What to expect and how to prepare for an accounting internship interview

Published: 09 Nov 2023 By Neil Johnson, ACCA Careers editor

content video interview

In our accounting internship series, we previously talked about how to find an internship and how to write a CV that will get you noticed. Now we’ll look at what to expect at an internship interview and how to prepare so you can impress on the day and walk away with a skip in your step.

Before the big day arrives, give yourself the best possible chance of doing a great interview by being well prepared. It’s important to understand that while the interviewer will have expectations, such as a professional manner, certain knowledge, enthusiasm, and an eagerness to learn, they won’t expect you to know everything about the industry or be a technical accounting genius.

Nevertheless, internships can be very competitive, as they can lead to first roles at quality businesses, so aim to impress. You can ask ahead of the interview what format it will take and if there’s anything you can prepare or bring in support.

As you’re likely to have none or very little relevant work experience, internship interviews generally don’t focus on your experience and skills in the same way a regular job interview might. You’ll likely be asked about yourself, qualifications, career goals, interest in the field and knowledge of the company. Provide any classroom or real-world experiences and skills that you think might be relevant, and ask thoughtful questions too, which will help demonstrate your enthusiasm.

As with any job interview, there will be a level of formality, but this doesn’t mean not being friendly, so smile, make eye contact and offer to shake hands on arrival and at the end. Be gracious and express your gratitude, and, if you’re interested in the position, tell them you look forward to hearing from them. The interviewer may want to talk about a possible start date, so be prepared to discuss your schedule and availability, and know what you can and can’t do beforehand.

How to prepare

Lots of research!

Visit the company’s website and LinkedIn, search for the latest news, press releases and significant achievements, read its blog, learn about its products, services and target audiences, its competitors, and markets. You’re essentially trying to understand its mission, values, goals, and culture so you can align yourself with them and talk in the interview about how you can contribute. Good research will help show genuine interest and enthusiasm.

And if you know your interviewer’s names, look them up to see their background and role within the company; it can help you to establish a connection and go even further in showing the commitment you’ve already put into your research.

Ask questions

From your research, make a list of questions about the company and the internship you’d like to ask the interviewer. This will not only help you to decide if the internship is right for you, it also once again shows enthusiasm and interest.

Questions might be:

Do many interns go on to gain employment with the company or in this industry?
What kinds of projects will I be working on?
Can you tell me about any technology platforms you’ve implemented and what purpose they serve?
How would you describe the company culture?
How will you evaluate my performance?
Will I have a mentor?

Know how to talk about your experience

You probably won’t have much relevant professional experience to draw on, which can make it difficult to know how to talk about your experiences. Academic life, extracurricular activities, volunteer, and part-time work can all teach you skills and provide contexts in which you performed or produced something. These are often called transferable skills, which most businesses find very attractive, so before the interview, think about what yours are. Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to describe the situation, what you did and the results.

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Show you’re a quick learner

You might not be very experienced, but to get as far as an accounting internship interview, your CV will show that you’re academically appropriate. Internships can be intense, with a lot of information to take on and new skills to learn, so being able to learn quickly on the job is a great quality. Again, use the STAR method to show from experience that you pick things up fast.

Practice makes perfect

There are plenty of examples and information online to help you practise an interview. For example, below we’ll provide some frequently asked questions and ideas about how to respond. Practising will certainly get you in the right mindset; it will gather all your research about the business and industry, as well as the skills and experiences you’d like to focus on to the forefront of your mind, making it easier to respond clearly and concisely on the day.

Be honest

This should be obvious, but always be honest and open. By letting an interviewer know your goals for an internship and your career hopes, you can both see if you and the business are a good fit. It’s OK if you’re not, but equally it’s not OK to waste either yours or the business’s time.

Be authentic, be yourself

Like any job interview, an internship interview is a highly constructed, potentially – depending on the company/interviewer – very formal situation, but is also simply two people meeting, and it’s OK to show some personality, in fact it’ll most likely be welcomed. Your CV has got you into the room, now it’s time to show you’re more than exam papers. Employers want people they can work alongside day in day out, so this is a chance to show you’d be a great fit for the team.

Interview logistics & dressing appropriately

There’s a good chance the interview will take place virtually, so make sure you’re prepared with good internet, a quiet spot, nice lighting and background, and minimal distractions. Test your equipment – computer, video, microphone etc beforehand. If it’s in person, plan your route ahead of time, and plan to get there early. And in both instances, dress professionally.

The follow up

After the interview, follow up with a follow-up thank you email; it’s a common courtesy whether you want to pursue the internship or not.

Common interview questions

Expect to be asked about 1) your experience, 2) the company, 3) your career goals, and 4) the industry/profession. Here are some examples:

Tell me about yourself.
Why did you apply to this internship?
What makes you a good candidate?
How does this internship fit into your career goals?
What aspects of this industry/the accounting profession are you familiar with?
What is the most challenging aspect of this industry/profession?
What accountancy software are you familiar with?
Describe an accounting problem you’ve solved?
How do you handle tight deadlines?
What are you passionate about?
How do you handle challenges when collaborating?

We have a few articles on how to prepare for an interview and how to answer common interview questions here:

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