Prepare for success in UAE’s energy sector job interviews with our comprehensive guide. Explore key accounting interview questions and gain the confidence you need to excel in your career journey.
How to Answer Accounts Payable Interview Questions
A job as an accounts payable clerk in UAE can be a great career opportunity for someone interested in accounting in the field of energy sector jobs. Your first interview is the main step in the pursuit of this potential. Knowing some of the accounting interview questions you will be asked well before time can help you make a great impression on your interviewer. In this blog, we will look at commonly asked accounting interview questions, along with model answers.
What does an accounts payable clerk do?
An accounts payable professional has many duties as a part of their job. Your job as an accounts payable professional is to verify and reconcile bills for a company or organization. Your training would be related to all aspects of invoice management, from initially receiving the invoices to handling the invoices. Some responsibilities you might have as an accounts payable clerk are:
- Verify the accuracy of invoices.
- Input the invoices into a computer system.
- Pay company bills monthly, weekly, or daily.
- Maintain a list of all the vendors a company uses for business.
- Keep a record of what the business owes to the vendors and what partners owe to the company.
- Print monthly financial statements.
- Maintain all records by microfilming and making documents.
- Analyze invoice and expense accounts.
- Charge expenses to accounts.
- Verify vendor accounts.
- Distribute cash from recorded entries.
- Verify documentation.
- Report sales taxes on paid invoices.
General questions
The interviewer may start by asking general questions about your background, aims, and experience. Use the STAR (situation, task, action, result) method to make sure your answers include related examples. These questions let the hiring manager get to know you a little better before getting into heavier topics.
- Are you willing to go for an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and go through a background check?
- What is your educational background?
- What is your preferred work environment?
- What would you be able to contribute to our team?
- How did you become interested in finance?
Soft skills questions
A hiring manager who is going through you may ask about certain skills that will hit how you function in the workplace, including:
- Are you able to multitask?
- How do you function in a fast-paced environment?
- Can you handle some information in a professional manner?
- Are you able to consistently meet deadlines?
- Are you a team player?
- Would you be looking to advance to a different position in the company?
Hard skill questions
In addition to the soft skills of how you work with others in the office environment, a hiring manager will wish to know about your real-life skills as an accounts payable clerk. Some questions the business leader might ask include:
- How are your communication skills?
- Are you proficient with office technology such as Microsoft Word and Excel?
- What practical experience do you have in the accounting industry?
- Have you worked with finances before?
- Another accounting interview question training have you had?
Technical questions
Naturally, a hiring manager for energy sector jobs will ask you questions directly affecting your job as an accounts payable clerk. While you will not know the exact questions the hiring manager will ask, there are numerous sites on the internet that have examples of accounts payable clerk interview questions. Some questions that you may encounter during the interview are:
- What is a workflow for accounting?
- Can you explain the method of invoicing a vendor at the end of the month?
- What is capital and how do you handle interest on capital in a ledger?
- Describe consolidation to me
These and other job-specific queries are standard elements of an accounts payable interview.
Sample interview questions
Here are some more model interview questions, including example answers:
- How good are you at prioritizing multiple tasks during the day?
- Our company handles multiple accounts. Can you explain how you approach dealing with ledgers?
- We have tight deadlines. What is your experience with meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment?
- Do you work well with other people?
- What is your greatest professional achievement, and what is your greatest setback? What, if anything, did you learn from your successes and failures?
- Why do you want to work for the business as an accounts payable clerk in energy sector jobs? What do you find interesting about our company?
- How are you at prioritizing multiple tasks during the day?
This question gives you a window to communicate your flexibility during a workday with instances of occasions where you met deadlines for several tasks concurrently. Multi-tasking is a part of having good time management, a relevant skill in this industry. Be sure to share any instances you have of times you had to manage a busy schedule. Also, when it comes to energy sector jobs, you need to tell when you have to coordinate your schedule with other employees.
Our company handles multiple accounts. Can you explain how you approach dealing with ledgers?
Give specific examples of how you are good with multiple accounts. Accuracy and integrity are critical elements of being a successful accounts payable clerk. Give a comprehensive review of your talent. Share your commitment to always keeping updated and reliable records, even when you handle multiple things on your plate. Talk about your experience if you have only handled one account, highlighting that you are interested in bigger challenges.
Example: “At my first job at an accounting firm in UAE, I was responsible for two separate client accounts. I had to file invoices, note transactions, and mail bills for each account regularly. The team color-coded all the relevant tasks both on paper and in my digital calendar. We also kept different filing locations and made sure to file all the paperwork quickly and correctly. I was able to maintain both accounts for many months without any significant issues.”
We have approaching deadlines. What is your experience with handling deadlines in a fast-paced environment?
Interviewers ask this to discover how you will function in this job’s specific work environment. Answer this question with instances of how you have met your goals. Also, the consequences that followed after you met those goals, such as vendor loyalty, increased deliverables, and great rates of client satisfaction.
Do you work well with different people?
Working with other team members is important if you are an account payable professional because you will be frequently interacting with coworkers and partner agencies. This question allows you to give a comprehensive review of your communication and teamwork skills. Answer that you gel well in a team environment and cite examples of times you coordinated with a group on a project.
- What is your greatest business-related success, and what is your greatest failure? What, if anything, did you gain from your successes and failures?
These accounting interview questions are intimidating but not anything to be afraid of. They are behavioral accounting interview questions designed to understand if you would be right for what the company needs as an employee. They are going to need to do a comprehensive review. Answer these questions correctly, even the tough ones, about issues or mistakes that have happened in your work. Hiring managers are searching for people who are emotionally mature, honest, and able to work in teams but not necessarily perfect.
Why do you want to work for us as an accounts payable professional? What do you find interesting about our company?
One of the best things you can do before an interview is research the company. Learn about the specific industry of the company, its history, its place in the economic market, the name of the boss, and any outreach it has to the community. Know the name, if you can, of the recruitment manager or the person who will ask the accounting interview questions. Be prepared to show that your knowledge, education, and experience are relevant to the business and its goals.
Example: “I am looking to work for a business that has a mission statement I can cheer for. I am impressed by this company’s dedication to excellence and customer service. I believe my skills and experience would make me a great addition to your team. This is very important for energy sector jobs. I also think my personality and professional aims would be a good fit for the professional environment.”
Conclusion about accounting interview questions
Other subjects you might discuss with the hiring manager include the timetable, potential benefits, and pay. As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical annual salary for accounts payable clerks was approximately $35,700. Research the pay range and employee perks common in your area, including the cost of living, before the interview. Your seniority matters, too, in pay talks. A fresh-out-of-college graduate is less likely to be able to demand the same salary as an accounts payable person with years of experience.
Preparation is the most important contributor to a successful energy sector job interview. Take your time to practice your answers, familiarize yourself with the role, and decide on questions you have for the interviewer. The more you get ready, the more likely you are to leave a lasting impression on the interviewer.