In an interview for a bookkeeper position, you have to impress the interviewer with your knowledge and skills.
During the interview, you might be asked many questions related to your bookkeeping accomplishments. There will also be questions that are aimed at determining your bookkeeping skills. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to prepare before appearing in an interview.
A set of interview questions and answers is provided below for you to look through:
Related: Bookkeeper Resume
Bookkeeper Interview Questions and Answers
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a passionate and results-oriented bookkeeper with 6 years of hands-on experience. I have worked mostly in intense environments, where the work is exceptionally difficult, and discrepancies were an everyday occurrence. I thrive while working in a challenging setting, and look forward to learning new things each day.
2. How did you learn about this opening?
I have been scanning your website for open positions for a year now. The last time that I opened the careers section, I saw that there was a vacancy for a bookkeeper, and I jumped at the chance.
3. Why did you choose to work as a bookkeeper?
My interest in bookkeeping stemmed from the time took up accounting as a subject in high school. Increased interest in college led me to take up a degree in accounting. Since then, I have been perusing my dream of working as a bookkeeper.
4. Out of all the candidates, why should we hire you?
I am the right person to hire because my skill set is completely in sync with your requirements. Since I have worked in a similar organization, on a similar post before, I will need no training, which will save you both time and cost. Also, I am well-versed in all the areas that you have outlined in the job ad, and possess the right length of experience as well.
5. What duties have you performed in a bookkeeper role in the past?
I have performed many duties in this role, including recording day-to-day financial transactions, completing posting processes, and verifying transactions. In addition, I have worked on trial balances, performed posting process checks, and handled tax information. Also, I have been busy drawing up financial statements such as income statements, and balance sheets.
6. Do you find the work of a bookkeeper challenging? Why or why not?
Working in a financial setting is quite challenging. Since one is working with money, one has to be careful at all times so that discrepancies do not occur.
7. How do you feel about working in an environment where you have to work with money all the time?
On the face of it, it seems as if working with money is a big deal. However, if one is honest, there is no need to worry. I feel very comfortable working in such an environment as I know what needs to be done at each step to make things workable.
8. What is the most challenging part of working as a bookkeeper?
I believe that discrepancy handling is the most challenging part of working as a bookkeeper. This is because one small mistake in an entry can have a terrible trickle-down effect.
9. What skills do you possess which make you an excellent candidate to hire as a bookkeeper?
I am a thorough individual who makes sure that no errors are evident. In addition, I am well-versed in posting entries to the system, as my typing speed is quite high. Also, I am competent in determining entry problems, and can effectively handle discrepancies before they convert into a crisis situation.
10. How do you feel about working in an environment where you have to contend with a lot of stress?
I take stress in stride. It is an undeniable part of working in this arena. Since I am generally an organized individual, I don’t mind stress at all, and can usually handle it with great professionalism.
11. How do you handle discrepancies?
Where discrepancies are concerned, there is no one better than me to handle the work. I retrace my steps and figure out where the problem began. After I resolve it, I make sure that a similar problem does not reoccur.
12. What is your biggest weakness?
My biggest weakness is my stance on perfection. I understand that bookkeeping requires perfection but it is not always possible. I am working on setting realistic goals for myself.
13. And what is your biggest strength?
I believe that my biggest strength is that I am a thorough individual. I leave no stone unturned to ensure that no discrepancies occur. And if they do occur, I make sure that they are handled then and there.
14. Do you have any vendor relations experience?
As a matter of fact, I have vast experience in vendor relations. This includes creating and maintaining effective liaisons with vendors and suppliers to ensure that their payments are made accurately, and timely.
15. What can we expect from you in the first three months at work?
The first three months after I have joined your organization will be quite interesting. This is because it will seem as if you have not hired a new bookkeeper, as I will be contributing immediately. If your accounts need streamlining, I will be focusing on that as well.
16. What drives results in this job?
I believe that total commitment, dedication, and accuracy are what drive results in this job.
17. How do you keep yourself motivated to work?
To be honest, motivation and encouragement are within the work itself. I am in a consistent state of motivation because I do my work well. And a job well done means constant encouragement for me.
18. Tell us about the toughest decision that you have had to make in the last 2 years.
I was noticing a weird pattern in petty cash expenses and asked the concerned department several times what was off. Since I had all the receipts, there was very little I could do to counter the extra expenses. One day, I happened to come across a receipt that was accidentally left in the printer by the department head. Yes, he was printing some receipts and passing them off as genuine expenses. Since the head was a friend, I was initially in a quandary about what to do. But I soon decided that this matter needed to be reported.
19. What specific skills do you offer to us in the role of a bookkeeper?
I am extremely good at what I do. I have had extensive experience with checking and verifying invoices, receipts, and reports. In addition to this, I am an expert in allocating and posting financial transactions to subsidiary books. Also, I can effectively track and maintain inventory records, and maintain internal financial control systems.
20. Tell me about a personal skill that you possess that makes you an excellent person to hire.
I am an extremely well-organized individual. This makes it easy for me to handle a wide variety of tasks with excellence, some of them at the same time.
21. What is your experience with tax documents?
I have calculated and prepared tax documents extensively. Reconciling sales and payroll taxes is a great area of strength.
22. How do you handle discrepancies?
I believe that discrepancies must be nipped in the bud. I make sure that I get to the root of the problem, and ensure that such an issue does not arise again.
23. As far as communication skills are concerned, how important are they in a bookkeeper’s role?
Communication skills, like in any other role, are very important when one works as a bookkeeper. This is because one has to work with numbers and money, and lack of communication can lead to great disasters, even losses.
24. Tell me of a time when you did something that made you shine.
I was recently involved in a bookkeeping revamping program, where I suggested the implementation of a certain aspect of handling financials. This earned me accolades from the management, as it proved to be highly useful.
25. What accounting software are you most proficient in?
Apart from standard spreadsheets, I am proficient in using Xero, Peachtree, Quickbooks, and MYOB
26. Do you think paper bookkeeping should be done as a backup?
As a matter of fact, I do. I think that at least some paper backup must exist, in case of technology turns ugly. It can save the company a great deal in many ways.
27. How important are data entry skills in your work?
Data entry skills are extremely important as one has to punch in hundreds of numbers in one day, and all of them need to maintain their accuracy and integrity.
28. How do you manage subsidiary accounts?
I am an expert in verifying, allocating, and posting transactions to maintain subsidiary accounts. I am also adept at balancing subsidiary accounts by effectively reconciling entries.
29. What is one contribution that you have made to your present place of work?
I am responsible for developing a unique financial transactions system, which is compared to the previous one as being 50% more efficient.
30. How do you maintain financial transactions?
My basic modus operandi is to establish accounts, post transactions, and ensure legal requirements compliance at each point.
31. How often do you have to work with bank personnel?
I have to liaise with bank personnel on a daily basis. Making deposits, overseeing company investments, and moving cash from the bank to the office are all in a day’s work for me.
32. How do you ensure the integrity of your bookkeeping activities?
I regularly perform internal audits to ensure that no entry is out of sync. This is done so often that I have not had even one discrepancy to my name in the last 4 years!
33. In your opinion, what is the standard skill set that a bookkeeper should possess?
I feel that it is important for bookkeepers to be analytical, possess excellent data entry skills, and have great attention to detail. Thoroughness is the name of the game here.
34. What is the one thing that you would want to change about your present workplace?
My present workplace is actually quite well-organized where bookkeeping is concerned. However, it would be pertinent for them to focus on keeping paper backups of their records.
35. How important is fact-checking to you?
Fact-checking is extremely important if one wants to maintain the integrity of financial data.
36. Has a lack of fact-checking ever resulted in anything negative?
As far as my work is concerned, no. I have always been very thorough with my work, and fact-check all transactions.
37. Do you think mathematics skills are important while working as a bookkeeper?
Mathematics skills are arguably the most important when working as a bookkeeper. There is a lot of mental math involved in this work.
38. What do you expect to be doing within the next 5 years? OR What are your 5-year plans?
I am hoping to work in a supervisory role, where I have a team of finance and accounting personnel working under my wing.
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