"I'm currently completing an accounting and taxation internship in the UAE, where I've been working on
VAT calculations and Revenue-style return submissions, alongside a part-time Accounting Assistant role
with a restaurant group here in Ireland, managing purchase ledgers, supplier reconciliations, and supporting
monthly management accounts across multiple sites. I've just finished my MSc in International Accounting
and Finance, and I'm partway through CIMA — Operational and Management levels are done, and I'm
working toward the Strategic Case Study now.
What drew me to this role specifically is the structure — having Financial Controller support while learning
the industry, with real scope to grow. My background so far is purchase/sales ledgers, reconciliations, and
VAT/Revenue filing, which lines up closely with what's listed here, and I'm looking for a place where I can
build on that and keep progressing toward full qualification."
1. Tell me about yourself / why this role?
(See full answer from earlier — present role → past experience → why this role, name-dropping FC
support, progression, Revenue returns from their ad.)
2. Walk me through your purchase/sales ledger experience.
"At Pinksalt, I manage purchase ledger activity across multiple restaurant locations — processing supplier
invoices, verifying expenses, and tracking payments to ensure they're settled on time. On the sales side, I
reconcile daily revenue reports against takings to make sure everything's accounted for accurately before it
feeds into management accounts. A typical week is invoice processing and supplier reconciliations daily,
with a heavier sales reconciliation and reporting push at month-end."
3. Tell me about a time you found an error or discrepancy — what did you do?
Use STAR. Pick a real one: e.g. a supplier statement that didn't match your ledger.
"While reconciling a supplier statement, I noticed an invoice had been double-posted. I cross-checked the
original invoice and PO, confirmed the duplicate, corrected the ledger entry, and flagged it to my supervisor
so the supplier could be informed before payment went out. It reinforced for me how important it is to
reconcile properly rather than just match totals."
4. You haven't worked in motor retail — how will you adapt?
"The fundamentals are the same — ledgers, reconciliations, VAT/Revenue filing, management accounts —
I've done all of those, just in a different sector. I've also worked across multiple ERP systems (Sage 50,
Tally, QuickBooks, SAP exposure), so I'm used to learning new systems quickly. I'd expect an adjustment
period on dealership-specific processes, which is exactly where I'd lean on the FC support mentioned in the
role."
5. Experience with budgets/forecasts or cash flow?
"I've supported cash flow monitoring at Pinksalt, and built financial models and forecasts academically
during my MSc — particularly in Quantitative Financial Modelling and Corporate Finance. I haven't yet
owned a budget cycle end-to-end, but I understand the mechanics and I'm keen to get hands-on experience
with it here."
6. How do you handle interactions with non-finance people (e.g. department managers questioning
your numbers)?
"I stay calm and data-led — I'll walk them through where the number comes from before getting into
disagreement. If something genuinely looks off, I'll go back and double check rather than defend it blindly.
Working across multiple restaurant locations, I've had to explain reconciliation discrepancies to non-finance
staff, so I'm used to translating the numbers into plain terms."
7. Tell me about your CIMA progress.
"I've completed the Operational and Management level objective tests. I have the Management Case Study
and Strategic Case Study remaining. I'm committed to finishing while working — it's part of why a role with
real progression and FC mentorship appeals to me."
8. Where do you see yourself in 2–3 years?
"Qualified or close to qualified through CIMA, and having grown into a role with more ownership —
ideally within a structure like this one, where I've built up from the ground level with FC support."
9. Strengths / weaknesses?
Strength: attention to detail in reconciliations — give a quick example.
Weakness: be honest but pair with action — e.g. "Budgeting end-to-end is something I have academic
grounding in but limited hands-on experience — I'm actively looking to build that, which is part of why this
role appeals."