How to Prepare for an Accountant Interview
There are two sides to this, just as there are two sides to the interview – the interviewer and the interviewee. Let’s look at both – not just to be thorough, but to see all sides of this interview process.
- Learn accounting terms
- Know what software your company prefers
- Understand the company’s financial position
- Know the company’s future financial goals
- Be up to date on industry trends and current economic realities
- Get specifics regarding the interviewee’s past accounting experience (look for companies that align with yours in the interviewee’s employment background)
- Familiarize yourself with the candidate’s resume and cover letter – do any questions come to you immediately?
- Create an outline for yourself, so you don’t miss anything
- Reread the job description
- Research the company and learn all you can about their financial situation
- Be confident in your abilities and even more reassuring about ones you don’t yet have but are willing to learn
- Reflect on past experiences and have some anecdotes ready
- You know they’re going to ask about your strengths and weaknesses, so don’t be surprised by this – be prepared
- Come with a list of your accreditations and the software you’ve worked with
- Prepare a 30-60-90 day plan for your onboarding and share it with the hiring manager
- Stay up to date on accounting trends in the industry you’re applying to work in
Define and explain the three financial statements.
The three types of financial statements are balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. These statements are a big part of every accountant’s job — reading and interpreting or creating them.
Your answer should include the purpose of each statement and what each statement shows. For example:
What is the difference between accounts payable and accounts receivable?
Accounts receivable are assets — the company will collect this money in exchange for already sold goods or services. Accounts payable are liabilities — the company owes this money to someone else for goods or services.