Be it a first date, a chance meeting with a stranger on the road, or a job interview, the “Tell me about yourself” question will always come, sooner or later. Position of an accounting assistant is not an exception from the rule. But what should you talk about? Should you focus purely on your education and professional experience? Or should you get a bit personal, talking about your family, hobbies, etc? And what to do when you have no previous working experience whatsoever? I hope to answer all these questions on the following lines.
Let me start with the most important thing: Your enthusiasm. Enthusiasm for the job of an accounting assistant you try to get, for the career that’s ahead of you, for life. Regardless of how you decide to introduce yourself in an interview, your non-verbal communication should be positive, and the hiring managers should get an impression that you are happy to be there, interviewing for the job you really want to have. When it comes to the eventual introduction, what you should focus on depends mostly on what you have to offer.
If you have years of experience in the field of accounting or office work, the core of your answer should consist in talking about your experience. When you are just starting out (or just graduated), focus more on your skills and personality traits, and perhaps on your motivation and attitude to work. In both cases, you can throw in a detail or two from your personal life, just to demonstrate that you are ready to talk openly and connect with your interviewers. Okay, let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to this question. I hope at least some of them will fit your situation, and the impression you hope to make on the people talking to you.
7 sample answers to “Tell me about yourself” interview question for accounting assistant
- I’ve been working as an administrative assistant for two years now. Pretty proficient with both MS Word and Excel, and a couple of other applications too. However, I’ve been always interested in the field of accounting, and want to make a switch, starting as an accounting assistant, and perhaps a bit later even becoming an accountant, or a tax manager. I know I will have to work on my education as well to reach this goal, but I am ready to give it my best shot and let’s see what happens. In my free time I enjoy going to a theater or cinema, or doing long walks in the woods in my neighborhood. And I always like to learn something new…
- My name is Markus, I have just graduated from school, and looking to kick-start my career in a great company like this one. Of course, I know I have to have realistic expectations, and build my career step by step. That’s why I want to start as an accounting assistant, in a field that I feel fits my skills and strengths, since I’ve been always pretty strong with numbers, and also enjoy a lot working with computers. In my free time I enjoy reading books and doing sports, especially swimming. And I am typically a pretty easy going person, and get along well with almost everyone.
- Lisa, and introductions are pretty hard for me. Because one can always boast about their skills and motivation and whatever, but in my opinion words hardly prove anything. Only acts do. To introduce myself, I will tell only the following: my previous two employers were extremely satisfied with me, and I can give you the numbers on both managers, so you can call them and ask for a feedback on me, my strengths, etc. I believe that after that you won’t need any more introduction, and will know better whether it makes sense to give me a chance as your new accounting assistant.
- My name’s Jim, and I’ve been over a rough period recently. My small business got a big hit during the pandemic, and though I tried to recover for a couple of years, I eventually had to give up. Now 4 years with no real job, little previous experience, just my entrepreneurial resume, I do not really have a realistic chance to get many jobs. But I am hardworking, and ready to learn, and you can be sure I will give my very best in job every day, since I really need one.
- My name is Inne, 21 years old, and still studying. I understand it is extremely hard to get a decent job as a fresh graduate, and that’s why I hope to gain some working experience while at school already. My marks from Math and Accounting are excellent, and I hope to one day work as a financial analyst perhaps. Would be great to get this part time job with you, and finally have something on my resume. In my free time I enjoy doing sports, dancing, yoga, and anything that involves movement and nature.
- Let me introduce myself in 7 words only: Motivated, responsible, accountable, honest, friendly, enthusiastic, confident. I hope you are looking for someone with such characteristics, and cannot wait to join your team.
- The best accounting assistant you will ever have, that’s me. I have the experience, the zeal, the skills. You can rely on me 100 percent, as my previous employer could. Now that I moved to another city I am looking forward to continue building my name in the field of accountancy, and cannot wait to start with you.
So that’s it! I hope my answers gave you some inspiration, and you will be able to come up with your own, perfect answer to this question, once it really matters. If you’re still not sure, you can check 7 sample answers to similar questions:
- Accountant interview – Tell me about yourself.
- Why do you want to be an accountant?
- Describe your experience using Microsoft Excel.
