grades as these have been found to be the best predictors of success in professional examinations.

If your A levels were not outstanding, this may sometimes depend more on the quality of the school you attended than your ability. In some inner-city schools it may be that a mediocre A-level performance that you achieved might have been the best in your school – if this is so, then make it clear. An average performance at a weak school academically may be the equivalent of a much better performance at some prestigious establishments.

Similarly, if there were any other external factors, such as illness, that may have affected your grades, tell the interviewers – but don’t sound as though you are making excuses.

The obvious answer would be careers in banking and insurance and other finance areas, but it is OK to mention any career here as long as you can argue your case effectively e.g. by demonstrating that the skills required are similar to those of an accountant.

Interviewers will be looking for evidence that you have analyzed your skills and interests in a logical manner when coming to a career decision, and also for signs of your commitment to accountancy.

However, in an interview you do not HAVE to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If you admit to also applying for highly-competitive areas such as journalism or the Diplomatic Service, the interviewer is likely to assume that accountancy is your second choice. Similarly, you might find the interviewer challenging your interest in business if you said that social work or nursing was also an option.

Before your interview think through everything you have done in the last five years and try to find at least one example which fits each of these situations.

Don’t worry if your examples are not earth-shattering, as long as they give some evidence for possessing the quality in question.

You can answer these questions by first describing the SITUATION and/or TASK you had to achieve, then the ACTION you took in the situation and finally the RESULT or outcome. Some interviews consist almost entirely of these types of questions, in which case the order of the interview is set in advance with a standard list of questions. Even more so than usual answer questions honestly – honesty is essential in the job!

With accounting job interview questions like this first list the applications you have used and then expand on the value of the solutions they offered to your particular business. Look at aspects such as managing vendor information, approval controls and providing payables reports.

List the information, make sure you cover everything and highlight your attention to detail. Include a sample of a bill for service that you created in your interview portfolio.

Demonstrate your experience in maintaining accounting principles, practices and procedures to ensure accurate and timely financial statements and reporting. Discuss your ability to meet tight deadlines and undertake a multitude of accounting activities. Show your understanding of generally accepted and statutory accounting principles.

Financial accounting encompasses all account presented on the face of the financial statement, its presentation, recognition, measurement and disclosures. Where as cost accounting is only focused on the cost of inventory.

External users of accounting information (especially investors) use accounting information like annual and quarterly reports to base their investing decisions on, and to compare different companies with one another.

Internal users of accounting (mostly managers) use internal accounting information in order to plan.

Following are different branches of accounting:

1- Cost Accounting
2- Financial Accounting
3- Management Accounting