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Payroll Administrator Interview Questions and Helpful Advice

Last updated : 8 November 2018

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If you have got an interview for a Payroll Administrator coming up then you must understand the role of a Payroll Administrator and have some previous experience in a financial or HR Assistant role. As a payroll administrator your role will be to do the administration work of a payroll run such as gathering timesheets, hours, working out any overtime hours, deductions such as holidays, sickness, maternity  or staff deductions etc. You will need to be very organised and thorough and understand the complex workings of payroll and have some experience of using payroll software to a good standard.

Related: Credit Controller Interview

Before going to your interview go through your own CV with the job description for the role or at very least the advert in which you applied for and highlight any areas that you are very comfortable in doing and the areas that you feel you may need some work on improving. Consider how you could make these improvements.

As well as processing the payroll each week/month and keeping very accurate employee records in line with the HR department, you will need to understand payroll to be able to explain any queries that employees have over their pay, tax or national insurance etc and for this you will need strong communication skills.

Payroll Administrator Interview Questions

During your interview you could be asked questions such as:What experience have you had of payroll software and what type?What deductions have you been used to calculating each payroll run?What types of queries are you used to dealing with each month?How many staff have you done payroll for and how long did the run take?How do you plan your month?Tell me about yourselfWhy should we hire you?What motivates you?What is your weakness?What makes you a better candidate than others?Why do you want to work with us?You could be asked industry specific questions during your interview to find out what you know about the industry or if you have worked in that industry before what you have learnt and how it overlaps etc.

Good luck.

Payroll Manager Interview Questions and Useful Tips

Last updated : 8 November 2018

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If you have been invited to an interview for the role of Payroll Manager then you will have a solid background in payroll and also of managing other staff. As a payroll manager you will be ultimately responsible for your staff running payroll and you performing checks on the payroll and dealing with any difficult queries and always trying to learn from any mistakes and re evaluating the best way to run the payroll each month.

Related: Payroll Administrator Interview

Your interviewer will be looking to see how you have done payroll before, in what kind of team and set up and how your management style is and what experience you have had of managing others.

Before going to any interview you will need to research your company well, this even applies if you are going for a promotion within the same company as your employers will want to know that you are fully aware of everything that you need to know within the business.

How good are your communication skills? How do you feel that you communicate with people who report into you? How do you deal with any staff issues and what experience have you had in this?

Payroll Manager Interview Questions

Your interviewer could ask you questions such as:
What amount of staff are you used to running payroll for?What kind of problems have you been faced with each month?What systems are you used to using and how many years experience have you got?What have you been responsible for in the past and what makes you think you are ready for a management role now?How would your colleagues describe you?How do you organise yourself and how would you organise your team?You may be asked industry specific questions so it is important to research the sector and company details carefully through their website and any company information that you can find including any other locations of staff to where you will be expected to do their payroll.

Good luck.

Management Accountant Interview Questions and Useful Advice

Last updated : 8 November 2018

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If you have got an interview coming up for a Management Accountant then you will be a qualified and experienced accountant who manages and looks after substantial company’s accounts on a daily basis.

You will need to have a proven track record in accountancy with good grades when passing your exams and qualifications. You will want to continue to progress your career in accountancy and continue learning and updating your financial skills.

Related: Mortgage Adviser Interview

Before going to any interview you need to research the company well and make sure that you dress appropriately to show your interest. This is a client facing role and you will need to wear a suit and be very smart at all times. You will need excellent communication skills and be able to explain technical and financial details to your clients in a simple language.

Management Accountant Interview Questions

Your interviewer will be keen to ask questions such as:What is your highest accountancy grade and how long have you been practicing?Why do you want to be a management accountant?Why (name of company)?How would your previous manager describe your communication skills towards your clients?How many clients and of what size have you been used to dealing with?Giving examples of relevant progressions in accounting standards related to the roleHow would you work under pressure?What do you find difficult?How do you record in Balance sheet?Tell me about a time when you had to think on your feet to make a decisionOne of the core values of the company is integrity, How would this affect the way you work?Can you give an example of when you created a cost?Why do you want this role?What is the final stage of the product development process?Describe the cases you have worked on recently.You may be asked more questions about your training and practical experience and more about the clients you have worked with and any feedback you have had.
Make sure that you do not overlook any details of your interview and look at the details that seem most basic such as how you are going to get to the interview and if you are driving get a few options of where you can park to avoid any last minute hiccups. Also ensure that you have all the correct information including a spare CV or application form so that you are not caught out.

Good luck.

Money Adviser (debt counsellor) Interview Questions and Tips

Last updated : 8 November 2018

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If you have been offered an interview for a Money adviser or Debt counsellor then you will have had some previous experience in providing advice to a variety of people in good and bad circumstances. You will need to have a compassionate nature and be able to communicate well remembering that not all your clients will understand the information that you are telling them.

Related: Mortgage Adviser Interview

You will need to not judge your clients; you are there to provide advice on how they can make a difference to their worries and lives and to turn their lives around. Having debt is one of the biggest worries that people have so it is important to understand how bad some people will be feeling and how you can help them.

Your interviewer will be looking to see what experience you have had of counselling people before, what qualifications and courses have you been on to enhance your skills. You will need to be able to demonstrate that you are compassionate to other people and that you act in a very confidential manner at all times as you will be privy to some very confidential information.

Money Adviser (debt counsellor) Interview Questions

During your interview you will be asked questions such as:
What training have you done previously in counselling or providing advice to customers?What is your understanding about debt, amounts, limits etc?What advice do you think we provide here?What do you understand about our company?Depending on the size and set up of the company you may be asked about the dynamics of the office and how you work with other people, in an open plan setting, in private meeting rooms etc.

You will need to be able to demonstrate what types of meetings you have been in before and if you were responsible for running these and to what level etc. This is a client facing role and you will need to dress and act professionally at all times so dress the same to your interview.

Good luck.

Auditor Interview Questions and Helpful Tips

Last updated : 8 November 2018

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If you have been offered an interview for the role of Auditor then you will be a qualified and experienced Auditor with experience of going into companies and providing audits on their company information to ensure that they are following the correct standards and guidelines and filing the appropriate paperwork at the right time.

As an Auditor you will be client facing so it is important that you have a professional and confident manner about yourself. You will be seen by your clients as someone very important who can explain important company information to them and help them to continue progressing their business.

Related: Management Accountant Interview

As you will be in a client facing role you may need to do a lot of travelling to and from clients so you will need to be comfortable with this. You will need to prepare detailed reports for your clients and the company you work for as to findings and what financial paperwork that you are auditing. You will need to have excellent skills with Excel and financial packages.

Auditor Interview Questions

During your interview you could be asked questions such as:
How do you gauge levels of risk within a small company?What process do you follow when at a first meeting with a client?What experience have you had in preparing reports?What systems and packages have you been used to using and how quickly do you pick up new systems?Is there any further training you would like to do to continue your career?Describe a situation when you are asked to do something unethical.How do you keep up to date with current news? Which news story interests you and why?Write an email to a client.Advantages and disadvantages of IFRS.A time when you’ve done something outside of your comfort zone?Name your 3 biggest weaknesses.How do you see yourself in 5 year time?What is Audit?Give me an example of when you had to deal with a difficult customer and explain How you dealt with it?Why do you want to work for us?Describe a difficult situation and how you managed to resolve it.Where do you see yourself in 5 years?Depending on your background you may be linked to specific companies for example if you background is engineering you could have engineering clients etc and this will open the basis for your questions and help your interviewer to tailor the questions that they ask you during your interview. If you have done your research into the company and the background then you should have enough knowledge of the background of the company.

Good luck.

Banking Customer Service Adviser Interview Questions and Tips

Last updated : 8 November 2018

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If you have been offered an interview as a Banking Customer Service Adviser then you will come from a strong customer service background and ideally within a finance background.  As a Banking customer service adviser you will be responsible for providing advice to customers on different products and services that the bank provides knowing specific rates and terms and being able to explain these details in plain English so that the customer is clear. This advice can be done on a face to face basis within a branch or over the telephone from a call centre environment.

Related: Money Adviser Interview

Your interviewer will want to assess how good your customer service skills are and to find out what service and advice you have provided to customers before and how that went?

Banking Customer Service Adviser Interview Questions

You could be asked questions such as during your interview:
What makes a good customer service adviser?Where did you learn good customer service skills from?Is the customer always right?Name 5 products or services that we sell at this bank?How do you think this bank compares to others in the UK?What advice have you provided in the past?What has been your worst customer service question?How do you feel that you really helped a customer – provide an example?You will need to be able to demonstrate how effective your communication skills are and show your future employers how you will communicate with the customers and how you will spend the majority of your day on the phone taking call after call successfully.
Why do you want to work with us?What makes you better candidate than others?Tell me about yourself.What motivates you?What is your weakness?What are your strengths?If you were to give someone bad news how would you do it?Describe a situation where you brought about changeDescribe a time when you have failedTell me about a time when you have had to make a difficult decisionDescribe a time where you had to work as part of a team Please give us an example of when you have had to be accurate in your work.Whether you are working in a call centre or branch environment you will need to look professional and dress smartly to portray the banking image. You will need to be able to learn new information quickly so that you can help and explain this to your callers.

Good luck.

Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs for 2018

Last updated : 31 January 2019

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Everyone wants a good solid career that pays well and that you are doing something you enjoy. It all varies depending on your own skills and personalities but below is a list of the Top 10 highest paying jobs which most of us are familiar with, just need the right skills to achieve.

highest paying jobs 2018

Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs for 2018

#Doctor

Working as a Doctor means that you have to study for 5 to 7 years depending on any specialism’s that you do as part of your degree and after but means that you have a career for life if you follow the strict code of conduct and update your medical skills through regular training.

You could be a doctor of a GP practice or health centre or you could work as a doctor in a hospital setting but most salaries start at £40-50,000 per annum depending on experience and level of seniority and will continue to increase throughout your career.

#Web Designer and Developer

In the ever changing world of IT, working as a Web Designer and or Web Developer is big business for 2014. Companies are looking to improve their web sites and have a better commercial appearance to the general public and their clients and may be looking to market the services and products that they sell on line. This is where a Web designer or developer comes into play by advising and building the best website for a company that works better than their competitors and looks better, is more user friendly. As a Web designer or developer you will have studied some form of Web Design or Developer and have a fair amount of work experience.

As well as the technical side you will need a creative side to come up with new ideas and excellent communication skills to be able to discuss this with your clients in great detail.

Salary levels for these roles can be as high as £60,000 per annum.

#Electrician

Working as an Electrician is a high paying job if you are prepared to work hard and usually more so if you are a self employed electrician. Once you have qualified as an Electrician you will need to keep up to date with new laws and rules about working but you have a key skill that will always be needed and depending on how hard you want to work could mean a substantial career.

Salaries for an Electrician can be approx £35,000 per annum upwards

#Plumber

A plumber trains carefully learning how to deal with any plumbing, pipes and water issues in people’s houses or in companies. You will have regular updates to do to keep your skills up to date but all in all you will have a very promising career as a plumber if you gain a good reputation and build up a solid client base.

Typically salaries start at £35,000 per annum.

#Wedding or Events Planner

When people spend money they tend to spend it on a big wedding or a party for an occasion maybe a special birthday or other occasion and the budgets seem to go out of the window. Imagine now being involved in that event and planning it from beginning to end and helping the people involved in the event to have a successful occasion with little stress and worry along the way.

Salaries for this type of role will depend on how high profile the events you are dealing with are but could be roughly £40,000 per annum.

#Retail Operations

With Retail sales and operations on an increase again if you are an experienced retail worker then working as a Retail Ops Manager could be a very profitable role for 2014. This role will require you to be very highly skilled in retail having excellent sales skills and have a strong understanding for what sells and how it sells, how it is merchandised and ultimately who is the best at selling.

This role will need you to keep ahead of the times and be up to date with the products on offer and the setting of the stores that you are responsible for. You will be a strong retailer and manager to perform well in this role.

Salaries for this role can reach £75,000 per annum.

#IT & Telecoms Field Sales role

It’s a fast moving pace for any professionals in IT or Telecoms with the ever changing products and upgrades to systems but if you are good technically at these areas and an excellent sales person then combined you have a very positive career.
Salaries will usually be made up of a base salary of approx £30,000 per annum and an OTE usually up to £60,000 per annum target related.

#Architect

As an Architect you will have trained and be degree qualified in Architecture and have a keen interest in buildings and the development of the buildings. You will visit sites and draw up plans and help project managers stick to the plans throughout a build. You can be involved in both new builds and restorations as an Architect.

Typically salaries are around £40,000 per annum depending on experience.

#Financial Adviser

Finances are always top on people’s list of priorities and if you are good at providing advice on finances then being a financial adviser could be a key career. You will be trained in finances and different products and ways of helping customers. You will need to follow strict financial regulatory procedures and keep up to date with new services.

Typically salaries can be from £25,000 per annum upwards depending on experience.

#Bank Manager

A position as a Bank Manager is an experienced one where you have probably worked your way up in a Banking environment and having experience in other areas of a bank. Because of the vast experience it takes to do this role well the salaries are usually good for bank managers starting at between £35-50,000 per annum + bonuses.

Top 7 Things to Do If You Are Unemployed

Last updated : 31 January 2019

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For most people being unemployed is probably one of the most difficult times of a person’s life for many reason such as it knocks yourself confidence, you feel like you will never work again and it can be a very negative time.

If you are in this unfortunate position then it is important to keep positive and to keep focused on getting another job and view this period as temporary.
Below are some of the things you need to focus on and do whilst in this period of unemployment.

Things to Do If You Are Unemployed

#1 Update your CV

Dust off your CV and make sure that it is good enough to attract new employers to your skills. Does it detail what your best skills and experiences are and what you can bring to their company? Is it clearly written and laid out? Get someone to check over it for you and pay attention to how it reads, the grammar and spelling and how appealing the personal statement is. Someone else’s views are always important to get another opinion about how the view something.

#2 Visit the job centre

If you haven’t already, make sure you visit the job centre. Not only will you be able to claim job seekers allowance for the period of unemployment if you are following their criteria but you will also be able to get advice from careers professionals. They will be able to help you apply for jobs, update your CV, write a covering letter etc. They have a bank of jobs that companies register with them that may be suited to your skills and experience.

#3 Visit recruitment agencies

Take a trip round all the recruitment agencies in your local town. Go through the yellow pages online and find out what recruitment agencies there are and what skills they deal with and which ones are more suited to your skill set. Companies advertise roles through recruitment agencies so they are looking for suitable candidates all the time and can help you with all the tasks and advice you will need throughout the recruitment process.

#4 Do some voluntary work

If you can it’s a good idea to do some voluntary work to (a) keep you busy and occupied (b) keep learning new skills and working (c) it looks good to an employer. It may not be directly related to the work that you have done in the past but it could be a good move for finding something new work related whilst you are searching and you do not know what options will open up through doing some voluntary work.

#5 Do some additional training

The job centre may be able to help you with free training courses that you can do but it’s always a good idea to look at what you can improve upon skills wise and it’s always good to learn new things, it keeps the brain working and keeps a way of improving job prospects.

#6 Keep job hunting

Don’t forget to apply for all the jobs that you can. Search the newspapers, online, go to the job centre, look at local notice boards and also drop your CV and covering letter in speculatively to local companies that you are keen to work for or have advertised for similar type staff in the past or that you know recruit.

#7 Practice your interview technique

Practice ready for an interview. Interviews can be awkward times for some people and therefore it is very important to practice. Do it in front of a mirror or role play with a friend or family member. Practice questions that you may be asked and how you would answer them being careful not to rehearse answers so that when you are in an interview you make it sound realistic not rehearsed.

Using Social Media In Your Job Search

Last updated : 31 January 2019

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Searching for a job can sometimes be very tedious especially if you are using the wrong methods of job search. For example, if you rely so much on the job vacancies posted on the papers daily, you will stay jobless for a long time. It is very important that you identify the right ways that will lead you to the right job for you within no time and a lower cost. Do not be like the majority of job seekers who believe that the only to get a job quickly is through networking. It is good to be different and use a totally different method such as the use of social media. The internet has made many things easy, quick and efficient. For example, with the help of the internet, you can be use the social media such as face book , twitter and others to network and eventually get a job.

using social media for jobs

It is true that many people use the social media network to search for and reach their target audience. Similarly, job seekers can use such networks to find jobs. Many company managers and other business people are using the social media to promote their products and services. This provides the job seekers with a great opportunity to reach potential employers and express their interests in working for them. Using such networks you can be able to post your CV where everybody within your network can find it. This will open opportunities for you because a certain employer can find your CV interesting and invite you for a job opportunity. In fact some of the job interviews can be conducted through the same social media. The following are some of the social media channels through which you can try your luck.

LinkedIn

If you haven’t joined LinkedIn, then you need to consider it because through this site, you are able to connect to different people who have the potential to employ you. Once you become a member of this network, you are allowed to view all the profiles of other members. That way you can connect to people of great significance to you in terms of jobs and other opportunities.

Blogging

You can take advantage of the chances provided by LinkedIn through blog linking to link your blog to you profile so that other people can see what you post on your blog everyday. This is a perfect way of displaying your talent.

Email

Giving your email to all the friends in your social media network is also a perfect way of advancing your job search since they will be able to notify you of any job vacancies that they feel you qualify for. You will also be able to receive job postings through your email from potential employers on twitter, face book, LinkedIn and more.

Twitter

If you don’t have an account with Twitter as a job seeker you may be losing a lot of opportunities. Following companies career accounts may ease your job searching process a lot. You can also follow accounts that tweets jobs in your desired industry.

There are also small businesses who are using Twitter to advertise their vacancies for free which you should keep on eye on.

You can contact employers to ask if they have any suitable positions which you can apply for.

Facebook

These days many employers have Facebook pages which you can join with a click on the like button. It is possible to follow their news updates and apply for their vacancies from Facebook. You can also use this opportunity to ask questions about the company and their careers.

Ten GREAT PAYING JOBS That Don’t Require A DEGREE!

Last updated : 8 August 2020

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These days it is harder than ever for people to afford an education, the cost of tuition is on the rise, as is the cost of living, and many just can’t afford to attend University. Other people simply want to get straight into the job market, and not have to spend extra time in education. The good news is there ARE jobs out there that are incredibly well paid. In this article, I will give you some examples of jobs that you can do that don’t require years in education to get, and a little more information about them.

jobs with no degree

Ten GREAT PAYING JOBS that don’t require a DEGREE!

1. Air Traffic Controller.

In the UK, there are many airports. Air space is controlled by an elite team of people known as Air Traffic Controllers. You would expect that you need to spend years at university to be given such responsibility, however, to become an Air Traffic Controller you only need to gain a licence, which can be attained by completing a course. For details of courses visit http://www.global-ats.com/ Air Traffic Controllers can expect a salary of around £60,000.

2. Sales Manager.

Jobs in sales can be easily attained by many people; all it takes is a persuasive nature and a drive for targets. For those that excel in the field you can expect to soon become a Sales Manager. As well as often getting perks such as a car and extra holiday, you can also expect a salary of over £55,000 and the best bit is- it’s something you don’t have to study for years!

3. Police Inspector.

Inspectors in the police force average salary is £50,000. Inspectors supervise lower ranking officers and may have more powerful cases to investigate. Police forces have their own entry requirements but formal qualifications are not usually necessary. Put the time in from a beat bobby to become an inspector!

4. Public Relations Manager.

IT is possible to start with a PR firm as a junior, or administrator and through serving time working your way up the ranks. You can expect a salary of around £49,000 in return for your hard work!

5. Personnel or Training Manager.

Who says there is no money in Man Management? Working your way up the HR ladder to become a Personnel or Training manager can net you a salary of around £49,000! It can also happen quite quickly, with some people getting this promotion within 3 years of starting a lesser post.

6. Train Driver.

Train companies run their own in house training schools, and to become a train driver all you need is a good general education and they will put you on track to a great career. Train drivers on average are paid around £40,000 and this wage is achievable even within your first year!

7. Insurance Underwriter.

If you can get yourself am administrative job within the insurance sector such as claim advisor, you can soon work your way up to become an underwriter. Insurance underwriters command a salary of £39,000.

8. Customer Service Manager.

Many call centres these days are the employment hub of choice, they offer secure and steady work and always have vacancies due to high turnover of staff. Stick in long enough and carry your job out to a high standard and you will soon find yourself promoted through the ranks to management, and this could see your salary shoot up to £38,000

9. Taxi Driver.

This may seem an odd addition, but in a recent study, self-employed Taxi Drivers earn on average £37,000 a year after costs. Given you are your own boss and can choose to work more lucrative hours, as well as being able to save money on maintenance and running costs owing to the car being a business expense, becoming a Taxi Driver is a great way to earn a hefty salary.

10. Dancer/Actor.

This may sound an unorthodox addition to the list, but all manner of performing arts jobs are available to those talented enough to be able to do them. From TV acting, to entertainment dancing in clubs, the pay speaks volumes. Club dancers can earn up to £1000 per night, TV actors can earn thousands for a few hours. If you have the flair and personality for it, this could be the job for you!