You have got through the screening process. Your marketing has been effective. Your CV has got you an interview.
So far so good. You are one step closer to getting the job.
Of course there is still a lot to do to get the job offer after interview.
If you do this you will blow your chances of getting offered the job. What am I talking about?
Failing to answer a very basic accounting question
It never ceases to amaze me how common this is. Even among accountants who have passed all of their professional accounting exams.
I have seen this happen when doing mock interviews with clients. I’ve seen it when running workshops. I’ve seen it when I use to hire people into accounting roles when I worked in Finance.
Failing to answer a very basic accounting question raises a number of red flags in the minds of the hiring manager.
Fundamentally around your technical ability to do the job.
For me it also raises issues around how well you plan and prepare for important meetings like a job interview.
In addition it shows that you may be lacking the ability to see decisions through the lens of others.
So here’s my tip. Take time to brush up on the basics so that you don’t blow your chances of success because you can’t answer a basic technical question.