Preparing for your next accountancy interview

Preparing for a finance and accountancy interview can feel very different to preparing for interviews in other sectors. Employers are often looking for a combination of technical knowledge, commercial understanding, sector awareness and the ability to explain how you add value. 

Whether you are newly qualified, part-qualified or an experienced finance professional looking for your next opportunity, preparation is key.  A strong interview is not only about explaining what you have done, but showing how your experience, qualifications and approach make you the right fit for the role. 

In this blog, we share practical advice from our Finance & Accountancy recruitment team to help you prepare for your next accountancy interview and understand what employers may be looking for. 

Get your CV right before the interview 

Your CV is often the starting point for the interview, so it needs to give employers a clear picture of your experience, qualifications and career to date. 

In Finance & Accountancy, it is important to be specific. Rather than listing responsibilities without context, explain the type of organisation you worked for, the size of the finance team, the systems you used and the scale of the budgets, turnover or reporting responsibilities involved where appropriate. 

You should also include: 

• Your professional qualifications, such as ACA, ACCA, ICAS, CIMA, CIPFA or AAT 
• Whether you are qualified, part-qualified or actively studying 
• Key systems experience, such as Excel, ERP systems, Power BI or finance reporting tools 
• Sector experience, such as public sector, private sector, practice, charity, housing, NHS or local government 
• Examples of promotions, added responsibility or project work 
• Any gaps in employment, explained clearly and honestly 

This gives the interviewer a better understanding of your background and helps them ask more relevant questions during the interview. 

Our Finance & Accountancy team explained: 

“Candidates can sometimes undersell themselves on their CV by not giving enough context. Employers want to understand the scale of your experience, the environments you have worked in and the value you have added. A clear, honest and well-structured CV gives you a much stronger starting point for the interview.” 

Showcase your knowledge and skillset 

Employers are looking for candidates who can connect their experience to the role they are applying for, so it’s important to showcase your skillset from the outset. 

Before your interview, spend time reviewing the job description. Look at the key responsibilities, required skills and any specific technical areas mentioned. This could include management accounts, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, audit, tax, controls, statutory accounts, business partnering or financial analysis. 

Once you’ve reviewed the role, prepare examples that show how your experience matches the requirements. For example, if the role involves management accounts, prepare an example of producing reports, analysing variances or supporting budget holders. If the role involves business partnering, think about how you have worked with non-finance colleagues and explained financial information clearly. 

The detail you provide will depend on your level and seniority. A newly qualified accountant may want to talk about what they have learnt through their studies, training and practical experience, and how this will help them succeed in the role. If you are an experienced chartered accountant, employers will usually expect clear examples of where you have added value in a previous role. 

Our advice is: 

“Our clients expect candidates to tailor their experience and skills to the role they are interviewing for. This applies to candidates at all levels. Study the job description carefully and prepare examples ahead of time. It can help to print off a copy of your CV and the job specification, then make sure you can confidently cover each key point during your interview.” 

Research the organisation properly 

Company research is an important part of any interview, but it’s particularly valuable in Finance & Accountancy because it helps you understand the organisation’s financial position, priorities and challenges. 

Before the interview, review the employer’s website, recent news, annual reports, strategy documents, financial statements or Companies House information where relevant. For public sector or not-for-profit organisations, you may also want to look at budgets, service pressures, funding challenges, governance reports or strategic plans. 

This research can help you understand: 

• The organisation’s size and structure 
• It's financial position 
• Recent growth, change or transformation 
• Sector challenges 
• Key priorities for the finance team 
• Where your experience could add value 

This doesn’t mean you need to know every detail, but you should be able to show that you’ve taken the time to understand the organisation and the environment it operates in. 

For private sector roles, this may include commercial performance, profitability, cash flow, growth plans or market conditions. 

For public sector roles, this may include budget pressures, governance, value for money, funding changes, service delivery and the wider impact of financial decisions. 

Be ready to talk about technical skills 

Accountancy interviews often include technical questions. The level of detail will depend on the role, but employers may want to understand your knowledge of accounting standards, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, tax, audit, controls, financial modelling or management accounts. 

To prepare, review the technical areas most relevant to the job description. Think about the work you have done recently and be ready to explain it clearly. 

For example, you may be asked about: 

• Preparing management accounts 
• Producing statutory accounts 
• Budgeting and forecasting 
• Explaining variances 
• Improving month-end processes 
• Reducing costs or identifying efficiencies 
• Managing audits 
• Supporting year-end 
• Using Excel, finance systems or reporting tools 
• Presenting financial information to non-finance stakeholders 

Try to avoid giving overly technical answers without context. Employers want to understand what you did, why it mattered and what the outcome was. 

Show your commercial and sector awareness 

Technical ability is important, but employers are increasingly looking for finance professionals who can think beyond the numbers. 

This means being able to explain what financial information means for the organisation, how it supports decision-making and how finance can add value. 

Depending on the role, this could include: 

• Identifying cost savings 
• Improving reporting accuracy 
• Supporting better budgeting 
• Helping operational teams understand financial performance 
• Improving financial controls 
• Supporting growth or transformation 
• Managing risk 
• Helping leaders make informed decisions 

For public sector roles, this may mean showing an understanding of budget pressures, governance, funding, compliance and the importance of delivering value for money. 

For private sector roles, this may mean showing an understanding of profitability, cash flow, margins, investment decisions and commercial performance. 

Being able to connect your finance experience to the wider goals of the organisation can help you stand out. 

Talk about your own achievements

Many finance professionals work as part of a team, so it is natural to talk about “we” when discussing past work. However, in an interview, employers also need to understand your personal contribution. 

Try to be clear about what you were responsible for, what action you took and what impact you had. 

For example, instead of saying: 

“We improved the month-end process.” 

You could say: 

“I reviewed the month-end process, identified where delays were happening and worked with the team to introduce a clearer timetable. This helped reduce reporting delays and gave senior stakeholders access to information earlier.” 

This gives the interviewer a much clearer understanding of your individual contribution. 

If you’re newly qualified or earlier in your career, your achievements may relate to exams, training, process improvements, projects, taking on additional responsibility or supporting senior colleagues. 

If you’re more experienced, you may want to focus on leadership, strategic projects, business partnering, team development, transformation, cost savings or financial decision-making. 

Prepare for competency-based questions 

Many accountancy interviews will include competency-based questions designed to understand how you have handled situations in the past. 

You may be asked questions such as: 

• Tell us about a time you improved a process. 
• Describe a time you identified a financial risk. 
• Give an example of when you explained complex financial information to a non-finance colleague. 
• Tell us about a time you worked to a tight deadline. 
• Describe a time you challenged a decision or recommendation. 
• Give an example of when you added value to a finance team. 
• Tell us about a time you supported a cost-saving initiative. 
• Describe a time you had to manage competing priorities. 

The STAR method can help you structure your answer: 

• Situation: what was happening? 
• Task: what were you responsible for? 
• Action: what did you do? 
• Result: what was the outcome? 

Where possible, include measurable results. This might be time saved, costs reduced, reporting improved, errors decreased, deadlines met or stakeholders supported. 

For more general interview preparation advice, including common interview questions and how to structure your answers, read our interview tips and preparation guide. 

Be prepared for questions about systems and digital skills 

Finance teams are increasingly relying on data, systems and reporting tools, so employers may ask about your digital skills. 

This could include your experience with Excel, finance systems, ERP platforms, reporting tools, Power BI, data analysis or process automation. 

You may also be asked how comfortable you are using automation, AI-enabled tools or data-led reporting to improve accuracy, save time or support better decision-making. 

You don’t need to have used every system, but you should be able to explain the tools you’ve worked with and how you used them to improve accuracy, efficiency or reporting. 

If you’ve helped automate a process, improve a spreadsheet, introduce a dashboard or make reporting more useful for stakeholders, prepare an example. 

Digital confidence is becoming increasingly important in Finance & Accountancy, particularly as organisations look for better insight, faster reporting and more efficient processes. 

Prepare for remote or hybrid interviews 

Many employers now use a mix of face-to-face, remote and hybrid interviews. If your interview is online, treat it with the same level of preparation as an in-person meeting. 

Before the interview: 

• Test your camera, microphone and internet connection 
• Choose a quiet space 
• Check your background and lighting 
• Have a copy of your CV and the job description nearby 
• Prepare notes, but avoid reading directly from them 
• Make sure you know who you are meeting and how long the interview is expected to last 

Remote interviews can sometimes make it harder to build rapport, so try to speak clearly, listen carefully and show enthusiasm through your answers.  

Prepare questions to ask the employer 

An interview is also your opportunity to decide whether the role and organisation are right for you. 

Good questions could include: 

• What are the main priorities for this role in the first six months? 
• How is the finance team structured? 
• What systems and reporting tools does the team use? 
• What are the biggest challenges currently facing the finance team? 
• How does finance work with the wider organisation? 
• What opportunities are there for progression or professional development? 
• Is study support available? 
• How would success in this role be measured? 
• What is the organisation’s approach to hybrid or flexible working? 

These questions show that you are thinking seriously about the role and your long-term development. 

What next? 

Preparing for an accountancy interview is about more than rehearsing answers. It is about understanding the role, researching the organisation, knowing your own experience and being able to explain the value you can bring. 

Whether you’re newly qualified, part-qualified or experienced, taking the time to prepare properly can help you feel more confident and make a stronger impression. 

If you would like support with your next Finance & Accountancy move, Sellick Partnership’s specialist recruitment team can help you understand the market, prepare for interviews and find opportunities that match your skills, experience and career goals. 

Get in touch with our Finance & Accountancy team or view our latest live jobs.