How do you ensure accuracy when you prepare monthly journal entries, record transactions, etc.?
"I've always been really organized with my school projects. I pride myself on getting things done early so I don't have to stress the way I saw so many of my friends did when they procrastinated. It also gives me the opportunity to review the data and make sure I don't miss anything regarding the project I'm working on."
"I've learned over the years that setting reminders and having a step process for every function or project is important. It's easy to miss a step when projects become very detailed and involve functions and tables along the way. If you miss one step, you have to start over, so having a step process typed up and double checking it as you go through the process helps a lot."
This is an attention to detail question that demonstrates the person's organizational system. If you're disorganized, I suggest you find a system that works for you. As an Accountant, you can't be disorganized because no will hire someone who can't organize their lives, let alone their work schedules.
If you're fresh out of college, this is a great time to visit Pinterest or Google and research how to stay organized.
"I live and die by my planner. I carry it everywhere with me and it has everything that I need to do both short and long term. I'm organized and the type of person who's always fifteen minutes early, otherwise I feel like I'm an hour late. It makes my skin crawl to be late for an appointment or forget an important detail."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
During my time at a global airport services and cargo-handling firm, I led the month-end reporting process and Financial Reporting Manager. I set up a month-end process that outlined all the tasks all the members of my team needed to complete and saved it as a shared file that we could all access and update.
Each month-end task was recorded with the name of the employee completing it and the date it was required. If for any reason that task could not be completed, I asked to be notified at the earliest opportunity, so I could adjust my plans. In some instances, delays in getting information from another department meant we had to swap tasks around and complete some tasks before I had initially scheduled them.
Staff time-off or holidays also meant that tasks were swapped around team-members when required.
By putting a. list together and constantly reviewing that list to ensure all tasks are completed, I was able to produce complete financial statements with every month-end reporting pack.
Even now, the first thing I do when I switch on my computer in the morning is plan out my day. Making sure, I know what I am doing all the time. Additionally, in my practice I use a software called Accountancy Manager, because we have entered all the important details and key dates about every client, it tells us about upcoming deadlines and helps us prioritise our work daily.
Chad's Feedback
It is evident from the example you provide that you are able to develop organizational systems for yourself and your team to ensure all tasks are completed. Good job! To strengthen this response, I suggest leading with the tools and software you currently use to keep your work organized and ensure no details are missed. I have offered a revision below:
"The first thing I do when I switch on my computer in the morning is plan out my day, making sure I know what I am doing all the time. Additionally, in my practice, I use a software called Accountancy Manager to stay organized and ensure accuracy. All important details and key dates are entered for each and every client, and the software informs staff about upcoming deadlines and helps us prioritize our work daily. In my previous role as the Financial Reporting Manager with global airport services and cargo-handling firm, I led the month-end reporting process. I set up a month-end process that outlined all the tasks the members of my team needed to complete and saved it as a shared file that we could all access and update. Each month-end task was recorded with the name of the employee completing it and the date it was required. If for any reason that task could not be completed, I asked to be notified at the earliest opportunity so I could adjust my plans. In some instances, delays in getting information from another department meant we had to swap tasks around and complete some tasks before I had initially scheduled them. Staff time-off or holidays also meant that tasks were swapped around among team members when required. By putting a list together and constantly reviewing it to ensure all tasks are completed, I was able to produce complete accurate financial statements with every month-end reporting pack."
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