Ever-changing and complex accounting, reporting, and tax rules will continue to create a need for talented accounting professionals. Those who have an interest in risk and regulatory compliance will be in demand. Additionally, it will be increasingly essential to obtain a CPA license as it has become the minimum accreditation for many public accounting and industry firms who have become far more selective since the economic meltdown of 2008.

The ability to develop business will be a highly desired skill in job candidates. At the partner level, the big question will be if a job candidate will have a big enough book of business to cover the cost of compensation.

Here is a sampling of possible interview questions for accountants:

Have you been able to reduce outstanding receivables and/or improve collections for an employer? How much?

Have you been involved in any cost-saving initiatives?

Have any of your efforts led to an increase in efficiency?

Discuss your experience with helping to automate a process to increase efficiency and productivity.

This job is repetitive. How do you keep your motivation level up?

Describe a time when you faced a particularly demanding deadline to prepare a financial statement or a report.

If you could change one thing about being an accountant, what would it be?

What do you believe provides the foundation for good client relations?

What was the most difficult accounting problem you had to solve?

How important do you think business development and sales skills are in the accounting profession?

How would you respond to someone who believes that there isn’t a need to hire a CPA because online platforms such as TurboTax meet the need?

Do you have experience with cloud technology?

How have you utilized new technology to increase performance?

Describe your proficiency level with any accounting software.

How would the public be impacted if the CPA profession did not exist?

How do you guard against mistakes?

How do you feel about creative accounting?

Do you have any experience with budgets?

Discuss what this statement means to you, “The age of an accountant being locked away in an office is over.”

Do you have experience with annual corporate tax filings?

Do you agree with the statement that being an accountant is only about number crunching?

Describe a time when you had to explain a complex accounting issue to someone without an accounting background.

Have you ever been involved in an external audit? What was your role?

What is the role of social media in our profession?

Discuss your experience with preparing financial forecasts/projections.

Do you have any experience with supporting a company’s strategic planning?