JOB GUIDE · MOKILIX ENTRETIEN
Job interview: Accountant
In an interview, an accountant is judged on method and rigour: prepare specific examples, backed by figures and documents.
THE JOB
What recruiters expect
Accountants are recruited everywhere: small and medium-sized businesses, accounting firms, banks and microfinance institutions, oil companies and their subcontractors, NGOs and government departments. A beginner is expected to have solid basics, to be rigorous in entering and filing documents, and to have a good command of spreadsheets. An experienced candidate is expected to handle closings independently, to deal with tax and social security returns, to work with auditors and to be able to explain the figures to management.
Skills assessed at interview
- Keeping the accounts in line with the accounting framework in force
- Bank reconciliations and cash-flow monitoring
- Command of spreadsheets and of an accounting software package
- Rigour in filing and justifying supporting documents
- Integrity and meeting deadlines
Job family: Banking, finance and accounting
QUESTIONS WITH ADVICE
Seven questions to prepare
- 01
Which accounting tasks have you carried out yourself, from the source document through to the financial statements?
Describe the whole chain and say where you stood on it: data entry, matching of entries, reconciliations, period-end entries, statements. Say clearly what you did alone and what was reviewed by a superior. A beginner can draw on an internship or a practical case study from training.
- 02
How do you carry out a bank reconciliation?
Explain your method step by step, from the bank statement to the bank journal, through to the reconciliation statement. Say what you do with outstanding items and how often you do the reconciliation. Practise explaining it in two minutes, without notes.
- 03
Which accounting framework and which software do you use?
Name the framework you work with, for example SYSCOHADA in the OHADA area, and the software you have really used. For each tool, say what you can do with it. Revise the chart of accounts before the interview, because a specific question or a practical test is common.
- 04
How do you prepare a month-end or year-end closing?
Present your checklist: missing documents, reconciliations, adjusting entries, checking of balances. Give the deadline you kept to in your last job. Describe an unexpected problem and how you dealt with it.
- 05
You notice an error in a period that has already been closed. What do you do?
Show that you document the error, inform your manager and correct it according to the procedure, with a written record. Stress transparency, even if the error is yours. Suggest the measure that would stop it happening again.
- 06
How do you manage tax and social security returns and their deadlines?
Talk about your calendar of deadlines and about preparing the documents ahead of time. Stay honest about what you have really filed yourself. Make clear that, when in doubt, you check the applicable rules in the official texts or with a qualified adviser.
- 07
A manager asks you to post an expense without a supporting document. How do you react?
Answer that you ask for the document or for written approval, as the procedure requires. Explain that you set out the risk to the company rather than reproach the person. Here the recruiter expects firmness and tact.
Common mistakes
- Claiming to have mastered a software package or spreadsheets, then failing the practical test.
- Staying theoretical, with no example from a file you really handled.
- Revealing confidential information about a former employer to show yourself in a good light.
Questions to ask the recruiter
- Which accounting software do you use and how is the department organised?
- What closing deadlines are expected and who are the statements submitted to?
- Does the job include tax and social security returns, or are they entrusted to a firm?
Preparation guide written by MOKILIX: it replaces neither the employer’s advert nor the advice of a professional in the field.
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