Accountant Sample Job Interview Questions

Hi, are you interviewing for an Accountant job? Below are some common Accounting job interview questions used by accounting firms and financial companies to assess the core job competencies of a Accountant position. Use these questions specifically designed by hiring managers and hr pros to help you prepare your job interview answers.

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Tell me about yourself.

As our Accountant you will ensure financial records are maintained in compliance with accepted policies and procedures. We are looking for someone with strong leadership skills in this Accounting role. Tell me about one of the toughest groups from which you had to get cooperation in a meeting. Did you have formal authority as a Accountant? What did you do?

Tell me about a time when you had difficulty obtaining compliance for financial records?

Sometimes you need to explain financial data, provide advice on business operations through writing reports.  What types of writing have you done in our job as Accountant? Can you give some examples? (Follow up on one or two examples.)

Relate an approach, different from your normal approach, you took to solve a problem when preparing financial management reports . How did you come up with the approach? What other options did you consider?

As our company accountant, you will need to contact lenders, government tax departments, and so forth.  How much customer (internal/external) interaction do (did) you have in your job as a Accountant? What percentage of your time do you spend with customers? Tell me about one of these interactions.

How have you decided on performance goals for your subordinates as a Accountant? What did you do to establish these goals? Give a recent example.

Describe your knowledge and experience in laws, codes and regulations related to accounting.

What do you like best about your former job as a Accountant? Why? Give examples.

What methods do you use to monitor and support taxation issues?

What experience do you have in developing and maintaining financial data bases?

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with the client that did not practice accepted accounting practices and principles.