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When you’re applying for a senior or even mid-level position, you’ll likely encounter different interview questions than you did when you were applying for an entry-level job.
Some will be the same, such as “Tell me about yourself?” and “Why do you want to work for this company?”, but often you’ll also encounter questions that are focused on your depth of experience, your management skills, and your level of independence.
Completing any job interview requires preparation, so don’t think that you can wing it just because you’re experienced.
Go over your resume to remind yourself of the points you want to drive home, and practice answering a variety of common interview questions. Go back to the basics so that they’re fresh in your mind, and then move to a more specialized list like the one in this article.
Looking for a job? These position are hiring now near you:
Which accounting software platforms and applications are you familiar with?
I’m familiar with Quickbooks, Microsoft Dynamics, and Xero. I have the most experience with Quickbooks, though, since I use that every day at my current position. I’ve even become the person that younger accountants seek out to ask for help with its more complex features.
Are you comfortable learning new software quickly?
When I started my last position, I had never used Quickbooks before, and that is the main platform that all accountants at that organization used. My supervisor gave me a quick tutorial, which helped, and I was able to ask my coworkers questions, but I needed to get comfortable with it on my own quickly.
By tinkering around with it and watching some YouTube tutorials, I was comfortable with the program and only asking the occasional question just one week later. My supervisor even told me how impressed she was that I was already using it so well.
Tell me about a time you used technology to automate or improve an accounting process.
At my previous position, I set up a system that automatically took all of the receipts that company employees sent to our department via email and sorted and saved them to a drive that all accountants could access.
This freed up the significant portion of time we normally spent sifting through emails and entering data ourselves, and it gave us an automatic record that we could reference as we needed to in the future. It also made us more accurate, as it was much more difficult to miss an email with a receipt in it than it used to be.
Describe how you explain an accounting process to someone without a background in finance.
At my first position as a CPA, I regularly had to explain processes to clients who had no point of reference for what I was talking about. One time, I had to explain to a small business owner that they were using a fixed cost model instead of a variable cost model to create their financial projections.
I said something like, “You’re assuming you won’t need to spend any more money than you are right now. In reality, though, as your business grows, you’re going to need to hire more employees, buy more equipment, and rent a bigger space.
“That means your costs are going to increase as your income increases, and you’ll need to account for them as you create your financial plans.”
How do you manage multiple accounting projects on a tight deadline?
I first take the time to map out when I need to complete each project, the steps required to complete it, and how long I estimate each step will take. Then, I set smaller deadlines for myself, leaving some wiggle room before the main deadline in case something goes wrong.
I then block out my schedule so that others know that I can’t take on any additional work at the moment, allowing me to focus on my projects and reach my deadlines.
If I need to, I’ll ask someone to help me cover my other tasks so that I can concentrate on these projects. I’d then return the favor for them when they’re in the same situation in the future.
Describe how you proactively monitor for fraudulent entries in a ledger.
I not only use the monitoring features built into the computer programs to alert me of abnormalities, but I also conduct random spot checks to make sure everything looks good. If something seems off, I’ll look at it more closely and report it to my supervisor, because every aspect of the company’s operations must be above board.
What experience do you have in presenting reports, analyses, and other financial updates?
In the four years that I’ve been in my current position, one of my responsibilities has been to create reports for my manager to present to executives.
Over the last six months, though, I’ve begun to be the one to present financial updates and other reports corporate leaders have requested. I’ve given four of them, and all have gone smoothly and received positive feedback.
What level of responsibility do you feel comfortable with? Are you experienced in working with little to no management?
At my most recent position, I was given the authority to make most decisions autonomously and to answer questions, and make decisions for several junior accountants. I had a supervisor that I reported to, but I only checked in with him once a week and he gave me almost complete independence.
As a result, I’m comfortable with not only being responsible for my own decisions but also with making them for others. I do like having a leader or mentor to check my decision-making when it gets more difficult, though.
What’s the accounting equation?
The accounting equation is Assets = Liabilities + Owner’s Equity.
What experience do you have in accounts payable? (Or accounts receivable, cost accounting, etc.)
Even though I worked in accounts receivable during my last position, I did work closely with accounts payable during that time, and I interned in accounts payable for a few months in college. So while I’ve never technically had a job within accounts payable, I am familiar with the responsibilities and systems that come with the department.
What are your career goals, and how does this position fit into them?
I would love to be a firm partner someday, but in the immediate future, I’d love to be a senior accountant and perfect my skills there. I’ve also wanted to work for JP and Associates ever since I interned here one summer, and getting this position would allow me to meet that goal as well.
Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult person.
At my last position, I had a coworker with who I regularly worked on projects, and he would almost always shoot down any ideas I gave him. I decided to let him do a few things his way and then I asked him to compromise by doing a few things my way.
After doing this a few times, we hit a rhythm, and our work together started going much more smoothly.
Why are you leaving your current job?
While I enjoyed the five years I worked at Holden and Associates, there weren’t many opportunities for career growth, and I’m looking to grow in my skills and experience. I saw this position listing, and I thought it would be a great fit for my qualifications while still giving me a chance to grow professionally.
How do you manage stress?
When I have some stressful projects at work, I take the time to plan out my schedule for what I need to accomplish and find out what I can clear off of my schedule and my to-do list either temporarily or permanently. Then I’ll block out time to work through my tasks.
In addition to this, I’ll plan my lunch breaks so that I can take a quick walk outside to clear my head and ensure that I have time in the evenings to decompress and get a good night’s sleep. This helps me show up to work at my best and manage stress well.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work. How did you handle it?
At my first job, my supervisor asked me to create a financial report for her to present at the next meeting with the company’s CFO. I produced the report, formatted it, and gave it to my supervisor. I was running behind, though, so I didn’t check it closely before I gave it to her.
About an hour after I gave it to my supervisor, I saw the file on my computer and realized that I had used some out-of-date data. I knew that my supervisor only had an hour before the meeting, so I quickly called her to let her know. I apologized and said I was redoing the incorrect portion as we spoke.
I checked the entire report over, gave it to her, and apologized again. Thankfully, my supervisor was gracious about it, and she was able to present an accurate report.
What qualities do you believe make you a good accountant?
Both my attention to detail and my conscientiousness make me a good accountant. A major responsibility that comes with a position as an accountant is helping the organization remain above board financially, for the sake of both its health and its meeting legal and ethical standards.
Attention to detail and conscientiousness work together to help me complete my work well and look for and catch errors that could cause problems for the organization down the road.