Accountancy Practice interview advice needed

NikkeiJones

Hi Lovelies,

I have an Accountancy Practice Interview booked for Monday morning. The job description provided is minimal and the salary is stated as negotiable. I've worked in accounts in industry for just over three years, and although this role would be completely new to me, I have got experience with ledgers etc. I just don't know what to expect of the interview and was hoping any of you that work in practice could give me some advice on how to tackle the interview.

Would really appreciate any advice and also advice on if i'm asked about salary as I have no idea what the salary bracket is.

Many Thanks
Nikke

BitterAndTwisted

It's a very different world working in a practice: the client is king. What is the job description exactly?

LadyMissA

job title?

NikkeiJones

Hi lovely,

Job description I've been given is as follows:

AAT Qualified Accountant required. General accountancy practice work including accounts preparation (limited company and sole traders), VAT and personal tax. Part time applications will be considered.

Not much to go by

BitterAndTwisted

Have you kept a complete set of books before? Done VAT returns? Can you make sense of a balance sheet? General ledger work is a world way.

NikkeiJones

I've done VAT returns via sage and although a little rusty from lack of use, I can do my double entries and understand a balance sheet, I am going to get my AAT books down and have a recap tomorrow to refresh myself before the interview aswell.

heretolearn_2

gen up on tax too - if you are preparing tax returns you will be expected to know all about allowances and other ways to minimise the client's tax liability (eg gift aid and pensions for higher rate tax payers). Also who needs to do what and when - you'll have to advise clients of when their deadlines are, and what they need to do. I'm always amazed at the number of accountants we see who haven't got a clue about any of this - in-house accountants have mostly just done a job that lands on their desk and that's it, but they don't understand what they were really doing and why and when and not taken any interest in it. One question we always ask is what needs to be done annually for sole traders, ltd companies, and partnerships? Few accountants we interview can answer that correctly! Accounting training teaches you how to do a set of financial statements, but it doesn't teach you under what circumstances you need to do them, and how this differs for different types of organisations. If you get this lot under your belt you'll have a big advantage over other previously non-practice accountants they may be seeing.

ultrarunner

Focus as much on the client management / customer service element of the role (e.g. communicating to a client something is not compliant, managing bad news to a client, dealing with a client who is unhappy with the level of service they're receiving) as the accountancy side.