Seeking an accounting career? After completing your training, the next step will be to ace the job application process. While crafting the perfect resume and cover letter is important, there’s no better way to impress a potential employer than by demonstrating your job readiness during an interview.
Organizations within almost any industry rely on accounting professionals to handle their finances, manage financial transactions, ensure compliance with tax regulations, and more. When you interview for a position as an accounting professional, you’ll need to demonstrate to an organization that you not only have the experience necessary to complete the job at hand but that you possess the skills that will enable you to go above and beyond throughout your career.
Read on to discover what to expect from an interview for an accounting position, as well as some tips to help you prepare.
Make Sure to Research the Company Prior to Your Job Interview
One of the worst mistakes that you can make when interviewing for careers in accounting is failing to research the company you’re interviewing with. Every organization is unique in terms of its mission, values, and company culture. As a candidate applying for a position, it’s your job to learn as much about a prospective employer as you possibly can. Expect your interviewer to ask you some questions surrounding your knowledge of their company. When you come prepared to answer these questions, you’re demonstrating your genuine interest in that particular career opportunity.
Don’t forget to research the organization you’re interviewing for
Demonstrate Your Organizational Capabilities
Accounting professionals need to be able to use their organizational tools to schedule projects, collect data, keep track of deadlines, allocate resources, and more. Given the importance of organization to an accounting professional’s ability to effectively manage an organization’s finances, you can expect your interviewer to ask you a few questions about your organizational and time management skills. In your answers, be sure to discuss your strategies for prioritizing tasks, planning projects according to set time frames, and sticking to your schedule while on the job.
Your Interviewer Will Want to Know if You Have Analytical Skills
After completing your accounting training, your success will depend on your ability to spot errors and inaccuracies and remedy them with effective solutions. When you interview for an accounting position, your interviewer will want to know that you have the problem-solving and analytical skills necessary to overcome challenges and obstacles on the job. When answering questions about your analytical capabilities, come prepared to elaborate on some examples of problems you’ve solved as an accounting professional. By taking your interviewer through the steps you took to: identify the issue, assess the information, and develop a solution—you’ll show them that you have what it takes to help their company succeed on the job.
Prepare to Discuss Your Familiarity with Accounting Applications
Today, all accounting professionals need strong technical skills, as most modern organizations rely on industry-standard computer software to store and handle their financial information. Come to your interview prepared to discuss the software you’ve gained experience with during your accounting courses, such as QuickBooks and Sage 50. You may want to mention the advantages and disadvantages that you’ve experienced when using certain applications, or discuss any recent developments in accounting software that you feel strongly about. The more you have to say about these applications, the more you’ll impress your interviewer with your demonstrated knowledge.
Don’t Forget to Ask Questions
Last but not least, it’s always good practice to come to an accounting interview with a few questions prepared for your interviewer. When researching the company, be sure to prepare questions that demonstrate your understanding of the organization and their policies. Questions about how performance is measured, your priorities, and what challenges you can expect to face are all great things to bring up in an interview. Not only does asking questions show your interviewer that you’re taking the opportunity seriously, but it’s also a great way to boost communication and facilitate a natural conversation throughout the interview.
Now that you know what to expect from an interview, do you feel ready to begin your journey training to be an accounting professional?
Get job-ready with an accounting program at AOLCC.
