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Job interviews mostly revolve around the answers you give. However, you can also help your case by asking the right questions. To set yourself apart from other accounting and finance candidates, you want to take advantage of every opportunity to showcase your value.

Going into a discussion with a potential employer, have a few questions prepared ahead of time. Design these prompts to steer the conversation towards key areas. Yes, you want to gather information. But these queries also give you a chance to direct the discussion toward the subjects that best highlight your strengths as a candidate.

With that in mind, here are five top interview questions to ask potential accounting and finance employers:

What are some of the traits that lead to success in this position?

You’ve almost certainly covered the basics about the position at this point. Between the job description and the previous conversation at the interview, you’ll have a good feel for the underlying role. Still, you want to get a sense of the broader implications of the position.

With this question, you are looking to go beyond the fundamentals. You’ll learn what it takes to excel. At the same time, you can open up a discussion about potential advancement opportunities, seeing how this particular job ties into the larger organization.

How would you describe your experience working at this company?

Your interviewers spend a long time trying to get to know you. It’s helpful if you can learn a little about them at the same time. This question lets you form a closer bond, while still learning more about the potential employer.

To achieve these goals, you’ll gather more information about the general culture of the company. At the same time, you’ll hear a little bit about your interviewer’s background — how long they’ve been with the company, their path to their current role, etc. As a result, you’ll pick up clues about what it’s like to actually work at the employer.

How would you define this company’s culture?

The previous question offers some hints about culture. However, you don’t want to stop there. If the subject hasn’t come up in the main part of the interview, directly ask about it now.

Culture determines a large part of the experience of working at a company. As such, it should be high on your list of topics to discuss. Don’t leave the interview without developing a detailed impression of the firm’s vision and values.

What non-accounting/finance skills do you value most in a candidate?

The interview has probably already drilled down on your finance and accounting competencies. However, you might not have gotten a chance to highlight some of the other abilities you could bring to the role. Here, you can stir a conversation about your soft skills, capabilities like communication, organization, and leadership.

Along with prompting a discussion of some of your talents beyond the financial world, you garner even more data about the position. You can learn other aspects of the role and see if you represent a good fit.

Where do you see the company going over the next five years?

You may have heard a version of this question earlier in the interview. Now, you can turn it around on the potential employer. This prompt lets you discover the firm’s longer-term plans and prospects.

By going down this path, you’ll ascertain what kind of career prospects this position offers. Meanwhile, this line of inquiry has implications for the current job as well. You’ll get a sense of what projects the company values and what markets it is looking to invest in.

Looking to Unearth Your Next Accounting or Finance Opportunity?

Maximizing every moment of your job interview will help you land your ideal role. A top recruiting firm, like Crester, will steer you towards the best employers for your skills and background.