Think about things others have told you that you are good at. Or, think about the qualities others have commended you for. Think back to past performance reviews. Were there any hints in your performance reviews about your positive traits? What do you think makes you successful, or what do you like about yourself? These will all lead you to your positive traits. Which of these are your best traits that you are interested in building upon? Simply share your favorite three!
The interviewer wants to hear that you are passionate about your field. Your passion for the field will show the interviewer that you intend to stay in accounting long-term. How did you land in this field of work? Did a family member encourage you to pursue it because of your knack for detail-oriented things? Do you have a friend or family member you look up to who is an accountant? Did you take a high school accounting class, and you found you loved it? Simply share your story. Your passion will automatically come through in a candid response.
The interviewer is trying to learn how you can be encouraged to perform at your best in the workplace. What works best for you? Does having a role model in the department keep you motivated? Are you goal driven? Does working independently keep you motivated? Or, do you prefer working on projects as a team? Simply share what keeps you moving forward with your work each day.
Getting buy-in can be a challenge from time-to-time for various reasons. Possible challenges might have included: major company changes, new company vision, launching new company processes, or even cultural differences. What has been your toughest sell to get the cooperation of others? Often times, it is the situation that is challenging and not the group itself. Begin by telling the interviewer your situation. What were you trying to get cooperation for? Who were you trying to get cooperation from? Next, share the group's reaction. What kind of pushback did you get? Then, share how you successfully overcame the pushback to achieve the cooperation from the group.
In other words, what steps do you take to figure out how to do something new? If you are provided training, do you take notes? If you are not provided training, do you watch a video, read blogs, or conduct an internet search to determine your course of action? Do you seek out other people in your department who can help you learn? Or, do you crack open an old textbook to help you figure it out? The interviewer simply wants to hear that you are willing to take on a challenge and will determine a way to get the job done! Go ahead and share your approach.
With any job interview, it is crucial to understand the organization you are applying to. We recommend visiting the company website to learn key information. Watch the videos on their website, and take note of the information on their Careers page if one is available. Come prepared to list off 5-6 things you learned from the company's website such as number of employees they have, number of locations they own, when the company started, who started the company, mission statement, vision statement, core values, etc...
Adapting to change is an essential part of any job, and interviewers want to hear that you will happily adapt to change when necessary. Begin by telling the interviewer that you are an adaptable person, and you simply change directions when priorities change keeping a positive attitude. Next, think about a time when something really urgent came up. This is your example! There are all sorts of last minute urgent situations that might have occurred; simply share yours with the interviewer.
We all have weaknesses, and it is okay to admit yours! The interviewer wants to hear that you are proactive about your weaknesses by having a plan to improve upon them. Pick a weakness that is not a key component of the Accounting Clerk job. For example, speaking in front of groups of people might be a good choice. Or, mingling at a social function might be another good option. Share your weakness, and discuss what things you do to improve upon it. You might state something like this, "Mingling at social functions has always been a weakness for me. I do great in one-on-one settings, but large groups of people are more work for me. I have been going to social functions with co-workers, watching their approach to mingling, and I have been reading a great business networking book to help me improve upon my social networking skills."
"Mingling at social functions has always been a weakness for me. I do great in one-on-one settings, but large groups of people are more work for me. I have been going to social functions with co-workers, watching their approach to mingling, and I have been reading a great business networking book to help me improve upon my social networking skills."
Hopefully, you catch most of your mistakes. Interviewers understand that we are all human, and there is a likely chance that an auditor will catch one of your mistakes at some point in your career too. Think through your career. What has been the majority? Do you catch errors in your work periodically? Odds are, you do! Go ahead and share how often you catch your own errors ensuring that the auditor does not need to find them for you.
The interviewer is trying to learn more about your skill level. Go ahead and candidly share your level of expertise using 10 key pad. Discuss where you have utilized 10 key pad as well as how many years of experience you have.
What steps do you take to ensure you stay on track during the day? Do you try to leave the building for lunch everyday to ensure you are rejuvenated for your afternoon? Do you start each day by making a game plan? Do you keep a to-do list next to you at all times? Or, maybe you have an accountability system with a co-worker. Go ahead and share what methods work for you to help you stay focused!
This one should be easy! The interviewer wants to get a better understanding of your background. Break down your tasks by each employer you have had. State the name of the company, your job title, and the typical tasks you completed in each role. This will allow the interviewer to understand what tasks you are already well versed with and will help the interviewer put together a stronger training plan customized for you if you are selected for the position.
Be candid with the interviewer sharing your level of experience with Excel. Your honest response will help the interviewer prepare a better training plan for you if you are hired for the job. Tell the interviewer if you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced user of the system. Then, share a few projects you have created using Excel as well as accounting tasks that you regularly complete in the system.
In other words, what steps do you take to ensure the accuracy of your work? The interviewer simply wants to hear that you have a plan in place to catch any possible errors. Accounting is a detail-oriented field, and the interviewer wants to hear that you can be trusted with these details. Go ahead and share what steps you take to ensure accuracy. You might discuss that you utilize a buddy system to check each other's work. You might mention that you simply re-work each task to ensure your numbers match. Or, you might mention that you double check your totals by dropping the data into an Excel spreadsheet. Simply share what works for you! Having a plan is key.
The interviewer is hoping to hear that you tidy up your workstation at the end of each day before heading home. If you are a tidy person, that's great! Simply share your routine for keeping your workstation organized, and mention that it is always clean before you head home for the day. If you are not a tidy person, begin by telling the interviewer that you understand it is a workplace expectation to tidy up your workstation before leaving for the day. It creates a better environment for everyone. Next, mention what steps you take to try to keep you workstation tidy, and give a realistic overview of what the employer can expect from you at the end of each day. Can you meet the expectation that your desk will be tidy before leaving?
The interviewer is trying to gain an understanding of your average workload in your most recent position. A great way to approach this question is to walk through a typical day or week at your most recent job. Discuss what accounting tasks needed to get done each day of the week providing a high-level overview. After doing so, be sure to mention your level of comfort with this workload. Did it feel comfortable for you? Were you bored in your past position? Or, did you feel overworked?
Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions. Transactions include sales, purchases, income, and payments by an individual or organization. Bookkeeping is usually performed by a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping should not be confused with accounting. The accounting process is usually performed by an accountant. The accountant creates reports from the recorded financial transactions recorded by the bookkeeper and files forms with government agencies. There are some common methods of bookkeeping such as the Single-entry bookkeeping system and the Double-entry bookkeeping system. But while these systems may be seen as "real" bookkeeping, any process that involves the recording of financial transactions is a bookkeeping process.