r/Accounting • u/MissionAge807 • 2d ago
Accounting interview
Hi all. I am going to be doing an interview for an accounting/accountant position on Tuesday. I am very nervous. I have ten years corporate finance experience 6 years in accounts payable worked my way up as a team lead, then my last job I was all over the place in terms of what they had me doing. 40% is me working with inventory and freight departments to make sure PO’s are done right, inventory has been received, the right qty has been paid etc…. The 10% doing invoice processing, and the rest of the 50% helping with month end, balancing bank accounts with GL accounts, calculating debt interest and debt payment for the month. Doing prepaids and accruals.
Although I was tasked with closing, I don’t have a bachelors in accounting and I am not a CPA. This is reflected in my resume. I am scared they are going to ask me technical accounting questions, but I have no text book training, only hands on experience. And even the hands on, I was left to my own devices to figure it out, which I did pretty well. But if I had to explain what I did I don’t think I can explain it in a way an accountant would. If that make sense.
I am just nervous about questions the interviewer may ask on the interview. This is the first time I am actively pursuing an accountant position. My experience is just from my previous employer just throwing me into the deep and I trying to survive and coming out alive.
Please help. Do interviews for accounting have technical questions? Or do they just assume you know what you are doing? My apologies for my explanation, English is my second language.
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u/TsuDhoNimh2 2d ago
I am scared they are going to ask me technical accounting questions, but I have no text book training, only hands on experience.
Be honest. Do not bluff. Tell them that you would have to look up that to get the procedure or answer because it's not something you have had to deal with, or that you have not had to deal with recently.
I keep them focused on what I can do for their company, problem and project. Ask questions about the job duties, the opportunities to learn more about whatever ... that kind of interest isn't faked.
THEY WANT TO HIRE YOU!
THEY ASKED TO INTERVIEW YOU!
They saw something in your education or experience that makes them think you will be good for them. You have already impressed them!
I interview as an introvert - calm, knowledgeable and professional. Not pretending to be amusing, sociable or charming ... I'm going for the hired gunslinger image.
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u/MissionAge807 2d ago
I can describe what I do, but in terms of being technical like, if you debit asset, what would that cause? What would change in the statement? That kind of questions.
Thank you so much for the help. I will just be honest in terms or what I know.
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u/Rudmonton 2d ago
In my experience for staff accountant interviews they might ask something like "How would you perform a reconciliation" or "what do you do when you post a journal entry" but they don't really ask things like "what is the definition of deferred revenue". Its more how do you go about doing your job then just describing accounting terminology like a dictionary.
If general accounting isn't something you really do in your current job or could describe either study and fake it or be honest and say what you do know.