Accounts payable clerk interview questions and answers pdf

1.

Tell me about a time when you had to assist a coworker.

How to Answer

The best way to answer this question is by telling the interviewer a story. You should start with explaining the overall situation: tell them about the project/task, what your coworker's responsibilities were, what they were having trouble with/needed assistance with, how you helped them (specifically) and the result/outcome of your collaborative work. It is important to show the interviewer that your assistance contributed to the success and/or completion of the task/project.

Community Answer

"Some of our team members are not familiar with some of the markets or balance sheet confirmations. From time to time when they receive such requests, I will help them understand them. With my help, they are able to respond to queries on time and get positive feedback from their clients."

Written by an Anonymous User



Our Professional Interview Coach
Cindy Ramsey Reviewed the Above Answer

This is a good example. To help expand, you may want to make your answer in the STAR format. Talk about a situation when one of your team was unfamiliar with a market. What was your task in this situation? What did you help him or her with? What action did you take and what was the end result? This kind of detail helps the interviewer envision your teamwork clearly.

2.

What accounting systems and software are you familiar with using?

How to Answer

The purpose of this question is to see what specific programs you are accustom to using. You should be able to describe the tasks you can perform on each software platform, how often you've used them in previous jobs, how long you've used them and your proficiency level. Be prepared to answer any questions the interviewer might ask you about using any of the platforms you list.

For example, you can say "I am proficient in using SAP. I used it in my previous position to process vendor invoices on a daily basis."

1st Answer Example

"I am proficient in using SAP. I used it in my previous position to process vendor invoices on a daily basis."

Community Answer

"I am a proficient SAP user. I am using it in my current position to process vendor invoices on a daily basis."

Written by an Anonymous User



Our Professional Interview Coach
Cindy Ramsey Reviewed the Above Answer

Great, can you expand by discussing some of the functionality? How long have you used SAP?

3.

How do you manage stress in your daily work?

How to Answer

You can spin this question and tell the interviewer how you seem to work better under pressure or that you tend to be reactive to stressful situations instead of dwelling on them. This is a good way of showing the interviewer that you work well under pressure. Give a specific example of a stressful day in your past job and how you handled it. It is important to highlight your ability to complete your tasks in spite of the stress.

You can also include how you use extracurricular activities to help manage work stress - this could include going to the gym before or after work, cooking, playing sports, doing yoga, etc.

Community Answer

"I like to be organized and plan my work during the day. I usually create a to-do list for the next day, and this helps me stay focused during a chaotic day."

Written by an Anonymous User



Our Professional Interview Coach
Cindy Ramsey Reviewed the Above Answer

Good start. It would enrich your answer if you walked the interviewer through an example so he or she can envision your process.

4.

Why is this accounting position right for you?

How to Answer

You should talk about what aspects of the job you are qualified for - you want to highlight the parts of your skill set that are associated with this job. Explain why you are excited to join the accounting team at this particular company - talk about what you know about the company and why you want to work for them. For example, you can say you resonate with the company's mission statement or you feel that their culture is a good fit for you and what you're looking for.

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5.

Where do you hope your career will progress to in the next few years?

How to Answer

This is the time to discuss your career goals. Discuss your plan for your career with the interviewer. For example, if you want to gain experience to become an AP Manager, explain how you would prepare yourself to be eligible for this type of position. You want to show that the job you are applying for is playing a part in your overall career goal and that you are committed to a long career at this company. Express your enthusiasm for the job and how you see potential with growing with the company.

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6.

Describe a time when you delivered more than was expected.

How to Answer

You should answer this question that shows your flexibility and willingness to go the extra mile to make sure things get done. You want to prove to the interviewer that you are hardworking.

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7.

What was a major accomplishment you had at your previous employer?

How to Answer

When answering this question think about specific accomplishments and ways you improved the accounting/accounts payable department, whether you increased productivity, reduced error or successfully implemented a new system. It is important to provide specifics if you have them available, for example, "I redesigned the accounts payable system, which led to and 50% increase in the efficiency of our system" or "I processed over 3000 check requests in less than three weeks which totaled $90,000 in accounts payable."

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8.

Tell me about a situation you encountered where there was no rule or precedent in place for how you should tackle the situation.

How to Answer

Your answer should show that you are able to think on your feet and use your knowledge and resources to create positive results out of the situation. Walk the interviewer through a past situation where you used your problem-solving skills. Describe your thought process, if you did research or sought help from a coworker/manager other than your own, the steps you took to handle the situation and the outcome. You can say how this situation helped you gain confidence in your skills.

9.

How will you measure the success of your work?

How to Answer

This question is designed to see how you hold yourself accountable for your job responsibilities and it gives the interviewer an idea of your work ethic.

You can answer this question by describing goals you set in the workplace. These can be daily/weekly/monthly/yearly goals pertaining to completing specific tasks and projects. The goals should be measurable - you can use your goals from a previous job as an example - your goal was to process a "X" number of invoices, update the general ledger, and reconcile a "Y" number of accounts in one day - you consider the day successful because you completed all of these tasks error-free.

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10.

When have you had difficulty with a coworker? How was the situation resolved?

How to Answer

Walk the interviewer through the situation: Explain why you had difficulty with this coworker, your plan of action to resolve the issue, and the outcome. This situation could a personal matter or be regarding a specific project/task. It is important not to make your description of the situation overly negative - keep it neutral because the interviewer is looking at how you function in the workplace and how you could potentially fit into their company. You want to show that you are a team player and that you can work through difficult situations.

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11.

How do you manage your time on a typical day?

How to Answer

How you manage your time is a good way for an interviewer to measure how efficient you are at getting your job done. You can go through a typical day in your current or most recent job as a real life example of how you manage your time. If you plan your days out beforehand explain this process - "I like to plan my week out on Monday" or "I make a list of tasks to be completed the next day every night before I leave the office." Include the tools you use to help organize and manage your time, such as a calendar or a written log of your daily schedule - this shows the interviewer that these are actual tools you use to manage your time. You should also mention how you prioritize tasks and projects, and how you allot time to work on them. If applicable, tell the interviewer how you deal with receiving a new task - this shows your ability to adapt when unexpected things arise.

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12.

What type of boss gets the most productivity out of you?

How to Answer

This question takes into account what type of management style you work best under, what type of boss motivates and inspires you and the qualities your ideal boss possesses.

Firstly, discuss your ideal management style, whether you are an independent worker and don't need much managing from your boss, or if you need your boss to be frequently available for questions. Feel free to use examples from past jobs when answering this question - you should mention the company you worked at and the name of your boss.

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13.

What is your experience with using Microsoft Excel?

How to Answer

Be specific! Answering this question should be straightforward for you. Use your past experience and job duties to compile a list of functions you can perform in Excel. You can include experience data entry, formulas, graphs, charts, formatting, pivot tables, Vlookups, etc. in your list of

You can also state how long you've been using the program for and show the progression of your Excel skills and usage. How often you used Excel in previous jobs is important. For example, if you used it every day, share this with the interviewer.

You can say, "I started off using Excel for data entry purposes. I created spreadsheets and charts used formatting tools and formulas. I also created monthly, quarterly, yearly and year-over-year comparison reports on Excel - the reports included charts, bar graphs, pie graphs and totals which I calculated with the formula function."

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14.

Tell me about your relationship with your previous managers.

How to Answer

The key to answering this question is to keep your response positive. It is important that you do not speak negatively of previous management as it will most likely be viewed as unprofessional. You need to show that you can work as part of a team and that you can effectively communicate with management. Discuss the management style of your previous manager(s) and how you responded to their leadership techniques. Be specific when talking about what aspects of their management style you found most effective and what you learned from him/her. For instance, "I was lucky to have a manager who was clear about what my responsibilities were and of her expectations. She was also very supportive in my role and showed me appreciation when I did a great job."

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15.

Describe your most ideal work setting.

How to Answer

Before you answer this question, it is important to be aware of what your ideal work setting really is. The answer to this question is almost limitless - you can discuss your preferred company size, the type of company culture you are looking for, and you can add aspects of what you want personally like a work-life balance - you might not want to take your work home with you.

Some examples of appropriate responses include: "I want to work in a setting that allows you to learn and grow"

or

"My ideal work setting is to be part of a team and collaborating with others"

or

"It is important for me to work in an environment that is positive and supportive. For me, positivity is key to a healthy workplace"

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16.

What could you tell me about our organization?

How to Answer

Organizations want to know that you've done research about what they do and their culture. Our suggestion is to do an online search of the organization and go on their company website. Go to the company's "About Us" and "Careers" pages. It is key to familiarize yourself with the organization's history, primary function, mission statement, and values. It is important to show that you have a well-rounded knowledge of what they do. In order to do this, you should watch any career, management or social media videos that the company has posted. Many times these videos provide insight into the company from its top leaders. While reviewing the information, write down or keep in mind key points that you want to bring up in the interview.

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17.

What are you best at as an Accounts Payable Clerk?

How to Answer

This question is pretty straight forward. Think about the tasks you were responsible for as an AP Clerk and choose which one you are best at. This can be a task you are most comfortable with. You should explain why you are so good at this particular task and provide the interviewer with positive results or recognition you were given because of your good work.

For example, if you're best at processing and collecting invoices, explain your process and why it is so effective. You can also mention your successes with this task.

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18.

What is your greatest weakness?

How to Answer

This is a tough question. A good way to interpret it is to find an area of your job that you are still improving on. You want the interviewer to know that you're aware of your weakness and are working on improving/correcting it. This is a time when you can show that you are constantly taking steps to improve on your skills. Ideally, you should mention a small weakness like being too critical of yourself or letting yourself get bogged down by small details. Once you mention this weakness, you should follow up with ways you are improving on it. At the end of the day, you want to choose a weakness that isn't detrimental to your interview - it shouldn't harm your chances of getting the job.

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19.

Why is an Accounts Payable Clerk a vital position to any organization?

How to Answer

The interviewer is trying to see if you know the importance of an account receivable position to a business. Pick out specific responsibilities you have as an AP Clerks and explain to the interviewer why they are crucial for any organization to function properly.

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20.

We use the accrual method for our invoicing. Are you familiar with this process?

How to Answer

You want to confirm you familiarity with accrual invoicing by explaining what it is and how you have used it in past jobs. Define the accrual process: "When using the accrual method of accounting the expense is reported in the accounting period in which the service occurred, not the period in which it is paid..."

More importantly, get specific when describing your job responsibilities and experiences that involve using the accrual method. This is the best way to show the interviewer that you are comfortable and confident with using this method and that you can use these skills to benefit the company if you're hired.

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21.

What techniques do you personally use to avoid mistakes?

How to Answer

The best way to attack this question is to think about daily techniques you used in previous jobs. You can also use examples from your past work experience. Mistakes are inevitable but you want to show the interviewer that you know how to do your best to prevent them.

Some examples:

- "I usually have a plan for my project which helps keep me on track."

- I create and use templates. The standardized templates allow less room for error. I believe they are created through trial and error so why not use templates to get the best results."

- "I don't like to rush so I give myself enough time to complete my work. This also allows me to look over my work before sending it to my boss."

use checklists."

- "I'm not afraid to ask questions when needed. Instead of assuming I'm doing something the correct way, I ask - this way I avoid making mistakes and having to redo my work."

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22.

Walk me through a typical day at your last job.

How to Answer

Interviewers ask this question to get an idea of what exact tasks you are most familiar with. It is also a way for them to know what kind of workload you are accustomed to. Start from the beginning of your day and create a roadmap to the end of your day. Discuss your main responsibilities and the tasks you performed every day, such as sorting and matching invoices. It is important to be specific! For example, provide quantitative results, tell the interviewers how many accounts payable transactions you reconciled, how many invoices you processed on a daily basis, and how many hours a day you allotted to certain tasks. If you prioritize certain invoices ahead of others, discuss how this process works. If your every day duties include data entry, tell the interviewer exactly what type of data you were recording, how much data you recorded (this can be your average daily number of general ledger entries) and what software you used to record it. These details will give the interviewer a clear picture of your productivity in a typical day and showcase how capable you are at your job.

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23.

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an irate customer?

How to Answer

It is a good idea to think about this type of question before your interview. It requires you to think back to a previous situation when you had an unhappy customer. You want to give the interviewer a full story when explaining the situation - this means explaining why the customer was irate, how you dealt with them and how you resolved the issue. The interviewer wants to know that you have the skills to be able to handle any situation in a professional manner.

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24.

Why did you choose a career as an Accounts Payable Clerk?

How to Answer

The interviewer asks this question to gain insight into why you are passionate about being an AP Clerk. One way you could answer this question is by providing a story about past experiences that led you to choose to be an AP Clerk. You can walk them through your path to becoming an AP Clerk or choose one instance that helped you realize this is the path you wanted to take.

You can also express how your career choice has given you a sense of fulfillment and why you are passionate about what you do. Show that your career gives you a sense of pride and you love what you do.

Speak about how the job gives you the opportunity to use your critical thinking skills because it can come with challenges - it keeps your mind sharp. This is a way of showing the interviewer that you chose this career path because it allows you to constantly continue to learn and grow.

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