Accountant
Walk me through the month end close you've worked in and the parts you personally owned.
What the interviewer is looking for
- This question tests month-end close. Describes a close checklist, their owned tasks, timelines, and how they kept the close on schedule or shortened it.
- Strong answers: Clear sequence of accruals, reconciliations, journal entries, review and reporting, with specific owned tasks and timelines.
- Likely follow-up: Which step most often caused delays and why?
Another way it may be asked: From the last day of the month until the books are final, what happens and what were you responsible for?
A structure to follow: Answer, explain, example, limits
- Step 1
Answer
Give your direct answer in the first sentence so the interviewer knows where you are going.
- Step 2
Explain
Say how it works or why you would do it that way, in plain words before jargon.
- Step 3
Example
Anchor it in something you have actually done or seen, with the detail that shows hands-on experience.
- Step 4
Limits
Say when your approach would not be the right one. It shows judgement.
This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.
Common slips
- Reciting a definition without showing you have applied it.
- Using terms you cannot explain if asked a level deeper.
- Claiming experience beyond what you can discuss in detail.
How to practise it
Say the answer in 90 seconds, then answer the follow-up as if it were a new question.
Related questions
- How have you shortened a month end close, and what trade-offs did you have to manage?
- Can you explain the difference between cash and accrual accounting, and give an example of when it matters?
- Your bank reconciliation is off by a few hundred dollars at month end. Walk me through how you'd track down the difference.
- A manager asks you to record an expense next month instead of this month to make the numbers look better. What would you do?
- A customer pays upfront for a twelve month software subscription. How would you account for that?