I applied online. I interviewed at Loughborough University
Interview
"It was a multi-step process! First, they had me do a practical assessment on Excel to test my formulas and VLOOKUP skills. Right after that, we did the interview. They went over my accounting experience and education history, and then asked some technical bookkeeping questions. like how I would record a basic transaction if the company bought an item with cash.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
The interview was pretty comprehensive. They started off by asking about my overall accounting experience and what I handled in my previous roles. Then, they moved into my educational history and how my studies prepared me for this position. After the background stuff, they asked a few technical accounting questions to test my skills. for example, they asked me to walk them through how to record a basic transaction in the books, like what the journal entry would look like if the company purchased an item using cash.
I applied through university. I interviewed at Loughborough University (Loughborough, England) in Jan 2026
Interview
Before any screening call or round 1 interview they required a 20 minute Teams interview with a 10 min presentation based on an Excel dataset. The task involved analysing order and invoice volumes and presenting recommendations to improve order intake and AP efficiency. It was essentially an Excel and PowerPoint assessment upfront.
This felt excessive and outdated for an assistant-level role capped at £28k. The recruitment process and salary bands both feel out of step with the market. Maybe it's a fresh graduate role? but the job spec said ACCA qualified preferred.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
The University spends £100m annually on goods and services.
On the 'Supplier PO Data' tab, there is a breakdown of spend by supplier, along with volumes of orders and invoices for two financial years.
Please review the data and recommend how we could improve the efficiency of ordering and paying suppliers.
I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at Loughborough University (London, England) in Apr 2025
Interview
Everyone is nice; you have one interview with two people from the receptionist manager. They take you into a room, and the interview is about 30 minutes. if you get it you start 2 week after.