Corporations, government agencies, and individuals alike rely on accountants to assess and manage their finances accurately. Since the job involves handling such sensitive and vital monetary information on their client’s behalf, accountants are put through rigorous questioning over the course of an interview to determine their capabilities in the field.
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An accountant’s responsibilities involve organizing and analyzing financial documents in preparation to file them. Most people associate these tasks with tax preparation. However, accountants also assist with:
Customer invoice creation and distribution
Managing expenditures and employee payroll
Keeping sales records
Providing financial insights about a business
A lot of the daily duties of an accountant revolve around working with numbers, making it an excellent position for mathematically-inclined individuals. Additional skills that are helpful for a career include:
Financial analysis
Spreadsheet software
Critical thinking
Organizational
Communication
The field of accounting requires a specialized set of skills and knowledge to be successful. Interviews for an accountant position often contain a targetted line of questioning to assess these abilities. If you have an accountant interview coming up, getting familiar with the questions you’ll likely be asked is an excellent method of preparation.
Below are 25 common accountant interview questions, and examples of the best answers to them.
Tell me about yourself. A job interview often opens on an easygoing and conversational note, like this question. Making a general inquiry into a candidate’s personality gets the interview started on the right foot and diminishes some of the job-screening nerves.
How to Answer:
Since this is a broad question, it’s okay to give a less detailed answer. Give a brief blurb about who you are professionally, but feel free to give it your own personal flair. Personality is memorable for a hiring manager who is meeting with many job applicants.
Example Answer:
“My name is Robert Johnson, and I’m a born and raised Californian. I’ve been working as an accountant for the past 12 years, primarily as a certified public accountant (CPA). I got into the field because I love working with numbers, but I’ve ended up making it into a lifetime career because I enjoy working with people too. In my spare time, I mostly hang out with my wife and two kids, Oliver and Jason. One of our favorite things to do is go bicycling.”
How would you define the role of an accountant? Everyone has a unique perspective on the field they work in. Two people working in the exact same role and conditions could have completely different experiences and opinions on the job.
A hiring manager asks this question to get a better sense of what a candidate’s views on their role as an accountant are.
How to Answer:
While this question is asking for a definition of the profession, don’t simply pull your response straight from the Webster’s Dictionary. Put your own spin on your answer and base it on personal experience working in the field. If you’re a recent graduate applying for your first accounting role, devise your answer from your educational experience.
Example Answer:
“Based on my experience as an accountant, I would define the role as being a financial guide. All the messy numerical issues that land in the laps of individuals and companies, like collecting and analyzing financial data, is diligently handled by their accountants.”
What qualities make a successful accountant? Similar to how an interviewer needs to gauge a candidate’s perspective on an accountant’s role, they also need to see what qualities they deem as important for the job. The characteristics that the interviewee thinks are crucial for accounting success often coincide with the abilities that they put the most effort into having.
How to Answer:
Be honest with the interviewer about what qualities are important for success as an accountant. If you’re relatively new to the field, explain that and state the qualities that you believe will be valuable regardless.
Example Answer:
“A strong foundation of the accounting technicals, such as financial reporting, budget forecasting, and account management, are vital to being a dependable accountant. However, I think that an accountant’s communication skills are incredibly important to their overall success in the field. You need to be able to do the work, and communicate effectively with people to be a great accountant.”
Why did you choose to become an accountant? An interviewer is curious to know your motivations for entering the field of accounting when they pose this question. Motivations speak to a candidate’s goals and internal drive, which is important for an employer to know about.
How to Answer:
The hiring manager doesn’t need your entire backstory when they ask why you choose to become an accountant. They’re looking for a neat and professional version of the story. Be truthful, but don’t forget that they’re evaluating your response. Include applicable reasons that demonstrate you as motivated for the right reasons.
Example Answer:
“I was initially drawn to the field of accounting in my second year of college. Truth be told, I was never a mathematics person before taking my first accounting course. I was simply interested in the subject matter. Once I realized that accounting was a passion that could be profitable, I knew it was the career for me.”
How did you hear about this position? This question usually comes up out of curiosity from your potential employer for where their job posting was seen. Additionally, it lets them know if you got the inside scoop about the position from one of their current employees.
How to Answer:
There’s no big secret to this one. Just inform the interviewer about where you learned of the open position.
Example Answer:
“I came across this position opening on a career website called Zippia.”
Explain the difference between accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR). After a few introductory questions, an interviewer will begin to test a candidate’s basic accounting knowledge. This is an example of a common question that a hiring manager uses to see the candidate’s familiarity with common accounting terms and situations.
How to Answer:
Look into your depth of accounting knowledge and determine the best answer. If you’re unsure, it’s better to say that than confidently answer incorrectly.
Example Answer:
“The difference is that accounts payable (AP) refers to the amount of money that an organization owes to other corporations. Inversely, accounts receivable (AR) is the amount of money that is owed to the organization.”
Why are you leaving your current job? The manner in which a candidate speaks about their former job explains a lot about their professionalism. A hiring manager is curious to see how you’ll discuss a topic that might very well be sensitive or uncomfortable.
How to Answer:
Even if you had a negative parting of ways with your previous employer, it’s best to try and keep your comments professional. Be honest about what happened when you left your last job, but there’s no need to be pessimistic or spiteful.
Example Answer:
“I’m in the market for a new accounting job because I was simply ready for a change. I had been working in my previous position for a little over five years, and while I learned a lot in the role, I felt that my career growth would be better suited elsewhere.”
What accounting software have you used before and which are you most familiar with? Every professional has the tools that they need for daily job functions. For an accountant, this is their software.
An interviewer asks about your accounting software familiarity to figure out whether your knowledge is compatible with the job they’re hiring for, or if you’ll need extra training.
How to Answer:
Go through the list of accounting software you’ve used, and how familiar you are with each. Be sure not to exaggerate your skills in this department, as you’ll be expected to use them right off the bat if hired.
Example Answer:
“The accounting software that I’m most familiar with is QuickBooks Online, but I also have experience with Hubdoc and Xero.”
Tell me about some common accounting errors and how they can affect a business. In accounting and other related fields, computational errors always can happen. Being aware of common accounting errors shows a hiring manager that you're knowledgeable about the field and prepared for typical issues that happen.
How to Answer:
Bring up the first couple of common accounting errors that come to mind. If you've had experience with any of these errors on the job, explain how you handled it.
Example Answer:
“The most common accounting errors that I’ve come across in my career are data entry errors, errors of commission, and rounding errors. All of which can have negative implications for a business like misreporting income and expenses, and even possibly charges of fraud.”
What gets you up in the morning? When an interviewer asks what gets you up in the morning, they’re probing into your underlying motivations. Everyone has their own set of reasons for embracing life and living it to the fullest every day. This is a hiring manager’s way of asking what yours are.
How to Answer:
Every answer in an interview should be spoken with the fact in mind that it could help or harm your chances of being seen as an ideal accountant for the firm. Choose a strategic motivation that portrays you in this light. It doesn’t have to be work-related, but it should be work-appropriate.
Example Answer:
“What gets me up in the morning is knowing that I get to do a job I love and come home to my family every night. It really doesn’t get much better than that, in my mind.”
What skill do you use the most as an accountant? The skills that a candidate provides in response to this question show which abilities they’ll likely demonstrate on the job. An interviewer wants to gather a clear picture of a candidate’s strengths, and this question is a great way to do that.
How to Answer:
Choosing an ideal answer to this question might be helped by looking back at the company’s job posting. There will usually be a tidbit in there about the skills they’re looking for in a perfect employee. If any of these apply to you, mention them.
Example Answer:
“I’ve found that having a strong base of business knowledge has helped me immensely in my career as an accountant. Flexibility and time management are very useful skills that I turn to on a daily basis as well.”
How do you handle tight accounting deadlines? Employers want to hire accountants who have experience with sticking to a strict schedule and deadlines. When you’re in charge of a company’s financial records and reporting, you need to have things finished by a certain time.
How to Answer:
Accounting firms know that adhering to such tight deadlines is stressful, and there’s no way around that. That means they’re not looking for an answer that diminishes this reality, but rather, explains how they deal with it.
Example Answer:
“The accounting field can become overwhelming if you put too much on your plate. I counter this by only committing to the amount of work that I know I can accomplish. I think that analyzing my scheduling carefully before accepting an engagement is why I haven’t missed a work deadline in over four years.”
Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work and how you handled it. Mistakes happen, and it doesn’t make you a bad accountant. However, how you handle your mistakes does impact your accounting skills and work ethic. Interviewers often ask a candidate about their former mistakes to see how they’ve learned and grown from them.
How to Answer:
Don’t attempt to avoid this question with a mocking answer such as “I’ve never made a mistake in my life!” A hiring manager will see right through this. Explain the mistake and then give an explanation for how you handled it and learned from it.
Example Answer:
“In my last job, everything had been going swimmingly for over a year. Until a file became corrupt one day. I hadn’t backed up my accounting software in quite a few months and my company ended up losing a good chunk of data. Needless to say, they weren’t happy with me. I ended up putting in extra hours at work to reorganize the information that had been lost. While the situation was a nightmare, I learned a lot from the mistake, and now I absolutely always backup my software daily.”
What is bad debt and how do you estimate it? This is another interview question that tests a candidate's foundation of accounting knowledge.
How to Answer:
Before going into an accounting interview, brush up on your accounting knowledge for questions like this one. Just give a basic definition and explain which method of estimation you prefer.
Example Answer:
“Bad debt in accounting is considered a business expense for credit that has been extended to a customer that will never be repaid and is no longer eligible for collection. I estimate bad debt by using the direct write-off method.”
Why should we hire you? Many applicants begin fidgeting in their seats when they hear this question because it means that they have to vouch for themselves professionally.
Accounting firms can be highly competitive places to get a job, and a hiring manager needs to know why you’re the best possible person for an open position.
How to Answer:
Be confident in your response, but leave out any conceitedness. You want your answer to be memorable enough to the hiring manager that they remember your reasoning long after the interview concludes.
Example Answer:
“What sets me apart from other accounting applicants is my history in the field. I’ve been involved in the accounting world for over ten years. In that time, I’ve worked my way up to a senior accountant position from starting in a temporary internship. I’m dedicated to excel in my career. It’s my first priority. That’s why I believe your company should hire me for this accounting role.”
How do you deal with the pressure and stress of being an accountant? While stress is often associated with jobs like ER nurses and lawyers, the accounting field can actually put a lot of pressure on its participants. You’re dealing with something that’s very important to a business; it’s money. That brings strong emotions, including stress.
An interviewer asks how you handle this stress and pressure to assess if you’ll properly manage these normal emotions at work if you’re hired.
How to Answer:
Talk about your tactics for countering stress, rather than denying its existence.
Example Answer:
“The way that I deal with the pressure and stress is by using activities outside of work to cope. For example, I love playing tennis on the weekends. It helps me relieve a lot of the tension that’s built up over the workweek, and then I can return to the office fresh on Monday morning.”
How do you minimize your risk of accounting error? As stated earlier, errors are bound to happen occasionally in the accounting industry. However, a hiring manager is looking for a candidate who will minimize the risk of error as much as possible. They ask this question to see your capability of doing so.
How to Answer:
Think back to your professional performance and how you’ve minimized accounting errors in the past. A simple list of techniques you use at work will do.
Example Answer:
“I use a few different methods to lessen the risk of accounting errors. Mainly by keeping a thorough record of everything I do, making use of technology, and seeking help from higher-ups when it’s absolutely needed.”
Tell me about a time you’ve managed to reduce costs in a previous accounting role. An accountant’s job is all about financial management, and that includes saving money. An interviewer might ask you this question to estimate your cost-reducing innovativeness in a previous accounting role.
How to Answer:
For people with a lengthy background of accounting experience, it’ll probably be simple to pull an example of a time you cut costs. If you’ve recently graduated and haven’t had much formal experience yet, explain this.
Example Answer:
“In one of my last accounting positions, I started to take notice of an efficiency issue in my accounting firm. Many junior accountants seemed to be overwhelmed with responsibilities and not meeting their deadlines. I brought the issue to my supervisor’s attention and suggested that I could be responsible for onboarding a small team to handle the overflow. He agreed, and even though we hired four new employees, it ended up saving the firm 3.4% in the following quarter.”
How do you communicate complex accounting situations in layman’s terms to somebody without an accounting background? A big part of an accountant's job is relaying complex financial information to people who aren’t experienced in the subject.
This requires a certain level of communication skills and techniques. In an accounting interview, the hiring manager will likely ask you about these qualities to see how well you can handle this aspect of the job.
How to Answer:
List out your communication techniques for working with clients who are unfamiliar with accounting. To strengthen your answer further, give an example of a time you put these skills to good use.
Example Answer:
“In my career, I’ve discovered that people tend to get very anxious when it comes to their finances, and rightfully so. I think that the best way to cancel out this anxiety and effectively communicate with my clients is by keeping calm and going over the concerns as many times as necessary for them to understand. I remember one client in particular that I ended up speaking with for three hours over our allotted meeting to make sure she understood her financial situation fully”
What do you think makes you stand out from other applicants? This question basically asks a candidate to make an elevator pitch for themselves as an employee.
A hiring manager is interested in the qualities that a person thinks are special about themselves as a professional. It illuminates the characteristics that they value in themselves and where their strengths are.
How to Answer:
Talk about all the positive qualities that make you unique, but be realistic in your description too. You don’t want to give a fanciful depiction of yourself to stand out in an interview, only to flop on your first day of work.
Example Answer:
“What makes me stand out from other applicants is my passion for the field and helping people. Most people don’t automatically correlate accounting with helping people, but I believe that we assist people through a very stressful part of life. While this might stress out other people, I thrive in an environment where others are depending on my services.”
Describe the three kinds of financial statements that an accountant might encounter. Be prepared for at least a few questions that are aimed at evaluating your accounting knowledge and skills. This is another one of those.
How to Answer:
This is another question that requires insight into accounting terms, but it should be common knowledge to anyone working in the field for a while. Just answer the question as if it were any other test.
Example Answer:
“The three kinds of financial statements that an accountant will encounter are balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. Each of these financial statements demonstrates a portion of a business’s financial health.”
Are you open to working long hours during the busy season? The schedule of an accountant can be unpredictable, especially in the busy tax season. A hiring manager needs to know your capabilities to work extra hours during this time to decide if your availability will fit their needs.
How to Answer:
You want to be straightforward when you tell an interviewer your availability. Any misconstrued information will result in a hassle for both of you.
Example Answer:
“Yes, I would be available to work longer shifts during the busy tax season. However, I am not available to work on weekends.”
Why do you want to work for our firm? Hiring managers look for distinct motivations in working for their firm in particular. It shows them how much research on the company that a job candidate has done before coming into the interview.
How to Answer:
Preparation is key in answering this question. It’s difficult to provide reasoning for wanting to work at a particular firm without prior knowledge of what their values and vision are. Spend a little time on the accounting firm’s website before an interview to get a feel for these qualities and insert them into your answer.
Example Answer:
“When looking into your accounting firm, I picked up on a central message of wanting to provide quality service to your clients. I appreciate this sentiment and want to work at a place that values the caliber of the services they provide.”
Where do you see yourself in five years? In addition to evaluating who a candidate is in the present time, a hiring manager in an accounting interview is also tasked with assessing their goals for the future. This helps them decide if their career objectives will be what their firm needs in an accountant in five years.
How to Answer:
Avoid any answers that might come off as snarky or a cop-out, such as “I see myself as your boss in five years!”. Analyze your career’s current trajectory and be honest about where you see yourself going in the coming years. Keep your response to professional goals, as opposed to personal ones.
Example Answer:
“When I imagine my career in five years, I picture myself honing in on my accounting skills to become an even better professional in the field. I’d like to become more experienced with leadership and management skills, in the hopes of one day securing a more supervisory role.”
Do you have any questions for me? At the end of almost every interview, a recruiter will look deep into the eyes of the applicant and say, “do you have any questions for me?” It might come off as a throw-away question, but a candidate’s response says a lot about them.
How to Answer:
Absolutely never tell a hiring manager at the end of an interview that you don’t have a single question for them. While it might not completely blow your chances of getting the job, it just simply doesn’t reflect well on you, as an accountant or employee in general.
Some strong questions to ask at the end of an accounting interview include:
What is your favorite thing about working for this accounting firm?
Can you describe this accounting firm’s company culture?
Is the firm facing any challenges right now?
What are the next steps of the hiring process?
How would you measure my success in this role?
Example Answer:
“Yes, I do have a question for you. How has this position evolved in the past couple of years? Also, can you tell me a little bit more about the day-to-day duties on the job?”