What Do Accountants And Doctors Have In Common?

Freshly qualified accounting graduates when asked by the interviewer "Are there any questions you want to ask?" usually respond with "What are my duties and responsibilities"

Be careful. Some interviewers intentionally do not mention anything about duties and responsibilities to test the reaction of the candidates. Those less confident will show on the face.

I usually respond to the candidate "You're lucky I'm the interviewer and I'm accountant by training. So I can tell you what are the duties and responsibilities of an Accountant... but what if I'm the boss. I do not know anything about accounting. A friend I know just asked me to get an Accountant as my business is growing. Now should'nt you tell me what the Accountant is supposed to do. Isn't it a profession? Didn't they teach you stuff like that in business school. Imagine if our company is hiring an in-house doctor and the candidate asks "What is a doctor suppose to do?".

Another favourite question by candidates to the interviewer "Are your accounts uptodate?"

I answer swiftly "No. They are quite backlogged and damn messy". And watch the reaction on the candidate's face. Some show disinterest and some insecure. And then I add "if our accounts are so beautiful and uptodate we don't need an Accountant do we?"

Candidates should just learn to listen carefully and spot any potential problems given away by the interviewer during the interview. If there are, phrase your question carefully about the problem spotted and ask this during the open session.

Do not think about problems you may have heard, read about or whatever from somewhere and ask the interviewer. Just remember, after two or three years you maybe the one sitting on the other end. Think about what you like in a candidate during an interview.

James NK Khoo is the owner of Qwenkay Information http://www.qwenkay.coma company providing accounting and content management systems software support. He is also the publisher for Go Uncle Web http://www.gouncleweb.com, a practical online business and web oriented guide. James has been in the commercial and industrial sector for many years.

If you need solid practical advice with accounts/bookkeeping or a budgeted yet decent website, contact him at james@qwenkay.com


More Resources

Interview Preparation Made Easy: Create An Interview Preparation List
Here's a quick way to compare your own job experience and qualifications with those that your prospective employer is looking for in a specific job position. Make an "Interview Preparation List".
Working as a Knowledge Worker in the Information Age
The old adages: "It's not what you know, but who you know" and "High Tech, High Touch" could be the mottos of knowledge workers in the 21st Century.Never before in the history of the world has both networking and interpersonal communication been potentially easier, broader, more wide-spread and paradoxically, more difficult.
Workplace 911
I've watched a few episodes of Nanny 911 and with the chaos, out of control children and seemingly irreparable behavior, it strikes me as a precursor to Workplace 911. No, not a new reality TV show, but everyday workplace problems.
How to Get the Job You Want in Any Economy... Act Like a Headhunter
Having spent the last few years of my career in the staffing and recruiting industry, I'm asked all the time by friends and relatives if I can help them find a more desirable job. I've helped my fiancé get a job, helped my college buddies get jobs after graduation, and even helped a few high school buddies find jobs having not seen them for years.
How to Turn a Job Search into a Career Find
The only way to find a new career is to stop looking for a job Career success requires the identical effort and targeting as setting a course for continuous professional development.Job opportunities are found through the strategic use of the same steering mechanism that successfully sells products and services: Positioning, Exposure and Marketing.
Employment Under A Microscope
A certain amount of oversight is involved in almost any job. The more important, the more highly skilled, the more successful the position, the lower the degree of oversight.
The 10 Biggest Career Change Mistakes - And How to Avoid Them
Career change is no walk in the park.If it was easy, the castle gates would have burst long ago under the stampede of restless corporate warriors.
The Night Worker
In the process of musing about our perennially awake world for my Social Psych blog, I started to think about our present work world and how its operations have changed the lives of millions of workers.I manage a 24/7 emergency crew (mental health).
Take Charge of Your Job Search: 12 Steps to Success
Despite what many people may say, a job search does not have to be an unpleasant experience. There are those people who choose to take charge of the process, who actually find the process to be very rewarding and stimulating.
Growing Up On A Delaware Farm
Growing up on a Delaware farm was a wonderful and rewarding experience for me.I grew up in an area where a couple of dozen families in an area of about hundred square miles had farmed, married each other and been a stable community for centuries, along Delaware Rout One just north of Lewes.
You Are Not Entitled to a Job!
Résumé TipsSome basics about job hunting..
How to Crash - Proof Your Job Search
Think you have the speed, endurance, and know-how to fix what's broken? Bet not. The smartest people in the world are those who can leave their ego at the door, and know when its wise to seek help.
Update Your Resume Today
A friend was just promoted to a position of vice-president of a company. I am happy for him and the first thing I told him after congratulations was "update your resume".
Tips on How to Write High Impact Letters of Recommendation
Congratulations. You've been asked to write a letter ofrecommendation for an employee or colleague.
Have Some PASTA with Your Interview
When cyclists prepare for a big race, they always make sure they load up on the carbs. It is not uncommon to have a pasta feed the night before an important event so that the athletes can store up some of the carbohydrates they will be burning up the next day.
6 Steps to Re-inventing Your Career
Meaningful work honors the deepest part of your being. It is the embodiment of your gifts and talents and all that you value.
Dont Quit Your Day Job! Convincing Your Boss To Let You Telecommute (Part 2 of 2)
Ok, so you've determined that you have the right skills and qualities todo your job effectively from home. You're sure that your job is wellsuited to telecommuting.
What A Former Stay At Home Mom Knows About Creating A Stunning Resume That You Dont
Recently I was asked to touch up a friend's resume. Her challenge was simple.
Bartending School Online- Earn Your Bartender Training From Home
Many young adults flock to bars, lounges and clubs on a weekly basis. They spend hundreds sometimes thousands of dollars on entertaining themselves and their friends.
Mystery Shopping - An Excellent Part Time Job Or Additional Income Source
Though the name itself may seem a bit mysterious, the concept of mystery shopping is actually straightforward. Also referred to as secret shopping, performance evaluations, service checks and frontline evaluations to name a few, mystery shopping allows companies to obtain a "snapshot in time" by trained researchers who know in advance what they are to evaluate.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

Top 5 Tips for College Grads Entering the Working World
1) Build a Relationship With Your Boss:Like it or not, no single individual has a greater impact on your career future than your direct supervisor. So, how do you get on their good side from the start? Managers want to feel that you truly care, and that you are "in it with them" as a team.
4 Niche Job-Search Tips
Looking for a job on the Internet can be daunting. Where do you start? What Web sites are best for your industry?If you're suffering from "job search overwhelm," take heart.
Using Freelance Websites to Telecommute
How is your job hunting going? Have you had problems finding legitimate jobs? I don't know if you've ever thought about using freelance websites to obtain work at home, but this should be something you look into. It might not be for you, but you never know until you try.
How to Recoup From Missing the Most Important Meeting of the Year
Sometimes missing a critical meeting just can't be helped. Despite the advance planning, you just cannot make it to the meeting.
Defining Success Your Way!
In my career advising practice, I often find that my clients are not clear about what success means for them. Our society defines success primarily around three elements: power, money and fame.
How ToTalk Your Boss Into Giving You A Salary Increase
* If you believe you deserve a salary increase, ask for it as soon as possible; don't procrastinate or wait for your employer to offer it.* Determine what you are worth in the marketplace by carrying out a survey of people in comparable jobs.
How To Establish Trust, Credibility and Enthusiasm To Your Interviewer
If you use your voice to get attention, you use your eyes to hold attention. People tend to believe you, trust you, and listen to what you say if you are looking at them.
Choose Your References Wisely!
So, you need to submit employment references. A simple task, right? Sure, you could contact three of your closest friends and ask them to be your references.
Job Interviews: What to Wear
It takes between seven and seventeen seconds for a person to make an impression of us and much of that impression is based on how we look. It stand to reason, then, that what we wear to job interviews will make a far greater impact on our success than anything we're likely to say once those first crucial seconds have passed.
Do You Have What it Takes to be a Successful Petite Model?
Want to break into the petite modeling industry but wondering if you have what it takes to succeed? There are lots of magazine and commercial modeling opportunities for good modeling jobs. Take this quiz to find out if you qualify to be the next top face in the petite modeling industry.
Freelance Work: The Changing Face of Employment
The world sure is changing, and if you look at job employment you will see what I mean. Let's just go back to our grandparent's generation, even though I'm sure if we went back further we would see very different structures of work in the tribal periods of our history.
Job Interviews: Succeeding With Panel Interviews
These days, job interviews often consist of a panel of three-to-six interviewers.A "team approach" to finding the best candidate can be beneficial for the employer.
Dynamic Interviewing Practices
The pre-hiring process can be a challenge. If you're reading this article, you are finished with the pre-hiring process and are looking for tips that will guide you through the interview.
How to Get Paid More Without Being Pretty or Good Looking
Guess what. The results are out they are ugly.
3 Cover Letter Secrets Revealed
Writing a cover letter can be like cleaning your garage -- you don't know where to start ..
Seeking Knowledge Will Give You Power
What are you interested in? We all have a passion for something. So, what is your passion?Are you actively seeking information about your passion? Knowledge, providing it is correct knowledge, will increase your power.
Counter-Offers: Do They Merit Consideration?
You are one of the fortunate few who have not been downsized. However, your current job isn't exactly fulfilling.
Hey! - Are You Being Paid What You Are Worth?
Are you being paid what you are worth? Has anybody ever asked you that? Have you ever asked yourself?The answer to this question really hinges on another question: "Do you work for a boss or do you work for yourself?"If you work for a boss the answer must be a resounding NO! You see, you cannot possibly be paid what you are worth because your boss is being paid what you are worth. He or she then pays you at a discounted rate.
Growing Up On A Delaware Farm
Growing up on a Delaware farm was a wonderful and rewarding experience for me.I grew up in an area where a couple of dozen families in an area of about hundred square miles had farmed, married each other and been a stable community for centuries, along Delaware Rout One just north of Lewes.
Illegal Interview Questions -- Be Prepared
I'll quickly cover the following:A) Why Employer Ask Illegal Interview Questions.B) Examples of Illegal Interview Questions.