Preparing yourself for a job with an accountancy firm can be stressful and leave you feeling anxious. No matter how comprehensive your CV, or how many glowing professional recommendations you have, the opportunity to make a great first impression on a prospective employer can be the difference between finding your dream job or being passed over.
With many firms recruiting, and giants such as KPMG wanting to attract a more diverse accountancy workforce, it is vital that you properly and thoroughly prepare yourself for a recruitment interview to pave the way for a career in accountancy.
The best way to do this is to break down the interview into segments and move through these steps one by one, as this will ensure that a prospective recruit has the best possible foundation for a successful job interview.
Preparing a portfolio for accountancy job interviews
As you will be aware, there are many different types of accountancy and finance jobs, and the skills needed for each can be quite specific. This is time to take inspiration from the creative sector and develop a portfolio of work to bring with you.
An accountancy and finance portfolio should be an extension of your CV, a larger folder of relevant case studies. Of course, due to legal reasons and confidentiality rules, you will not be able to directly name any person or entity in this, but you can certainly talk about ‘Audit Firm A’ with its £10 million T/O and the work you achieved there.
Your CV or resume is an essential part of the recruitment process too. It is not only a place to list your experiences and qualifications, but you list all relevant skills that would be necessary and useful in the position you are applying for.
You will likely have sent a cover letter with the initial applications, but it is also good practice to bring a well-written covering letter along with your CV to help you stand out from the crowd a little more.
At an accountancy job interview, the interviewer will likely ask questions that assess the level of core skills and knowledge that the prospective recruit has in order to see if they meet the specifications of the job.
You should be prepared to answer questions that relate to basic accountancy principles and practices, auditing, financial data analysis, accounting software solutions and applications, relevant financial codes, laws, and regulations.
Typically, the interviewer will briefly review your CV before asking questions, and will likely ask questions pertinent to the content of the CV, so ensure that your resume is accurate and true, and review it before the interview to remind yourself and refresh your memory.
Research possible lines of questioning online and try to anticipate as many different types of questions as possible, before preparing considered and interesting answers for those questions before the interview. Taking the time to practice answering the questions and follow-ups will help make the real process less stressful.
If you’re looking for accountancy recruitment agencies in Brighton, get in touch today.