MockQuestions

Staff Accountant Mock Interview

To help you prepare for your Staff Accountant interview, here are 28 interview questions and answer examples.

First Question

28 Staff Accountant Interview Questions

15 Interview Questions With Sample Answers

1.   Give me examples of the accounting reports you have prepared.

How to Answer

Start off by listing a handful of reports that you have prepared including a high-level overview of what data can be found in the reports. Expand on this by telling the interviewer how you can manipulate data within your accounting system to generate any reports you are looking for, and mention that you can create reports in many formats including Word, Excel, and Adobe formats.

2.   If I gave you a ten key pad, and a list of numbers, could you enter them in without looking at the key pad?

How to Answer

Be candid with the interviewer sharing if you would be able to accomplish this task. Your candid response will help the interviewer understand what training will be necessary if you are selected for the position as well as what workload you can be expected to complete during a given week. If you have extensive ten key experience, share it! Explain how long you have been using it as well as how often you were using it each day.

3.   How proficient are you with Excel?

How to Answer

Be candid with the interviewer sharing if you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced user of Excel. Then, give a few examples of things you commonly utilize Excel for such as creating charts/graphs, making pivot tables, or analyzing data. Your candid response will help the interviewer understand what type of training you should be provided if you are hired for the role to ensure you will be successful with your assigned tasks.

4.   Why have you chosen a career in accounting?

How to Answer

How did you land in the accounting field? Have you always enjoyed working with numbers? Did you take a high school or college accounting course that made you interested in the field? Or, did you have a mentor who encouraged you to pursue the field? Go ahead and share your story describing what led you to pursue a career in the accounting field.

5.   Give us an example of how you have used your creativity to solve a problem on the job.

How to Answer

Interviewers love hearing that you take the initiative to solve a problem! Think about the problems you have solved within the past year. Which one required the most creative solution or the most creative problem-solving approach? Did you have to utilize new resources? Did you have to reach out to other accountants for possible solutions? Did your problem require you to put together a committee to come to a resolution? The key is that you took the initiative to figure out how to solve the problem and had a positive attitude while doing so! Go ahead and share your unique scenario describing the problem you had to solve, how you approached solving the problem, your resolution, and your positive outcome.

6.   If hired, how do you intend on making a difference with our company?

How to Answer

Interviewers love hearing that you look forward to improving their company after you have a solid understanding of their culture and current practices. Begin by telling the interviewer that you intend to begin the role gaining an understanding of current practices and spending time observing how things are currently operating. Tell the interviewer that you want to learn the culture and become a part of it. Next, share that once you have an understanding of these things, you will make strategic decisions regarding any possible changes and decisions for the future that will provide the best results for the company.

7.   What accounting software packages have you used?

How to Answer

The interviewer is trying to gain a better understanding of your background to determine the best training you can be provided if you are hired for the position. Go ahead and list the accounting software packages you have utilized, and describe some of the typical day-to-day functions you were utilizing the software for.

8.   Are you detail oriented?

How to Answer

Absolutely! Accountants must be detail oriented, and the interviewer wants to hear that you are confident in your detailed nature. Begin by sharing that you are a detail oriented person, and explain 2-3 things you do to ensure the details are managed well. Do you keep checklists to ensure steps in a process are not missed? Do you color code files to ensure you are processing things correctly? Sharing your examples will enforce that you are in fact detail oriented.

9.   What kinds of management reports have you prepared?

How to Answer

The interviewer is trying to determine if you have experience working with and preparing data for senior staff members. Begin by sharing if you have experience preparing reports for any staff members mentioning their job titles and the reports that you typically prepared for them. Then, mention how often you have been preparing these reports as well as the purpose of each report. Will it be used for a large presentation or a Board meeting?

10.   How much money have you saved the company and how did you do this?

How to Answer

Have you had an idea for an efficiency that was implemented? Have you decreased the amount of late payments the company was making? Have you implemented a new software system that saved a company time and money? Think through your work history, and explain the most significant money saving initiative you have been responsible for. Describe who identified the initiative, how it was recognized, and what steps you took in leading the initiative.

11.   How would your former employer describe you?

How to Answer

The interviewer wants to hear that your past employer will describe you in a positive manner. Think about the positive things your former employer has said about you in the past. Instead of listing these things, tell the interviewer what each person has told you. For example, you might say, "John has told me that I am a hard worker, and he has told me that he really likes how I am always happy to be at work!" These concrete examples will be sure to impress the interviewer!

Answer Example

"John has told me that I am a hard worker, and he has told me that he really likes how I am always happy to be at work!"

12.   What cost-cutting measures have you been responsible for implementing?

How to Answer

The interviewer wants to hear that you are capable of leading department initiatives. Openly share the largest, and most impressive, cost-cutting measure you have been in charge of by sharing who identified the initiative, how you were selected to lead the implementation, providing a brief overview of the cost-cutting measure, and talking through an overview of what steps you took during the implementation. Be sure to mention all of the positive kudos you received following the implementation.

13.   Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

How to Answer

Interviewers want to hear that you will be actively involved in the accounting department! Tell the interviewer that you see yourself actively engaged in the organization as a professional member of the accounting team in five years. Explain how you hope you have grown professionally in the department and are viewed as a top-notch leader for the team. If you have aspirations to be promoted within the department, now is a great time to share them mentioning that you understand it will take several years to accomplish this goal.

14.   What do you consider to be the biggest challenge facing the accounting profession today?

How to Answer

Challenges come with any profession, and the interviewer wants to hear that you are in tune with industry trends. If you are unsure of the biggest challenge facing the accounting profession today, talk with a few other accounting professionals before arriving for your interview, or check out a copy of a recent accounting magazine for some ideas. Begin by describing the biggest challenge you see. Explain what possible options you think the field has to address the challenge, and describe if you have personally seen evidence of this challenge in your career.

15.   Are you willing to work overtime, nights, weekends?

How to Answer

Be candid and open with the interviewer expressing what type of availability you have. Be sure to factor in your family's activities, and understand that you may be disqualified from consideration if you are unavailable to work weekends and it is a requirement of the position. It is better to make this determination during the interview process rather than after starting in the position.

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