Accounts and finance officer interview questions

1Tell us about yourself.

What they want to know: Whether you can sum up who you are and why you fit, in a minute.

How to answer: Present, past, future: what you do now, one or two things you did that matter for this job, and why you want it.

2Why do you want this job?

What they want to know: Whether you know what the job is and chose it on purpose.

How to answer: Name two things about the role or the organisation that match what you are good at. Avoid salary and security as your main reason.

3What are your strengths and weaknesses?

What they want to know: Self-awareness, and honesty.

How to answer: Give a strength with a short example. For a weakness, pick a real one that does not break the job, and say what you do about it.

4What is the difference between accrual and cash accounting?

What they want to know: Accounting basics.

How to answer: When income and costs are recorded. Give a small example such as an unpaid bill at month end.

5How do you do a bank reconciliation?

What they want to know: A core task in most accounts jobs.

How to answer: Match the bank statement to the books, list differences such as unpresented cheques, and adjust.

6How do VAT and AIT work for our company?

What they want to know: Local tax knowledge.

How to answer: Explain in general terms what you have handled: deduction at source, returns and deadlines. Do not guess rates.

7Which accounting software have you used?

What they want to know: Whether you can start quickly.

How to answer: Name it, and one thing you did in it, such as month-end closing or reports.