Careers Education and Placement Centre

Interview technique for Audit/Accountant Trainee

Date : 30 September, 1999 (Thursday)

Time : 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Venue : T6, Meng Wah Complex

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Competition is fierce in 98-99

Big five
Company

Applications

First

Received

Shortlist

Ernst & Young

193

132

68

38

20

Deloitte

188

65

35

34

18

PWC

224

150

67

24

11

KPMG

228

46

20

23

10

Arthur Andersen

175

35

20

13

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Job

Offer

Comments from interviewers in 98-99

(Audit/Accounting Firms)
Oral English should be improved.
For leadership : most of them did not participate in the
activity of university.
Only 2 out of the 8 knew what the job would involve.
When asked about what they knew of the company, most
said large.
The students did quite well in the interviews (better than
those in Polytechnics). However, the real life has to make
some of them not be chosen.
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Comments from interviewers in 98-99

(Audit/Accounting Firms) contd
Too nervous that hidden the participants ability to
communicate, especially in English.
Too standard answers, no new ideas come out.
Dress professional.
Good and impression.
Humble and polite.
Well prepared and honest.
Some of students may not even know what AUDITING.
The performance varies on an individual basis.
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Comments from interviewers in 98-99

(Audit/Accounting Firms) contd
Qualification of candidates is good.
Good attitudes and respect for the interview.
Most of them properly prepared before interview.
Furthermore, at least, some project works should be
included in your subject because they cannot demonstrate
their skill in working as a team during the interview, or
they should be encourage to participate more in club or
society.
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What do interviewers look for?

- Interviewers look for answers to these questions:

- Do you look like the right person?

- Can you do the job?
- Can you be counted on?

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Messages from Tell me, Mr Dunston

the principle of being likeable,

being natural
being interesting, and
being specific

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Video

Tell me, Mr Dunston (21 minutes)

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Did you fulfill the employers expectation?

that you look like the right person for the job
that you can be counted on
(Adaptive skills and personality e.g can be trusted, get
things done on time, get along well with others,
is productive),
that you can do the job
(Job-content skills e.g education and training, life
experience, achievements, ability).
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The Prove It Principle

1.
2.
3.
4.

give relevant examples

be specific
specify results
link to desired job

A good skills statement help employer visualize something

he / she wants
1.
Increased profit
2.
Decreased turnover
3.
Improved worker morale
4.
Decreased frustration
5.
Solutions to problems
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Video

Effective Answers to Interview Questions

(35 minutes)

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Messages from Effective Answers to Interview

Questions

Answer questions in a 3-steps approach

1/ Understanding the true meaning

2/ Answer the surface question

3/ Answer the real concern by presenting your skills

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Job nature of Accountant, Public Practice

work for a firm of accountants whose clients
vary from large commercial organisations to
people running their own small business
audit accounts to ensure financial records are a
true reflection of a companys activities and
financial situation
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Job nature of Accountant, Public Practicecontd

performs audits
provides other accountancy and financial services
to a wide range of fee-paying clients from the
private individual to the large commercial
organisation and government bodies

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Accountant Trainee - Personal qualities & skills

required

highly numerate
capable of interpreting complicated accounts
have an enquiring mind
a good eye for detail
be accurate and methodical in their work
ability to communicate effectively
explain results clearly and concisely
good report writing skills

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Accountant Trainee - Personal qualities & skills

required contd

capable of analysing and interpreting figures

good computer skill and capable of using new
technology
good written and verbal communication skills

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Example
What are your major weaknesses?
Interviewer wants to know whether:
you are aware of your weaknesses?
you have learned to overcome them so that they dont
affect your work.
Response options
Using the three-step process
acknowledge the facts but present them as advantages,
not disadvantages
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Questions that are often asked during an interview

(audit/accountant profession)

Why do you choose Audit as your career?

How much do you know about our company?
How do you rank Big Five?
How do you compare Tax and Audit?
Do you have any idea of working as an staff accountant?
Have you been interviewed by other accounting firms?
What is the most important quality for being an
accountant?
What is computer auditing?
Do you think accounting is boring?
How do you choose between working in an accounting
firm and in the banking sector?
Can you tell the differences between a consulting firm
and a traditional accounting firm?

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3-steps to answering interview questions

Step 1. Understand the true meaning
What is Really being asked?
e.g. Arent you a bit too young?

The real concern is age or experience?

- Can we depend on you?
- Are you easy to get along with?
- Are you a good worker?
- Do you have the experience and training to do the job if
we hire you?
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3-steps to answering interview questions contd

Step 2. Answer the surface question
- Acknowledge the facts
- Present them as advantages, not disadvantages
Sample response:
- Ignore the fact that you are young, claim the eagerness and
energy you have
- If you can show the benefit of what the interviewer might
regard as a problem
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3-steps to answering interview questions contd

Step 3. Answer the real concern by presenting your skills

- What give you value over a more experienced applicant?
- Present more of your qualification
- Particularly cover those that make you unique

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Questions that are often asked during an interview

(audit/accountant profession) contd
How many papers do you know that have to be examined
to be a professional accountant?
Do you think that you are irresponsible to the whole
community as a whole when you help clients to pas less
tax?
If the client asks you to do thing for him that is not your
responsibilities, how will you react?
How do you prepare yourself for a profession in tax?
If all the Big Five companies give you offer, what criteria
will you adopt to choose from the offers?
What do you possess that can contribute to the firm?
How do you define an urgent task and an important task?
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What to say when you are invited to ask questions?

Ask a real question. Do not ask questions for the sake of

asking. Do not ask about information that you can get from
recruitment talks, recruitment literature, product brochures,
newspapers, magazines and other readily available source?
Why are these questions inappropriate? What do you really
need to know from the interviewer? Are there anything from
the recruitment talk, recruitment literature, product brochure,
annual reports, newspapers, magazines etc. that you want to
clarify or seek more elaboration about?
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After the interview

Evaluate your performance and see how you can improve

upon it.
Review answers with a counsellor - at the help desk or
by e-mail.
Send a thank you letter to the interviewer to re-iterate
why you are suitable, but be succinct.

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Hints on interviewing techniques

(Audit/Accountant Profession)
-

be relaxed

when being asked why want to be a Accountant

- show forward looking
- aspirations
- career goals in accountant/audit profession

dont panic or show any sign of anxiety / insecurity

dont focus on the negative side of things
give a positive answer
show that you have grown from the setback

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Tips for Answering Questions

-

listen carefully to the questions,

understand the real concern,
avoid answering merely yes or no,
answer the question briefly but to the point,
always match what you have to offer with the needs of the job,
answer the hidden questions,
dont pretend to know something that you are ignorant of, and
ask the interviewer to repeat the question if you do not
understand.

See each interview question as an opportunity to talk about your

special abilities for doing the job.
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Other Points to Note

- get to the interview a few minutes early,
- smile and relax,
- a firm but not crushing handshake (unless the interviewer
does not offer to shake hands),
- use the interviewers last name Mr. A or Ms. B,
- have eye contacts, but do not stare,
- your voice should be neither too soft nor too loud,
- show enthusiasm,
- compliment where a compliment is due,
- pay attention to your body language.
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Questions often asked by employers

I) Background information
- Please use one minute to introduce yourself.
- What do you consider to be your greatest strengths
and weaknesses?
- How would you describe yourself?
- How do you think a friend or professor who knows
you would describe you?
- What kind of books do you read?

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Questions often asked by employers contd

II) Experience and goals in life

- What are your long-range and short-range goals and
objectives?
- When and why did you establish these goals and
how are you preparing yourself to achieve them?
- What specific goals, other than those related to your
occupation, have you established for yourself for the
next three/five years?
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Questions often asked by employers contd

III) Careers Objective
- How do you plan to achieve your career goals?
- Why did you choose the career for which you are
preparing?
- What led you to choose your field of major study?
- Why are you interested in a career which is different
from your field of study?
- What academic subjects did you like best? Why?
- Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced
degree?
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Questions often asked by employers contd

IV) Suitability
- Why should I hire you?
- In what ways do you think you can make a
contribution to our company?
- Why did you decide to seek a position with this
company?
- What do you know about our company?
- What criteria are you using to evaluate the company
for which you hope to work?
- Are you prepared to travel or live and work away
from home?
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Dos
-

be yourself
concentrate on the questions
tell the truth
positive
read the clues (e.g. interviewer's body signals)
be loyal
arrive on time
be well-mannered
do your homework
make eye contact
smile

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Donts
-

take someone else with you

disguise ignorance

over-drink

wear strange items of clothing

embarrass the interviewer

tell jokes

criticize the interviewer and company

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What employers look for in trainees

Professional knowledge and transferable skills
Coping Skill
Tolerance of ambiguity
Decisiveness
Spoken communication
Assertiveness
Energy
Policy and procedures
Alertness
Analytical problem
solving
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Written communication
Commitment to task
Interaction
Perceptivity
Organisation & planning
Creativity
Versatility
Reading the system
Team building
Leadership
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Lecture notes are available at the CEPC homepage

<http://www.hku.hk/cepc>
Click the key Lecture Notes

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How to get in touch with the CEPC

E-mail

CEPC Mailing List

Distillery

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Questions & Answers

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Careers Education and Placement Centre

Ms Louisa Li
Director

E-mail: louisali@hkusua.hku.hk
Web: http://www.hku.hk/cepc
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