Accountant and Auditor Interview Questions & Answers

Accountants and auditors prepare and examine financial records.

Interviewers look for candidates who demonstrate excellent skills such as:

• Communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Math skills
• Organizational skills
• Analytical skills

In this blog, we discuss commonly asked interview questions during job interviews for accountants and auditor positions. We also discuss the qualities that interviewers look for in successful candidates. In other words, we’re here to help you out!

Also, read more about frequently asked job interview questions here and check our job interview preparation checklist.

Skills Interviewers Look For In Successful Candidates

Below we discuss the skills that you can highlight in your answers to demonstrate that you’re qualified for the job.

Analytical skills

Why the interviewer is interested in your analytical skills:

Accountants and auditors must be able to identify issues in documentation and suggest solutions. For example, public accountants use analytical skills in their work to minimize tax liability, and internal auditors use these skills to detect fraudulent use of funds.

Related: What Does an Operational Risk Manager Do?

Communication skills

Why the interviewer is interested in your communication skills:

Accountants and auditors must be able to listen carefully to facts and concerns from clients, managers, and others. They must also be able to discuss the results of their work in both meetings and written reports.

Learn more about communication interview questions and how to answer them!

Attention to detail

Why the interviewer is interested in your attention to detail:

Accountants and auditors must pay attention to detail when compiling and examining documentation.

Related: What Does an Assurance Associate Do?

Math skills

Why the interviewer is interested in your math skills:

Accountants and auditors must be able to analyze, compare, and interpret facts and figures, although complex math skills are not necessary.

Organizational skills

Why the interviewer is interested in your organizational skills:

Strong organizational skills are important for accountants and auditors, who often work with a range of financial documents for a variety of clients.

(source: bls.gov)

Accountant and Auditor Job Interview Questions & Answers

During a job interview, the hiring manager wants to discuss several things. Think of your:

• Employment history
• Skills and abilities
• Accomplishments
• Job qualifications
• Educational background
• Career goals
• Personality

Below you find a list of commonly asked interview questions.

Examples Of General Accountant and Auditor Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. How would you describe yourself?
3. Why do you want to work here?
4. What interests you about this position?
5. Walk me through your resume.
6. What motivates you?
7. Why are you leaving your current job?
8. Describe your work ethic.
9. What is your greatest strength?
10. How does your experience qualify you for this job?
11. What is your greatest weakness?
12. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
13. Tell me about a challenging work situation and how you overcame it.
14. What are your expectations for this position?
15. What are your career goals?
16. Why should we hire you?
17. What did you like most about your last position?
18. What did you like least about your last position?
19. How do you handle stress?
20. What is your greatest accomplishment?

Learn how to answer these common job interview questions!

Examples Of Specific Accountant and Auditor Behavioral Interview Questions

Learn more about answering behavioral interview questions by using the STAR interview technique.

1. Have you developed a system to minimize the risk of errors in your work?
2. Tell me about a time you had to use hard data to prove a point about an audit.
3. Do you have any experience doing ‘X’ (insert required skill)?
4. Tell me about a time you took the lead on a project, implementation, or were proactive in another context.
5. Can you tell me more about your experience with developing business metrics?
6. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?
7. Which of your prior work experience will help you most in this position?
8. Tell me about a time you thought out of the box to solve a problem.
9. How do you make sure you keep focused on your work during busy days?
10. What is your understanding of ‘X’ (insert required knowledge)?
11. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond the requirements of a specific project.
12. What types of software do you use in your daily work?
13. Explain to me how you manage large amounts of data and information.
14. Describe a time when you successfully shared a difficult piece of information to a client.
15. How would you rate your ‘(insert specific skill required for the job)’ skills?

Learn more about questions to ask the interviewer during your job interview.