March 13, 2007



March 13, 2007

Sample Interview Questions from various agencies listed below:

From: Johnson, Cyndi [CJOHNSON@]

1. This is an Accounts Payable position. Please describe any A/P experience you may have.

2. This position requires heavy computer skills in regards to Excel, Word, and data entry. Tell us about your experience in these areas.

3. What do you feel are the best qualifications you bring to a job?

4. Almost all work situations will require interaction with a multitude of personality traits. Describe a situation in which you were able to overcome a personality conflict in order to get results.

5. How do you handle change and interruptions on the job? Can you give us examples?

6. Our A/P department processes high volumes of accounts with minimal staff. The job requires attention to detail and accuracy while facing a biweekly check-run deadline. How do you think you would work in this type of environment?

7. Teamwork is an important part of this department. What are your feelings towards teamwork, and the necessity to share the workload in a department ?

8. Describe a work experience where you have had to handle multiple projects and or duties at one time. How do you approach a multi-tasking situation?

9. This position will involve working with our files and periodic overtime. Do you have any problem with either of these?

10. The city is firmly committed to customer service. Define for us what you consider to be excellent customer service.

11. This concludes our interview. Do you have anything additional to add regarding your background that we haven’t covered – or questions regarding the position or the City?

Interview Questions for Account Clerk Position Finance

1. Briefly describe for us your job-related experience and training in the accounting field. Please include your background in the different types of computer software programs and your 10 key experience.

2. This position is responsible for the input of payments from all City departments. There is a great potential for error. Describe how you would minimize the possibility for error in processing a payment.

3. Teamwork is an essential component of our department. What does the words “team player” mean to you?

4. How do you handle change and interruptions on the job? Can you give us examples?

5. The City is firmly committed to “Customer Service”. What do you find to be the most important aspect of good customer service? Describe a situation where you provided that type of service.

6. The job deals with various people ranging from clerical positions to executive level department heads. Describe any related experience working with such a variety of positions and personalities.

7. Describe some of your strategies for dealing with difficult people.

8. Give us an example of a problem you faced on the job and how you solved it.

9. In your career, what type of goals do you want to accomplish?

This concludes our interview. Would you like to add anything else you think may be important for us to know in making our decision?

Plumlee, Bret [BPlumlee@]

CITY OF EL SEGUNDO HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT

ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST II

SUGGESTED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Thursday, October 7, 2004

West Conference Room

Review the candidate's application/resume and identify any items/areas requiring questioning during the interview. Bring the candidate into the interview room, provide introductions and briefly attempt to relax the candidate. Your evaluation of the candidates should be based only on the dimensions and characteristics listed below:

I. EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION AND/OR TRAINING:

Applicability of employment experience, education, and/or specialized training as evidenced by evaluation of candidate's application/resume, breadth of knowledge in field, understanding of nature, demands, and limitations of the position.

1. Briefly describe how your education, experience and training relates to the City’s position of Accounts Specialist II.

2. What motivated you to apply for this position, and what have you done to prepare for today’s interview? What do you know about the City of El Segundo?

3. What are your long-range goals/objectives as it relates to this position? Short-term?

4. Why should you be selected for this position over the other candidates being considered?

5. Describe your experience working for a public agency. If you have had none, what do you think might be some of the challenges working for a public agency versus a private company?

6. What does the phrase, “the position requires strong customer service skills” mean to you?

7. Briefly describe the extent of your experience in the following areas:

• Providing information and assistance to the public, in person and by phone

• What experience do you have working with a cash register?

• Experience you have had working directly with the public?

• Working with sensitive/confidential/classified materials.

8. Describe any experience you have had preparing or administering business licenses.

II. INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:

Candidate's ability to establish cooperative working relationships with subordinates, supervisors, general public, and others; ability to use tact and diplomacy in interpersonal relations with others; gain the trust, confidence, and respect of employees, supervisor, and others in the performance of duties.

9. As a new Department employee, what would you do to establish cooperative working relationships with fellow employees and supervisors?

III. ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

There are no pre-set questions for this particular rating dimension. Your evaluation should be based on the candidate’s oral communication skills during the entire interview. In your evaluation, keep in mind the following:

A) Is the candidate so nervous that his/her speech is impeded because he/she is speaking too fast or too slow?;

B) Are candidate’s responses organized so that all the important points are covered in the time allowed?

C) Does the candidate introduce irrelevancies, or “drift off” on tangents and fail to directly answer the questions?

D) Is the candidate aware of how well his/her oral communication is being understood by rating panel members?

E) Does candidate spend too much time on details to make his/her point clear or answer questions properly?

CITY OF EL SEGUNDO HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT

ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST II

SUGGESTED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Wednesday, March 24, 1999

Review the candidate's application/resume and identify any items/areas requiring questioning during the interview. Bring the candidate into the interview room, provide introductions and briefly attempt to relax the candidate. Your evaluation of the candidates should be based only on the dimensions and characteristics listed below:

I. EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION AND/OR TRAINING:

Applicability of employment experience, education, and/or specialized training as evidenced by evaluation of candidate's application/resume, breadth of knowledge in field, understanding of nature, demands, and limitations of the position.

1. Briefly describe how your education, experience and training relates to the City’s position of Accounts Specialist II.

2. What motivated you to apply for this position, and what have you done to prepare for today’s interview?

3. What do you perceive to be the general duties and responsibilities of an Accounts Specialist II?

4. What part of your work would you expect to enjoy the most as an Accounts Specialist II? The least?

5. What are your long-range goals/objectives as it relates to this position? Short-term?

6. Why should you be selected for this position over the other candidates being considered?

7. Describe your experience working for a public agency. If you have had none, what do you think might be some of the challenges working for a public agency versus a private company?

8. What does the phrase, “the position requires strong customer service skills” mean to you?

9. What part of your current (or most recent) position do you enjoy the least? The most?

10. What level and type of supervision are you most comfortable with? Briefly describe the supervision you receive in your current (or most recent) position.

Briefly describe the extent of your experience in the following areas:

( Providing information and assistance to the public, in person and by phone

( Maintaining records and files and updating documents

( Working experience with Windows WordPerfect 6.0 or higher and Quattro Pro and/or Excel spreadsheet applications (If none, describe software you are able to use effectively)

( Working with sensitive/confidential/classified materials

( Performing accounting clerical work in the preparation, validation, coding and reconciliation of fiscal, financial and statistical records

11. What is the extent of your experience in receiving direction or work assignments from several supervisors?

12. In your opinion, what does it take to be an effective Accounts Specialist in a public agency?

13. What was the most difficult assignment or responsibility in your last position? Why?

II. INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:

Candidate's ability to establish cooperative working relationships with subordinates, supervisors, general public, and others; ability to use tact and diplomacy in interpersonal relations with others; gain the trust, confidence, and respect of employees, supervisor, and others in the performance of duties.

14. As a new Department employee, what would you do to establish cooperative working relationships with fellow employees and supervisors?

15. Your desk is located by the Department’s copy machine and several employees often stop and chat around your desk when they make copies. Your supervisor has observed that sometimes this “chatting” gets out of hand and has asked you to help politely discourage this practice. How would you attempt to do this?

16. Briefly describe a recent “bullet” you have dodged or a problem you have dealt with and how you resolved it. Looking back on this situation, would you change anything about how you handled the issue?

17. Your supervisor, before leaving for a conference, has given you an assignment that is very important and must be completed by the end of the day. While working on the assignment, you are being constantly interrupted by telephone calls and request for information from the public and other employees. How would you handle this situation?

III. ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

There are no pre-set questions for this particular rating dimension. Your evaluation should be based on the candidate’s oral communication skills during the entire interview. In your evaluation, keep in mind the following:

A) Is the candidate so nervous that his/her speech is impeded because he/she is speaking too fast or too slow?;

B) Are candidate’s responses organized so that all the important points are covered in the time allowed?

C) Does the candidate introduce irrelevancies, or “drift off” on tangents and fail to directly answer the questions?

D) Is the candidate aware of how well his/her oral communication is being understood by rating panel members?

E) Does candidate spend too much time on details to make his/her point clear or answer questions properly?

Joan Michaels Aguilar [jaguilar@ci.covina.ca.us]

Account Clerk II

Finance Department Interview Questions

July 19 2006

Joan: Review the position and key skills seeking – customer service focus, computer systems learning curve and the work schedule. This includes punctuality and flexibility when covering absences, lunch schedules and discuss holiday furlough.

1. You noted during your first interview that you want to be an accountant. Is your particular interest in the public sector and why? (Follow-up: have you had any interactions with municipal government and would you characterize as positive experience or one of frustration?)

2. Your application and resume indicate that you have a Bachelors in Accounting. Do you feel overqualified or underqualified for this Account Clerk position? Why?

3. In your work experience, tell us about a time when your supervisor was not available and a problem arose. What was the nature of the problem and how were you able to handle the situation?

4. This position will deal with utility billing customers who have not paid their bills, despite receiving multiple notices. A water customer has consistently been delinquent or shut-off and has an outstanding balance of $200. They contact you and indicate they can only pay $50. What action would you recommend to your supervisor?

5. What do you do for fun? (follow-up: how do you de-stress during the work day if you have had some difficult customers?)

6. What cash receipting software do you use? You will be required to learn two software systems simultaneously, describe your aptitude and timeframe to become comfortable with new technology.

7. In your cashiering experience, what has been the volume you have had to deal with for the following:

• Coin Currency Credit cards

• Checks Call volume Mail

(Follow-up for info): Covina does not currently accept credit cards for utility and business license payments, but is investigating options. Credit card payments have been accepted at departments such as parks & recreation

8. What qualities do you look for in a co-worker? A supervisor?

Target start date would be mid-August – will your current assignment be complete by that time?

July 11 Interview – Peggy & Joseph

Interviewers will discuss that the position primarily handles cashiering, utility bill payments, business license inquiries, and will also be cross-trained to become familiar with accounts payable. The position works regularly with Inhance, IFAS as well as Word and Excel. The vacancy arose due to a promotion within the department

9. Tell us about yourself and what interests you in the position of Account Clerk II and working for the City of Covina?

10. Discuss your experiences working in a customer service environment. Give us an example of how you have handled multiple customers (in-person, or on the phone) and the need to complete daily reports.

11. Can you tell us an example of working with cashiering and balancing a register? What is your experience with accounts receivable?

12. Describe a recent situation in which you had more tasks than time to complete. What did you do?

13. How would your colleagues describe you, in particular your work ethic?

14. This position works with multiple computer systems for utility billing, cash receipts, as well as Microsoft Office Word and Excel. How would you rate your computer knowledge, novice, expert and how quickly you learn systems?

15. What experience do you have in dealing with the public? If you would share with us an experience in dealing with a difficult customer and how you resolved or diffused the situation.

16. What type of learning environment works best for you?

17. While the current Account Clerk II opening handles cashier and utility customer inquiries, there are occasions when the position will need to complete tasks that are not your primary responsibilities. Describe how you feel about performing these tasks.

18. Tell us about your goals and how does this position help you meet those goals

19. Why do you think you are the best candidate for the position?

Now is your opportunity to ask us any questions.

Elizabeth Stoddard [estoddard@ci.glendora.ca.us]

SUGGESTED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN

July 13, 2006

1. Tell us about yourself as it applies to this Accounting Technician position?

2. What aspect of your current [or most recent] job do you enjoy the most?

3. What aspect of your current [or most recent] job do you enjoy the least?

4. In your current or most recent job, what percentage of your time was spent in Accounts Payable?

5. Probe responses on the application or supplemental questionnaire. For example:

⎫Ask the candidate to clarify specifics of his or her experience

⎫Ask the candidate about methods and procedures he or she uses – as a way to determine how well the candidate understands and applies good practices

⎫Ask the candidate to compare software systems with which he or she has worked

⎫As the candidate to explain the reasons for job changes

6. What spreadsheet programs are you familiar with and what is your level of expertise?

7. How do you deal with interruptions due to the telephone or comments from co-workers while you’re working on an involved process like preparing invoices for payment?

8. Let’s say your supervisor has given you an assignment with specific instructions on how to perform the task. When you size up the work, you realize there’s a better way to accomplish the job more easily and quickly, but your approach is different from your supervisor’s directions. Your supervisor has left the office. How would you proceed?

9. What particularly interested you in this job?

10. What is your experience with a computerized accounts payable system?

11. What are the rules for issuing a 1099?

(Note to interviewer: The basic answer is any vendor paid over $600 per year. There are some refinements and exclusions such as they are not issued to corporations.)

12. Describe the steps you perform in the accounts payable process.

13. What is your experience with a purchase order system?

14. Is there anything else you would like to tell the interview panel to help us evaluate your suitability for this job?

15. Do you have any questions of the interview panel?

Matt Pressey [mpressey@Lake-]

CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE

Accounting Specialist II Interview Questions

August 17, 2006

1. Please describe how your education, experience and skills demonstrate that you are the best candidate for the Accounting Specialist I position.

2. What was one of the most difficult work situations you have experienced were you were not getting cooperation from other employees so that you could complete your work in a timely manner and how did you handle it?

3. Describe some aspect of your work which demonstrates that you are each of the following(let them answer one at a time before going to the next attribute):

a. Detailed oriented

b. Quick learner and trainable

c. Self Starter

4. Please give us an example of a time when you had to use your fact-finding skills to solve a problem.

5. Please give us an example of a trait that you have observed in a co-worker or supervisor that you have admired and have tried to emulate in your own work ethics.

6. Please give us an example of a trait that you have observed in a co-worker or supervisor that you have not admired and have tried to avoid in your own work ethics.

7. Please describe a time on any job which you have held in which you were faced with problems or stresses which tested your coping skills. What did you do?

8. What did you do in your last job to contribute toward a teamwork environment?

9. Please give us an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person, even when that individual may not have personally liked you.

CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE

Accounting Specialist I Interview Questions

August 1, 2005

1. Please describe how your education, experience and skills demonstrate that you are the best candidate for the Accounting Specialist I position.

2. What do you see as the required skill set for this position?

3. Do you feel this job will be challenging enough for you? Do believe you are over qualified?

4. Can you describe a situation where a crisis occurred and you had to shift priorities and workload quickly?

5. What was one of the most difficult work situations you have experienced were you were not getting cooperation from other employees so that you could complete your work in a timely manner and how did you handle it?

6. What aspect of your performance in your last job were you the most proud of?

7. Describe some aspect of your work which demonstrates that you are each of the following(let them answer one at a time before going to the next attribute):

a. Detailed oriented

b. Quick learner and trainable

c. Self Starter

d. Not afraid to make changes or decisions

8. On a level of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how would you rank your ability to use Microsoft Excel? How about Word? Please describe one short example of one of the more complex documents you have created in each program and some of the features of the program you used.

9. Why do you want to work for the City of Lake Elsinore?

10. What are your long term career goals?

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download