This is a question that tests basic accounting knowledge and conventions. Your 618253385accounting11.2bookkeeper5.65accounts payable5.57accounting clerk3.82accountant2.246661457961597.4521.6443.10HOURLY2513616522025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05accounting clerk will be working with bookkeeping and accounting terminology on a daily basis, so it is important for your candidate to have a clear understanding of the work that they will be doing. Candidates with more technical knowledge of the field will be better suited for the job and will be less likely to make mistakes. What to look for in an answer:

• Clearly defines debits and credits
• Clearly identifies where debits and credits are used in different accounts
• Shows a strong grasp of accounting fundamentals

The majority of your accounting clerk’s job will be back-office work that supports the accounting and finance departments of your organization. They will need to process many invoices and expenses, so familiarity with accounting software can help speed up their work. Additionally, it is important that they talk about how the software has helped streamline their work and increase their work performance. What to look for in an answer:

• Identifies the use of a type of accounting software and interest in learning more types of software
• Conveys their eye for detail
• Past data entry experience is a plus

Accounting clerks will spend a sizable portion of their time performing repetitive and detail-oriented back-office work. Their work, however, is critical for ensuring the financial success of the company, and it is vital that your candidate is patient and meticulous. Your candidates will need to be able to sit for hours on end to reconcile statements and ensure that all the numbers match up. What to look for in an answer:

• Expresses enthusiasm for detailed work
• Emphasizes examples of past work that required accuracy
• Shows patience and an interest in working with numbers

Your 618253385accounting11.2bookkeeper5.65accounts payable5.57accounting clerk3.82accountant2.246661457961597.4521.6443.10HOURLY2513616522025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05accounting clerk will be your first line of defense for ensuring that data entries are made correctly. Depending on the size of your organization, your candidate may need to process large amounts of data and invoices on any given day, particularly as quarterly and annual tax seasons come around. It is vital that your candidate is able to explain how they would handle a fast-paced work environment. What to look for in an answer:

• Expresses interest in working in a fast-paced environment
• Outlines a strategy for streamlining the work burden
• Shows an aptitude for detailed work and prioritizes accuracy

Even a single error in an accounting entry can throw the entire system off since the different accounts need to be balanced. Your accounting clerk candidate will likely have, at some point in their past experiences, run into situations where they have made a mistake in their data entry and needed to fix the problem. How they approach mistakes on the job will tell you whether they are an active problem-solver or not. What to look for in an answer:

• Identifies a past accounting error and the circumstances that led to the situation
• Clearly explains the steps taken to remedy the issue and the results of his or her actions
• Shows problem-solving capabilities rather than blaming others

Accounting clerks not only have to track and organize data as it comes in but they may also have to re-organize and interpret existing data. The quality of existing files may vary, especially if their employer took on a new client with disorganized records. Candidates should be able to apply their administrative experience, organization abilities and problem-solving skills when managing unfamiliar files. This question tells the interviewer about the candidate's resourcefulness and logic in addition to knowledge about best practices for recordkeeping. Top responses will feature the following elements:

• A solution-oriented mindset
• Research skills
• Focus on data integrity