[Anonymous]

I have an interview tomorrow for an PT Staff Accountant position with an VP of the company.

I know, every interview ends with employer saying,. “Do you have any question for me”….I usually don’t..LOL..which is bad.

This is part-time job, so I know, it won’t qualify for accounting experience, b/c my state require full-time experience for 1 yr..

so what if employer ask me, why I am applying for PT position, or ask me would I be interested in FT position later on in the future.

wish me good luck..

[MCLKT]

You should have questions. Like, there should be areas that they probably didn't cover that you would genuinely want to know about… But just in case I always do extensive research on a company and it's key employees/officers before an interview.

If by chance they actually do cover every aspect of all of my inquiries, then at least I have current events to mention.

I think in my last interview, I asked about a deal that had recently closed by a subsidiary. I mentioned that I had read an article about it and thought it would be exciting to be a part of the organization. I congratulated them and asked if those types of deals would impact my position (at the corporate level) and also what types of deals or transactions would impact my role. Someone could think for an entry level position a high level deal won't have an impact. But it would, because even the expenses would need to be coded appropriately to report costs of that transaction. So even an AP clerk is affected.

I got the job and have been here 3 years 🙂

A:[73]97 F:[74]85 R:86 B:[74]82
*NINJA 10 Pt. COMBO & Yaeger*

[Anonymous]

People like to talk about themselves (usually). Ask them what they enjoy most or find most challenging about their job. Or ask What's your favorite part about working for ABC, Co? This can lead to questions about company culture.

You could also ask, What do you think is the most challenging aspect of this position? What do you expect from this position 1 month from now? 6 months from now? 1 year from now?

[jgrfan1]

Is there anything about my background or experience that gives you concern about my ability to do this job?

Be ready to provide an answer that allays any of their concerns.

BEC - 5/2012 - 91
AUD - 8/2012 - 89
REG - 1/2013 - 90
FAR - 5/2013 - 88
Wife, 2 kids and a job

[tessablkwd]

I like to ask what their favorite part about the company is, or most enjoyable part of their job. It will give you a good idea of if you will be a good fit in the company.

Good luck!!

AUD: 71, 87
BEC: 85
FAR: 80
REG: 12/6/13

[Anonymous]

nice questions !! keep it coming

Should I ask that VP, if he is a CPA? then i can ask him how is like being a CPA?

@bluegirl I have read most of the places that I should ask the question you mentioned, But I will hesitate to ask that question, because I am entry level guy, talking to a VP, you know.

[Anonymous]

You could make it more vague if that suits you – “How would you describe your experience working at the company?” “How long have you been here?” If they're not sure what you're getting at you can clarify by saying – “I've heard your company is a great place to work, I'm curious what influence the company culture may have on the position.”

[10keyLeah]

Some great advice here… MCLKT makes a great point about researching the company. Asking other questions like, ‘what will be the main challenge for the person stepping into the position', and other questions mentioned in this threat are great, but being able to mention something directly related to the company shows some real initiative.

As for the PT/FT questions, just be honest with them about your reason for wanting to be PT if they ask. “I want to work PT to gain some experience while I also work toward x”

FT is something to consider for the future, but your goal right now is PT which is why you applied for this particular position.

Ninja Combo, Yaeger, Wiley -- Licensed CPA, May 2015

[Anonymous]

Ask if they press charges. 😉

[mla1169]

I agree with MKCLT about researching a company before you go in there. They are looking to find out if you do your homework.

Also I always ask if they can tell me about WHY they're looking to fill the position in the first place. You want to know if the job is a revolving door that nobody wants to stick out or if they promote from within and your predecessor is still there. They need to know that you're just as concerned about making the right fit as they are.

I ask what growth they see possible in the next 5 years. A an accounting department looking to grow is a much better opportunity than one that is saturated with people who have been there 35+ years.

a VP is just a person like any other, don't feel like you can't ask tough questions just because you're entry level. Besides, has to be a fairly small company if a VP is interviewing you right off so its not like you're talking to the VP of Apple 😉

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[ParanoidAndroid]

-what characteristics do your very best employees have in common?

-what was first, the chicken or the egg and WHY?

-are there a lot of a**holes around here?

CPA for life...

[zooyuka]

Ask if they have a daughter. If they do, ask how old she is. If she is over 18, ask if she is single. If the response is yes ask for her number and if the response is no ask how committed she is.

BEC 71,77
REG 65,85
FAR 7/1/13
AUD 8/24/13

[Anonymous]

Hahaha zooyuka, that cracked me up.

On a serious note, you can ask:

“What about the company has made you stay for so long?” (I'm assuming the VP has been around for more than a few years, unless they were hired externally),

“What led you to a leadership role in the company?”

“How the company has changed since you assumed your leadership role or started as an entry-level worker? How has the industry changed? Where, in your executive role, do you see the company progressing toward in the near future?”

These are all pretty vague, but a good way to kill 2-3 minutes and glean more information.

[Anonymous]

Hey everyone I just came back from the INTERVIEW

First question, the Chief Office, ask me, “so what do you know about the Company?'…This was right after his introduction. @MCLKT you were right !

The interview went on for 1hr 30 mins. which I think is a good sign. we talked a lot, and I think I answered most of the question right. there were 2 or 3 question, which I answered “I dont know or I am not familiar with”..& they didn't seem to mind, b/c I wanted to be honest.

I thing I am worried, is that they were looking for someone with strong accounting knowledge + CPA candidate. I met one, but other I am willing to learn through working…etc…even the VP said, he started 3 yrs ago, w/o any knowledge.

Good luck to me! & thanks everyone who participated. I think this thread should be marked as “special” I know, there are many of like me out there.

[mypetmeatball]

Here's a question I asked at my PwC interview that clearly impressed the guy. I'm out of the recruiting game so anyone can use this…although it's a little stale now given the timeframe of the change. In brackets are why each part is valuable, in my opinion.

“PwC recently changed its performance reviews with the highest level being a top performer [communicates that I'm knowledgable about the company]. I've always wondered, how would someone differentiate themselves in an environment where everyone already is the top of their class [kiss-ass “i really want the job”]? I mean, clearly everyone here is smart and is going to work very hard, what are the things that the best staff members do that an average one does not [“I want to know these things so I can succeed”]

[MustPass1988]

Remember that this isn't just them interviewing you, it's also you interviewing them. I had a job interview where I met my manager in person after a couple phone interviews and i just didn't like the guy. I didn't know why but there was something about him that put me off. I ended up taking the job anyways, thinking that whatever I was feeling wasn't the case, and my dislike turned into an EXTREME dislike. I wish I had listened to my instinct because it turned out to be a job, manager, coworkers, and department that was a terrible fit and I just hated everything about it. So..if you have a bad feeling about someone or something, listen to it! With that said, make sure to ask about the company culture, what that person values in the people who work for them, & how they would describe their managing style. I also like to ask what the department's goals or vision are for the short and long term.

AUD: PASSED [81]; Expired, retaking August 23rd
BEC: PASSED [83]; Expired, retaking July 11th
REG: PASSED [83]
FAR: FAILED [64]; Retaking May 23rd

[Author]

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