Auditor Interview Questions

All 130 Auditor Interview Questions

1. Auditor Interview Questions

   1.

   Have you ever discovered fraud in an audit?

   This is a yes or no question. You shouldn't dig too deep into it because you've likely signed a NDA and providing details would be inappropriate. If they do ask for details, give broad answers that don't disclose major details.
   
   If you've never discovered any fraud, that's something to celebrate.
   
   

   

   Samantha's Answer

   "I've discovered discrepancies that were later revealed to be attempts at fraud. I escalated it and upper management resolved it. Unfortunately, I signed an NDA so that's all I can say on the matter."

   

   Samantha's Answer

   "I've never encountered this issue and I hope that the company I work for will never have that issue. I'd hope that everyone has strong enough ethics and loyalty not to steal from the company."

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2. 2.

   If you find a process that's time consuming and frustrating, what would you do?

   This is a way of asking if you'd consider improving a process or suggesting an improvement without being asked. It's important as an auditor to help client companies grow and become independent. To accomplish this, auditors are often frequently required to review and improve the processes.
   
   If you haven't done this, admit it rather than fabricate something. This isn't something you generally learn in school so being honest is the best policy. This could be a good place to show problem solving in different way from personal experience.
   
   

   

   Samantha's Answer

   "When I worked with a client for about three months, I realized they were doing all their calculations manually. I created an Excel spreadsheet to show them how valuable the formulas were and how much time could be saved. They took my suggestion and implemented it, transforming a five-day process to a one-day process by removing all the menial manual work."

   

   Samantha's Answer

   "I've never had the opportunity in the professional world to do, that but when I was a kid both my parents were laid off within days of each other so I came up with the idea for my brother and I to start a lawn care company. At first my dad laughed when we took the mower and went door to door, but when we came home with two hundred dollars covered in grass and dirt and gave him the money, it showed him that we cared about our family's financial situation."

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3. 3.

   Everyone has to bend or break rules sometimes. Give me an example when you had to that in auditing or accounting.

   This is a double-edged sword question. You don't want them to think you're a rule breaker, but if if you need to be flexible, at times it could be necessary. The best way to answer this question is to fall back on your ethics and find a compromise rather than bend or break the rules. It's a violation of SOX compliance to break the rules regarding auditing. This is how CPA's lose their licenses and even go to prison. Be careful how you answer this question.
   
   If you have no auditing experience, this is a much safer question to answer but I'd still be very careful about anything you decide to share. No one wants to hire a criminal but they do want you to play ball.
   
   

   

   Samantha's Answer

   "I've never broken the auditing or SOX compliance rules knowingly because that would threaten my license. When struggling with an audit, I've made safe compromises with a client. I had one client who was in trouble with the audit and I helped them process some exemption forms before handing the documentation to the external auditors. This allowed them time to get their documentation in line but didn't break any rules."

   

   Samantha's Answer

   "I have no real world auditing experience, but I do know that ethically you can't break the rules of SOX compliance. There are ways to bend the rules slightly by finding middle ground or exemptions to disallow for failures on certain aspects. I'm unsure of the exact process, but I can and will find out how that's done. Ethics is what makes or breaks an accountant or auditor so you should never want someone to break the rules while working with your company because they can be criminally charged."

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4. 4.

   Why do you want a career as an auditor?

   This is a subjective question. This is basically asking why you want this position. If you don't know why you want to be an auditor, then probably won't enjoy it. Auditing is reviewing the work of others and checking for errors, and finding where the documentation came from and determining if the information provided can be supported by proof for outside auditors to review and accept. It entails many caveats and details that are easily overlooked but must be understood.
   
   This is a field for people who enjoy details and like puzzles. The more difficult the puzzle, the more you'll be paid.
   
   

   

   Samantha's Answer

   "I want to be an auditor because I love puzzles and mysteries. I love to find out the root cause of an issue or a document and know that I found the origin. It makes me happy to help a company be compliant with their financials and information."

   

   Samantha's Answer

   "I want to be an auditor because in school, that was my favorite course. I had a lot of classmates that said auditing was boring and redundant and I went into the class with the same attitude. I quickly discovered that it was like a puzzle. I love puzzles! It's like be an investigator for a company to ensure they're protected when it comes to compliance."

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5. Have you ever faced a documentation overload during an audit? How did you handle it? There will be times during an audit when you'll see so much documentation that it will seem overwhelming. There's a fine line between too much information and not enough. You don't want to give external auditors too much information that will prompt them to ask more questions, but you want to have enough documentation to avoid them asking for more. The fine line that auditors walk is tough to determine sometimes, so when you think you have too much documentation, you should ask one question about every piece of paper you get. 'How do I know this is correct according to company policy?' If you're not sure about the document you're reviewing, then you need one more layer. Example #1: "I was working for a client that gave us every piece of documentation they had. The issue with that was that they gave us forms from prior years. It was bogging us down because they were only being audited for the current year. It took forever to wade through and pull out what was actually useful." Example #2: "I've never worked an audit professionally, but in college I had an auditing class where my teacher did something similar. She told us for our final we'd be performing an audit for one quarter of the year. She gave us two years of documentation in no particular order to show that sometimes companies just dump stuff on you without organizing it. We had to sift through everything and find every single document that pertained to the Q3 of the year we were looking for. It took some time, but being highly organized, I was able to handle it and got an A on the project." Example #3: "Yes, several times. I think the worst was when a company had just gone public and I was brought in to help them organize and prepare for their first audit. I saw that they did everything on paper documentation and hadn't saved anything electronically. I sat in a conference room with boxes and boxes of paperwork with a scanner and computer. I organized all the documentation in date order, scanned everything, and then organized it into the proper areas. I created a documentation process for them and helped them set up the controls necessary to keep the documentation on hand and electronically available to pass the audit."6. Have you ever had a documentation error occur during the auditing process? How did you handle it? This is important because you'll run into documentation errors. Early in your career or even late, you'll miss something. It's human nature to overlook something, which is why most audits have several layers of auditors or reviewers to find these things. When you miss something or have a documentation error slip through that's found by another layer, it's humbling and sometimes discouraging. Use it as an important learning opportunity. When you make a documentation error, you need to bounce back. Maybe you provided too much documentation and the external auditors are now digging deeper into a direction that you can't answer. You need to adjust and learn from the mistake. Example #1: "Yes. When I was in my first year of auditing, I provided one document that should have been excluded. The external auditors ripped that apart and requested more documentation to follow up. My manager came to me and explained the error and used it as a learning moment for me. I realized that I had provide too much, which was the reason for all the last minute scrambling that we then had to endure." Example #2: "I've never worked professionally as an auditor, but I learned in school while writing papers that if your asked for certain bullet points and you stray from that, it will affect your grade. Say you have to write a paper on King Tut but you stray to his wife and family and most of your paper is focused on them, your grade will reflect your distracted focus and not the "A" you were expecting." Example #3: "Yes, that's something that happens from time to time to everyone. If you miss a documentation error, it's embarrassing and can open the door to more questions. I was a second round reviewer and missed that some of the documentation provided was from the previous year. I never looked at the year of the date, only the beginning of the date. It was embarrassing, and when my boss reviewed it, we quickly found out that it was missed by two lines of review. We had to go to the client and find the correct documentation. It didn't take long to correct it, but I missed it and should have found it myself."7. What do you enjoy most about being an auditor? This is a subjective answer. I can't tell you why you enjoy being an auditor. This is personal to you and no one else. I can tell you why I love being an auditor and what I love about being an accountant, but that's not you. Don't embellish this if you don't know. If you're simply testing the water, admit it. No one can blame you for not having the perfect answer to this question. Example #1: "I love auditing because I'm great at attention to detail. I love finding small details that can make a difference to a company." Example #2: "I don't know if I'll enjoy it. I loved the auditing classes I took because they were like piecing together a puzzle and I've always loved puzzles." Example #3: "I've always loved auditing. It's a giant puzzle and detective work all in one. You get to dig deep and find the inner workings of a company. Financial audits show you exactly what the company spends money on. If it's a user access review, you have to dig down and find all the required documentation for the access necessity and approvals. You're a private investigator and a puzzle master, and if you can embrace it, you'll love it."8. Have you ever been offered a bribe? How did you react? Auditing is a profession that affects the stock market. If you audit a company and they fail, their stock prices will most likely fall. A failure indicates that the company isn't complying with SOX regulation for documentation or financial procedures. It marks the company as untrustworthy or disorganized. So for an auditor, it's important to have strong ethics. If someone has ever offered you a bribe or tried to pump you for information regarding a client, you'll know it. You don't talk specifics with people in this line of work. You'd never say to a stranger in a bar that the company you're auditing is going to fail and if you do, you could cause a sudden stock short. Ethics is important and being consistent with your ethics is particularly important. Example #1: "I've never been outright offered a bribe, but I did use to go out for after work drinks at a local bar and some finance guys try and press me for information. They bought me a beer and asked a bunch of questions and got really annoyed when I smiled and changed the subject to football. I told them I signed a NDA and didn't come there to talk business. If they were curious about the company, the financials where posted on the FCC website like all publicly trade companies." Example #2: "I've never been offered a bribe for auditing, but in high school, I had a classmate that tried to pay me to do his homework. I ended up tutoring him because I told him the homework was only ten percent of the grade and if he didn't learn it, he'd fail the tests. He passed the class with a B and we spent three nights a week learning Geometry together." Example #3: "Yes, I have. When I worked for Google, I was offered a bribe to reveal their yearly earnings before they were released. I reported this to my bosses and they contacted the police because corporate espionage is a dangerous thing. I was commended for my honesty and ethics and I proved to myself, my company, and outside interests that I couldn't be bought to break my ethics."9. Do you enjoy traveling? If you're auditing for a corporation, there's a really good chance that you'll be traveling a lot. I know most internal auditors travel at least 30% of the time. External auditors or contracting companies like PWC and Deloitte travel upward of 90% of the time. Yes, you can do less traveling, bu you're likely to do some, so being open to it is important. If you don't like travel, be honest as your answer will be applied to for your position. If you hate travel, they could put you on travel limited to 10% or less. Don't lie about your objective. I'll use what I said in my interview below. Be very clear on your priorities and where you stand. If you're fresh out of college with no obligations, that's the time for travel, so embrace it. Example #1: "I have a small child at home and as this is my first job after giving birth to her I do not feel comfortable leaving her alone for long or very often. I am open to it if necessary but I would prefer to be home every night so that she has that consistency. My first priority is my family." Example #2: "I'm just out of college with no family to rush home to, so I'm free to travel as much as necessary. I'd love to travel oversees to help clients and sightsee in my spare time." Example #3: "I've been traveling for 15 years in this profession. I've been all over the world including Saudi Arabia, England, and various East Asian countries. I'm open to travel, but my wife is pregnant so I'd like to be home more than I'm away."10. How many times have you run an auditing team? This is a direct question that requires a direct answer. Remember, this will probably be verified through references from your previous companies. Don't fabricate or embellish because that can cost you the job. If you've never run an auditing team, be honest. You can't lead a team when you're fresh out of college or have only participated in one audit on which you were the first line. Experience matters. Example #1: "I successfully ran two audit teams and assisted in over 60 total audits. You have to start from the bottom in this field, and I worked my way up." Example #2: "I've never managed an auditing team, but with my level of experience I don't think that would be appropriate as I wouldn't want to miss anything and put the company at risk due to my level of knowledge." Example #3: "I've managed several different auditing teams at the same time. I reached a level in my previous company where I managed four different audit clients at one time, so I had four different audits going on with with teams on each. Most audits have various levels of reviewers and different tiers of teams so it could get very complicated, but with the right organizational system, you can keep track of everything."11. Tell me about a time when you sought guidance, from another coworker who was the same level as you? This is important because during an Audit you need to be able to rely on people around you for knowledge. If you cannot use the people around you then that would be a problem in itself. Auditing is a team sport so sometimes you will learn something from the same level, a lower level or a higher level. You cannot be prideful and think that you are smarter than everyone in the room or you will fail. If you do not have auditing experience draw on an opportunity to learn from another part of your life. Example #1: "I am constantly learning from my peers. If you cannot use the people around you to learn than your wasting talent and knowledge. When I first started auditing I was on a team of ten people. I did not have very much excel knowledge but these two guys in class knew everything or so it seemed at the time. They taught me so much and still today if I have a question I will reach out to them because they are always there to help." Example #2: "I have no Auditing experience with this but when I got my first job as a waitress I was trained by my peers. They taught me how to memorize the menu quickly and how to multitask the tables like a pro. I leaned on them for their experience and knowledge and soon people began to lean on me the same way." Example #3: "This is something you should do at every level. It is not just peers that can teach us I had a new hire teach me a few new things on the updated computer systems we got. He had just taken courses on the new platforms we were introducing and he taught most of the company the ins and outs of it. So only being open to learn from your level or above is a rookie mistake you should never make. Any knowledge from any level is worth learning from my experience."12. If you were given documentation that didn't make sense mathematically, what would your next steps be? This is important. When handling a financial audit, you'll have to redo calculations and formulas to ensure the numbers provided are accurate. You'll have to know the local applicable tax rates and all other variables. If you find something that doesn't add up you, you'll have to go back to the person who submitted it and let them know so it can be corrected. As the auditor, it's not your responsibility to fix the error, it's your job to report it. Example #1: "If I find a math error on some documentation, my first step would be to verify with a colleague that I'm not incorrect. Math can be wrong on either side of the equation. Maybe I have the wrong tax rate. If they concur with me, then I'd take it to the person or point of contact to rerun and correct the numbers. People are human. Errors occur all the time, which is why they have auditors and checks and balances to catch these things." Example #2: "If I encountered an error, I'd confer with a co-worker or my boss to determine exactly where they went wrong. Then I'd take it back to the company, client, or person who submitted it and have them correct it. Once it was corrected, I'd continue the audit." Example #3: "This happens all the time in companies that don't have a strong check and balance system. You would return the document to the submitter and explain the error. They'd work their way back to fix the error and adjust all documentation affected before resubmitting it to the audit team to continue the audit."13. Are you okay working longer hours certain times of the year or if a job had a deadline? This is important to know because in auditing, there are high-volume times of the year. Usually at the end of every quarter is crunch time as well as end of year. At the beginning of the quarter, you usually have a lot more time to do things and prep. If you can't handle working late or long hours, then this may not be the career for you. This job relies heavily on other people to provide documentation for you to review. If those people take all day to get that documentation, then sometimes you have to either bring work home or stay late. Example #1: "Yes, I'm fine with working long hours as long as it's understood that if it becomes habitual because another employee doesn't see the significance of the audit, we can train them on the importance. While I'm fine working long hours at certain times of the year, if it's because someone doesn't value my time, I'll say something. I have a family too, and they enjoy seeing me on a regular basis." Example #2: "I don't mind at all! I love the opportunity to work late, as that's when co-workers come together to get things done. I don't mind having tight deadlines, and getting the job done is something I specialize in." Example #3: "Of course it comes with this field of work. If you become an auditor thinking you'll be home everyday by four, you're mistaken. There's a lot of hurry up and wait in this field, so you have to be patient and quick with your work."14. If you could change anything about being an auditor, what would it be? This is a subjective question. I can't tell you what to answer here, but I can tell you whatever it is, don't not make it sound like the worst aspect of the job. If you wish SOX had never happened, don't go on about how the government is overstepping into corporate affairs. No one wants to hear a rant. If you don't know anything you'd change, admit it. It's always refreshing to find someone who knows and loves their field. Example #1: "If I had to change one thing, it would be the perception of how people see auditors. If I go to an airport and chat with a stranger and they ask what I do, they immediately recoil when they hear auditor. We have a bad reputation because people automatically think of the IRS and being in trouble." Example #2: "I don't think I'd change anything. All the regulations in place are there to protect the people in the company and the field of auditing. It comes in waves. Sometimes you're really busy, other times you have more time to relax, so it's easy to plan vacation time and days off. I enjoy all aspects." Example #3: "I'd change the amount of agencies that have a say in creating and revising the SOX compliance regulations. Sometimes it feels like there are too many cooks in the kitchen and too many duplicated or similar regulations. We just need one governing agency. At the moment, we have the AICPA, GAAP, the FCC, and several oversight committees."15. Have you ever been burned out during an audit? How did you regain your focus? This is a very common issue during an audit. More than once I've been burned out from working long hours of going in early and getting home late. You need something to keep you grounded and help you work through the burnout or avoid it all together. There are several ways to avoid burnout. All of them include taking control of the situation and putting yourself in a good mindset. You can listen to music, podcasts, or joke around with a friend. Breaking the project into parts and ensuring you take a five minute break every hour will help as well. Example #1: "I felt so burned out one night I was sitting at my desk just staring at the empty screen because I knew I needed to go home but there was so much work left that I couldn't leave. I ended up working through the night. My boss came in the next morning and found me in the same clothes from the previous day and pulled me into their office. They told me I was burned out and needed a break. I was new to the team and wanted to prove myself, but they knew what I needed. She told me to go home and take the day off to sleep. I came back the next day and felt refreshed and ready to get back to work. Since then, when I feel run down, I make the effort to take a break or eat a snack to help me get back on track." Example #2: "When I was in my senior year of high school, I was in all AP classes. When the year was wrapping up, I had to study for the SAT's, the ASVAB (the military test), four AP finals, as well as write three two-thousand-word papers on various topics and complete an AP Economics project. I felt so overwhelmed and burned out that I couldn't focus on anything. My mom taught me the best way to handle it was to schedule my day. I'd spend my time in class only focusing on that class for study or assignment. When I got home, I'd have certain days that I worked on certain tasks. Saturdays I broke up my day to focus on everything for a little while and completed everything in stages. This is the method I've used ever since." Example #3: "Burnout generally happens early in your career. Unless you know what hits the fan and the world's collapsing, it's not something you should be dealing with at my level. I take breaks when needed and I know what is and isn't important and. Knowing what you're responsible for and what you're not will definitely help when it comes to burnout."16. Give me an example of a time you pushed back when asked for additional documentation and why. This is important. If you've been an auditor long enough, you've pushed back on a request for additional documentation. How you push back is also important. No one wants to work with an auditor who's a jerk and just says 'No' with no explanation. You have to be willing to explain why you don't want to provide further documentation. Sometimes, it will feel like you're falling down a rabbit hole, so take care with this. Example #1: "I had some external auditors requesting documentation that was ruled out of scope in the previous quarter. I pushed back and told them that due to the previous conversation, which was recorded, the documentation had no bearing on the audit and was ruled out of scope and unnecessary. They conceded the point and dropped the matter." Example #2: "I've had no professional experience with this, but in my college job working in the admissions department, we had this really nosy supervisor. She wanted to know every student's financial status even if she didn't work on their admission. I refused to let her see my admissions files one day because she had no reason to view them and she got her boss involved. When her boss talked to me, I explained my push back and the matter was dropped. She was transferred shortly after that because of her snooping." Example #3: "This happens all the time. One time, a manager asked for additional documentation for a process flow that they owned. He should have already had the process flow but he didn't want to put it together. I told him we just followed the process; we weren't responsible for putting together the process flow for the auditors. It was his job to put it together and submit it to us. He was upset, but eventually did his job and it all worked out."17. As a CPA, have you ever signed off on an audit and if so, what does that mean to you? This is one of the most important jobs an auditor can do. Signing off on an audit is you staking your reputation that this company passed the audit and is in good standing. You have to provide a letter from the auditor providing your opinion of the company's standing. This isn't a matter to be taken lightly. If you're wrong and provide incorrect data, you could be sued and prosecuted. If you're not a CPA, this doesn't apply, so explain that to them. Example #1: "Yes, I've signed off on an audit and it's a huge responsibility. I'm putting my name, reputation, and career on the line when I do that. I don't sign off until I'm certain that the company is in good standing or I've outlined the position in the auditor's letter released with the financial statements. I take this matter very seriously because my livelihood's on the line." Example #2: "I'm not a CPA yet but I intend to become one. When you sign off, that's a big responsibility, one that I'm not ready for at this stage of my career." Example #3: "Yes, I have. Several times. It takes a lot to get me to provide a good report on a company so it had better have everything in line. I'll have several different audit teams reviewing all their documentation and process controls to ensure nothing is missed. If I'm staking my career and name on a sign off, then I'll do everything possible to ensure everything's correct."18. Describe a difficult auditing project and how you overcame it. This is an important question not only to demonstrate how you handled a difficult project but also because auditing is a very confidential field of work. Most auditors have to sign an NDA or non-disclosure agreement because what auditors are reviewing will generally inform investors whether or not they should invest in the company. It's important to know how to how to be discreet while also providing the interviewer what they want to know. A good way to do this is not to mention which company you're talking about. This becomes harder when you have little work experience, but that's where you be vague about the type of audit you worked on. It's also good to mention the NDA you signed to show that you take your commitments seriously. Example #1: "When I worked for one of my previous companies, they had just gone public and had no auditing department. I had a little experience from a previous position and offered to take a look when we failed the first audit we undertook. I found that lack of internal controls and documentation was the root cause. I then had to create the entire auditing department. This lead to my promotion as Internal Audit Director. I hired a team and we got the company back on track. It was by far the most stressful and difficult project I've ever had to undertake because of my limited experience, and the company's budget for hiring was small." Example #2: "I've never worked as an auditor on a project, but in school, we had an auditing project and for the final, our teacher had us simulate the timeline of a real time audit. This means we were given a massive amount of data with a deadline of two weeks, and some of the data was held back until three days before it was due. This simulates how the world of auditing works. It's a lot of hurry up and wait, then sprint to the finish line."19. If you were an external auditor, what's the first thing you'd ask for when entering an audit? This question is to test your knowledge of the proper steps to take at the very beginning of a project. There are a few different answers that all lead to the same thing. You need to know the scope of the audit. You need to see exactly what you're looking at. It's highly unlikely that you'll be auditing an entire company yourself as most publicly traded companies are far too large for one person to handle. You'll want to have a scoping meeting to decide what everyone will be looking at or if the contract hasn't been arranged, a contract meeting. Example #1: "I'd want the scope documentation to ensure that we're only looking at what's in scope for this audit. If that isn't prepared and this is the initial client visit, I'd ask for a contract meeting to review all the areas of the company to determine what needs to be audited and what would be white noise." Example #2: "I'd be looking for the scope contract paperwork to tell me what I'd need to look at and what constitutes white noise." Example #3: "I'd negotiate a scope contract to outline what the teams would be looking at and what would be considered non-essential. We'd review SOX compliance on various fronts from Finance to IT technology to HR. All these different areas have aspects that must be audited or at least reviewed. Then I'd take that back to my company and we'd assemble a team who knew exactly what they were looking for before beginning the audit."20. Describe a time when you had to work with a large team auditing team and how you handled it. Auditing is a team sport. You'll never be in it alone. You'll have supervisors, subordinates, and clients everywhere. It's essential that you can adjust to the various personalities you'll be working with and maintain a professional relationship no matter how stressful the situation may become. If you struggle with this, then the suggestion would be to work on a reserved attitude. You never want to come off as unwilling to work with a client or vendor because of personality issues. That reflects poorly on you, rather than them, most of the time. Example #1: "I had a contract to work as a temp with nine other people. We sat in a conference room together for almost a year on this project. We shared birthdays and holidays even decorated this tiny little tree we named Tim. It was like a Charlie Brown Christmas. We grew very close and although the company only hired three of us, we stayed in contact with many of the others and made great friendships from of the experience." Example #2: "I've never worked professionally with a large group, but in high school I was in student government. I was president of our senior class and ran all the government meetings. We planned dances, prom, the graduation process, and class trips. We met with various clubs within the school to coordinate programs and fundraisers. I had to work with just about everyone in the school at one time or another, which can be difficult considering the attitudes and concerns of teenagers." Example #3: "I've worked with several teams over my career. The biggest team I worked with was a team of one hundred and twenty people. We were handling an audit for a rather large international company. There were so many moving parts. It was like we were constantly in meetings to gather the information to present to the senior management so they could see what we needed or what was complete. It was stressful and everyone felt like they didn't know the complete story, but as we presented the information, it all came together."21. Have you ever had difficulty with a supervisor? Audits are stressful. There's no way around that. If you've ever worked on an audit, there was likely a time when you and everyone around you felt pressured by the deadline and outlining the data to be easily understood. Supervisors are people too, and they feel the pressure from above them, so if a supervisor is difficult, it may help to put yourself in their shoes. Think of a supervisor you've had or a teacher who was difficult to deal with. How did you handle it? Was it an appropriate way to handle the situation? You never want to give an example of that's going to make you look bad. Hopefully, you've risen above a situation where someone has been difficult. Example #1: "I had a Manager who was rude to everyone. She would lay down what she thought was right and if you disagreed with her, you became the enemy and your schedule reflected it. I once suggested an improvement to scheduling to her and the general manager. While they considered it, my schedule went from day shifts to night shifts and double shifts for the next two weeks. I showed up to every shift with a smile and worked my butt off. My general manager noticed and assigned me as the restaurant's schedule maker. I still worked double shifts when necessary, but I tried to be as fair as possible." Example #2: "I had a teacher who didn't like jocks. I was on the football team, the soccer team, and the track and field team, so I was covered in jock. He'd hold tests on days when we had games or meets and refused to let us make up the tests until we went to the principal. The principal helped us because we had no power in that situation, but the teacher's attitude didn't change until one day I saw him outside of school. He came to where I worked at a local pizza place and gave me attitude. I calmly told him that I held no ill will toward him because it was obvious he had an issue with jocks in his life. I asked him if he wanted to get to know me as a person to see that I was a good kid who just liked playing sports. I never bullied anyone and had always treated others with respect and dignity because I was raised right. He changed his attitude after that and started to reach out more to the students." Example #3: "Yes, I had a manager who made everyone's life hard. We used to look in the parking lot for their car to know if it was going to be a good day or a bad day. I worked with well with them and was actually one of their favorite employees because I did my job and conformed to their standards to ensure I avoided conflict."22. By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations, and environments. This is important in an audit because you'll most likely be traveling a lot. You'll have to deal with different types of people and situations. Auditors travel all over the world to do their jobs. You could be in California today and Tokyo tomorrow. You have to be able to adapt quickly and maintain the work standards you've always provided. When faced with a question like this, you need to think of something you had to do that wasn't only hard but out of your norm. It can be work related or personal as long as it gets the point across that you can handle a wide variety of people in a unfamiliar situation or environment. Example #1: "I was working for an audit firm and they had an international client in Spain. I speak Spanish, but the Mexican dialect, so they assumed I'd be able to quickly pick up the Spanish dialect. They sent me out and when I spoke, people would be able to understand me for the most part but I'd sometimes say the wrong words. I quickly learned the correct dialect and verbiage while completing my assignment. From then on, I was the go-to person for all Mexico and Spain travel, and eventually got to go to Italy to learn Italian." Example #2: "When I was in high school, my dad got transferred from our small town in California to a smaller town in Arizona. I was put into all AP classes because those were the only classes not full, so I studied my heart out and passed all my classes. I joined the cross country and track and field teams and spent the last two years of high school focusing on getting ahead. That's why I got a scholarship for my grades and extracurricular activities." Example #3: "I was transferred from a small town to a big city for work and that was the biggest change of my entire life. The people were always rude and the city itself was overcrowded. I had to learn that you don't make friends at the grocery store like in small towns because they're just different people. I learned and adapted to always working as the people there have no work/life balance. I quickly adapted to the changes and thrived there."23. If you're working for multiple clients at one time, how do you monitor the amount of hours you spend on one compared to the other? This is a time management question. Most auditors will have multiple clients at once. This is especially true if you're working for an audit firm like PwC or Deloitte. You have to be able to show when you're working for one client and not the other for billing as well as for explanations why something has been paused. Clients don't like to hear or know about your other clients, but most are understanding. Take me, for example. I work full time at a tech company, but when I'm home and have down time, that doesn't affect my current job of assisting with these postings. I also have a blog that I write. It's all about time management. Example #1: "I track my hours using an Excel formula to track how much time each client needs before I start, then I allocate my day accordingly. If timetables need adjusting, I notify the clients when it's necessary." Example #2: "In college, I had a planner that I used to track the amount of time I spent on each class and the associated homework. I also used that to track my schedule for work and sports activities. It helped me stay organized and I ensured I never missed one assignment or a single day of work." Example #3: "I generally use whatever software the company provides for tracking time, but on my phone, I also use Google calendars to track my time as well as a clock App I downloaded that starts timing when I log it and tracks a full forty-eight-hour history."24. Have you ever been overloaded with work, i.e., multiple auditing contracts or clients at once, or just a large amount of auditing work all at once? This is important, and if you've been an auditor for a while, then you've definitely been overloaded at some point. This is a good time explain the situation and how you resolved it. Knowing that even if you stepped back and had to ask for help is the right answer. You should never fabricate something, so if you don't have experience being overloaded with work in the professional world, turn to the academic world. Most people have been overloaded at some point in their lives. Example #1: "When I was an analyst working on a User Access Audit, I was so overloaded with work I was reviewing 11 systems that all came in at the same time. I was working from five in the morning until eight at night and I just muscled through it. I was able to get everything done quickly and accurately, but I was stressed out for a few days. I felt so accomplished when it was done that I knew this was the career for me." Example #2: "When I was in college, I was on my own. I went to school and lived in an apartment off campus. I worked three jobs to maintain my apartment and my courses without going into debt and I played basketball for the school. I was so busy that I had a reminder set on my phone every time I needed to leave one place to get to another. I once left a game and went straight to work at a restaurant where I was a waiter before I went to the nightclub where I was a bouncer. I would generally get up at 4 am to get to the coffee shop where I worked in the mornings before classes. I was able to get through school debt free and pass all my classes to get to were I am today. Yes, I was overloaded, but I can handle it." Example #3: "I once was managing four different teams, and each team had at least five projects they were handling at a time. I had various team meetings to discuss the projects and get updates while I handled the finishing touches and was the control owner for many of the controls being tested. My teams were so overloaded we could hardly keep up, but thanks to the help of my dedicated employees, we were able to maintain the pace until I could get a bigger budget and hire more people to help."25. What platforms have you audited in the past? This is a basic question. Auditing is not like regular accounting. There will be programs that most people have not heard of. Basically, anything that affects the company can be audited, i.e., financials, health insurance, IT compliance, etc. You'll run into so many different systems that those you use at one company may not be the same at any other company you work with. If you don't have any experience with any platforms, admit it. Honesty is always the best policy. Example #1: "I've worked with Peoplesoft, Blackline, HR Passport, Service Now, Xactly, and various others." Example #2: "I've never worked with a platform related to auditing. I'm just out of college but I'm a fast learner and am told I'm easily trainable." Example #3: "I've worked with several platforms to audit them ranging from Peoplesoft financials to HR Passport to Informatica. There are so many I couldn't tell you all of them in one sitting. What platforms does your company utilize?"26. Why do you want to be an auditor? This question is a way for the interviewer to find out a little bit about what makes you tick. Be honest and direct - don’t give a phony answer that the interviewer will see through. Example #1: "Since I was young, I have always liked math and have been good with numbers. I took an accounting class in high school and really enjoyed it - the concepts came naturally to me. As I researched careers in accounting, auditing really appealed to me because it is almost like being an accounting ‘detective’. I think working as an auditor will be a great way to apply my skill set in math and accounting to an exciting career."27. What qualities or skills do you believe a good auditor should possess? This question is a good opportunity to show you have an understanding of what qualities make a good auditor. Some key areas to hit are ethics (honesty/integrity), ability to interact with clients (communication skills, people person), ability to limit mistakes (focused/attention to detail) and ability to get to the correct answer (skeptical/inquisitive/problem solver) Example #1: "First and foremost, I believe an auditor should be honest and have great integrity. Without this, it will be impossible for the person to perform the role effectively. Next, the auditor should have the education and technical skills to perform the job. They should have exceptional people skills as they will be required to communicate effectively with clients, colleagues and external parties. Finally, they should have an inquisitive mind and a keen attention to detail."28. Where do you see yourself in five years? DO highlight that you want to continue growing professionally and help the firm grow. DO NOT say you want the interviewer’s role. The interviewer is basically probing to see that you have goals for your career. Example #1: "If I am fortunate enough to be hired for this role, my goal in the near term is to learn as much as possible about our clients as well as the technical components of the auditing profession. I would like to study for and pass the CPA exam in the next two years so I can contribute even more to the firm. I would also like to be viewed as a leader in the firm by my colleagues. As long as I am growing professionally and acquiring new knowledge and skills, I believe I would be very happy."29. Why do companies require audits? This question tests your understanding of the audit process beyond just the technical aspects one would learn through college coursework. Being able to answer this question shows you have a firm understanding of one of the basics of the profession. Example #1: "Audits can be required for a variety of reasons. Most commonly, lenders and investors demand audits to ensure that an organization’s accounting and financial reporting is free of material misstatement or errors. Some organizations, such as not-for-profits, may be required to have an audit performed by a regulatory body or grant stipulation. In some cases, an organization may choose to have an independent audit performed as good practice."30. What are the differences between an audit, a review and a compilation? Audits, reviews and compilations are the three main types of engagements an accounting firm will perform. Being able to articulate the differences between these services is essential. Conversely, not being able to state the differences could be a disqualifier from the role you are interviewing for. Example #1: "The main differences between the three types of engagements are the scope of services performed and the level of assurance provided. A compilation is simply financial statement preparation by the auditor based on representations from management. In a compilation, the auditor is not required to provide any assurance that the financial statements are accurate and free from errors/fraud. A review is more involved, and requires the auditor to perform analytical procedures and inquiries of management to ascertain that information contained in the financial statements is correct. In a review, the auditor provides limited assurance that the financial statements do not require any material modifications. In an audit, the auditor provides assurance that the financial statements are free of material misstatement or errors. This requires the auditor to expand the scope of the engagement to test ending balances, perform tests of internal controls, acquire third party confirmations and physically confirm assets, among other procedures."31. How do you feel your education has prepared you for the auditor role? Be sure to highlight all of the different subjects within accounting you have studied to show you have a well-rounded education. To not sound like a ‘know it all’, make sure to acknowledge that there is still plenty to learn once you have been hired. Example #1: "I have been fortunate enough to study various accounting subjects at a great business school, including auditing, financial accounting and taxation. In addition to book learning, the accounting curriculum also allowed us to interact with accounting and auditing professionals on a regular basis, as well as obtain on-the-job immersive experience as part of a robust co-op program. The knowledge and experience obtained from this coursework provided me with a solid foundation for my future career. Of course, there will always be more to learn as I grow in the profession."32. Why do you want to work at ABC Public Accountants? This question is an opportunity to show you have done your research on the firm. Be sure to mention some of the firm’s biggest clients, as well as some of the industries they specialize in. Example #1: "I believe starting my career at ABC Public Accountants would be a very rewarding experience. First, the firm specializes in industries that I find interesting, such as aerospace and technology. It would be a very exciting opportunity to work with clients such as XYZ Aeronautics and American Technologies. Secondly, I have heard about ABC’s amazing culture and how they promote continuing education and mold leaders. Alumni from my school have talked about ABC’s Leaders of Tomorrow mentorship program, which sets the firm apart from others. For these reasons, this auditor role at ABC was very appealing to me."33. How would you deliver excellent customer service to clients? Being able to interact and communicate with clients is a key skill for a new auditor, and also shows that the candidate possesses the ability to grow into larger roles within the firm such as manager and director. Even new auditors will need to email and call clients, so be sure to mention that you have attention to detail and are responsive. Example #1: "I believe that being able to communicate with clients effectively will be key from day one. Whenever I communicate with anyone, I make sure that I am responsive. If I can’t give someone the information they are seeking right away, I make sure to let them know the anticipated timing. If there are unexpected delays, I provide updates. I would also make sure I review any documents or emails I send to the client in order to build trust in my abilities. Finally, I would act professionally while at the client’s place of business."34. Explain how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act changed the auditing profession. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is major legislation passed in 2002 that substantially changed the accounting and auditing professions. It was enacted in response to major fraud scandals such as Enron and WorldCom. The interviewee should know the Act in detail as it is a key driver of the profession, but a summary here will suffice. Example #1: "The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed into legislation in 2002 in response to fraud scandals like Enron. The goal of SOX was to protect investors and employees from fraudulent reporting. As a result, there is a greater onus on auditors to provide assurance that financial statements are free of material misstatement. For example, auditors are now required to test a company’s internal controls and report on their effectiveness. Additionally, there are stricter requirements for financial statement disclosures."35. During an audit, you discover one of the firm’s largest clients uses a questionable methodology to value receivables. What would be your course of action? This is an opportunity to highlight your integrity and honesty. The high-level answer should be obvious - that the concern must be addressed immediately. Example #1: "If I was working on an audit and discovered a practice that I found questionable, I would immediately voice my concern to the audit manager. As a new auditor, perhaps I was misinterpreting the situation. If not, my manager would provide good counsel on next steps to resolve the situation. The most important thing is to be honest and ethical - two character traits that I am proud to say I possess."36. Are you open to travel with this position? The topic of travel will almost certainly come up during your interview. Almost any auditing role involves some travel, so be prepared to articulate how much travel you are comfortable with (for example, 25%, 50%, etc). Most job descriptions will include the expected amount of travel. The interviewer is gauging whether you are a candidate that is willing and able to meet the travel requirement, so try to align your answer with the expectation of the role. Example #1: "I am definitely open to travel. I saw on the job description that travel is estimated to be 25%-50%, which I am comfortable with. Since I am just out of school, I think traveling would be a fantastic opportunity for me to immerse myself in the role and learn as much as possible from my colleagues."37. Do you have experience handling massive amounts of data? Give an example of how you used data to solve a problem? Due to the advancement of technology, auditors have the ability to take massive amounts of data and analyze it. For example, an auditor may be asked to review exported data from a client’s general ledger. Give a specific example of a time when you used data to answer a question or solve a problem. Example #1: "Yes, in my internship I was tasked with taking a data export file with 65,000 rows and summarizing by customer type. Utilizing Excel skills I developed in school, I first filtered the data on the required population. I then created a pivot table that allowed me to summarize the data according to the criteria. As technology continues to advance, I understand that it is expected that I can work with Big Data and I feel very comfortable doing so."38. Identify a time when you made a mistake and the actions you took to correct it. Everyone makes mistakes, so don’t be tempted to say you don’t! This is a good opportunity to show that you don’t let a bad situation become worse. It is an opportunity to speak to your honor and integrity. Example #1: "One time at internship last summer, I caught a formula error in a file that I had already sent to a client. Even though I was embarrassed, I knew that the mistake needed to be corrected. I immediately told the intern manager what had happened and asked for her advice. We called the client and explained what had happened, and they were fine with us sending the corrected file."39. How would you handle working in an increasingly remote environment? This is a question to gage if you are disciplined enough to work from home. Be sure to touch on how you would stay focused and communicate with team members. Even after things return to normal, remote work may continue to be more common across many industries including auditing. Example #1: "I have experience working remotely. At my internship, we were able to work from home on Fridays since it was summer. I enjoyed working from home, and was able to stay on task and communicate effectively with my team members. There were some ground rules I implemented, such as maintaining regular hours, keeping my morning routine as if I was going to the office, and scheduling breaks to take care of non-work related tasks. I also had a standing meeting with my manager and team members every morning to discuss priorities for the day."40. What is the purpose of audit documentation? This is a technical question to see if you are able to articulate the information that is gathered in the field to support the audit. According to auditing standards (pronouncement AU-C Section 230), the two primary purposes of audit documentation are 1) to provide evidence to support the auditor’s conclusion and 2) to provide evidence that the audit was planned and performed appropriately Example #1: "There are a couple of important purposes of audit documentation. First, the documentation needs to support the conclusion that the auditor reached in the audit report. Secondly, the documentation serves as evidence that the audit was planned and performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards."41. Have you sat for the CPA exam or are you planning to sit for the CPA exam? Obtaining a CPA license is a major step an auditor can take to show they are committed to growing in the accounting profession. These days, many students are able to sit for the CPA exam before they graduate. But if this is not the case for you, it is likely expected that you will obtain your CPA license within the first couple of years of employment at the firm. Example #1: "Becoming a CPA is a major goal for me in my career, as it will help me grow in the accounting profession. I plan on sitting for all four parts of the exam within the first eighteen months of employment with the goal of becoming a licensed CPA within two years."42. How do you keep up with the latest developments in auditing standards? This question is to see if you take the initiative to stay current on the latest accounting developments. If you are a CPA, talk about how you use mandatory continuing education requirements to stay up to date on the latest trends and regulations. Example #1: "I stay up to date in various ways. First, in school we learned the latest and greatest pronouncements and standards. I also subscribe to e-newsletters from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for auditing standards updates and the Financial Accounting Standards Board for updates to generally accepted accounting principles. Additionally, after obtaining my CPA license, I plan on staying up to date with new standards with continuing education courses."43. What is the difference between fraud and error? This is a technical topic covered in the auditing standards under AU-C Section 240. The key difference between fraud and error is that the former is intentional and the latter is unintentional. There are two main types of fraud that an auditor should be concerned with: fraudulent reporting and misappropriation of assets (ie theft) Example #1: "The main difference between fraud and error is that fraud is intentional and errors are unintentional. As auditors, we are primarily concerned with financial misstatements that are caused by fraudulent financial reporting and misstatements that are caused by theft and other misappropriation of assets."44. How do you mitigate and manage stress? The life of an auditor can be stressful, especially during ‘tax season’ which runs from January through April. The interviewer wants to gain insight into how you react to stressful situations. Example #1: "Due to tight deadlines and the demands of the auditor role, stress is inevitable. However, there are steps I take to help mitigate stress. First, I try to be as organized as possible. I am constantly prioritizing my workload to make sure time-sensitive tasks are handled before they are due. Next, I try to leave work at work. When not at work, I enjoy hiking, cooking and traveling. Being able to enjoy these activities makes me feel calmer and rejuvenated at work."45. In an audit, who is primarily responsible for the prevention and detection of fraud? According to auditing pronouncement AU-C Section 240, the client’s management is primarily responsible for detecting fraud and preventing it in the first place by having effective internal controls. An auditor must conduct an audit in accordance with GAAS (generally accepted auditing standards). However, given the limitations of an audit, there is an inherent risk that not all material misstatements will be detected. Example #1: "Ultimately, it is the client’s management that is responsible for preventing and detecting fraud within their organization. They can achieve this by implementing effective internal controls and committing to a culture of honesty and ethical behavior. As auditors, we are responsible for conducting our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. However, there will always be an inherent risk that the limitations of an audit prevents us from detecting all material misstatements."46. What is the auditor’s responsibility when planning an audit? Auditing standard AU-C Section 300 Planning an Audit covers what the auditor’s responsibility is during the planning phase of the audit. The engagement partner and other key members of the audit team should be involved. As a staff auditor, you will be heavily involved in the planning process, so it’s important to brush up on the requirements detailed in the standard. Example #1: "During the planning phase of an audit, the engagement partner and other key engagement team members should establish an understanding of the terms of the engagement, assess the continuance of the client relationship and develop an overall audit strategy that sets the scope, timing and direction of the audit."47. What are some of the ways that you can show professionalism when on an audit engagement? In public accounting (as well as many other service-based professions), showing professionalism while interacting with clients is essential. Since professional behavior may not be obvious to someone who is new to the workforce, the interviewer is gauging how much awareness the candidate has. Example #1: "It is extremely important to display professionalism when we are out in the field conducting audits at the client’s place of business. First and foremost, I know that I must look the part by adhering to the appropriate dress code. On some engagements, a suit is appropriate. At others, business casual attire. Secondly, I know I must act professionally. This means speaking respectfully to all personnel, whether it is the client’s CFO or a security officer. I shouldn’t take personal phone calls or play music loudly. As a general rule, I shouldn’t do or say anything that would harm the firm’s reputation."48. How do you manage your manager? In other words, what steps do you take to make sure you get what you need from your boss and make both your lives easier? Also known as ‘managing up’, ‘managing your manager’ is a soft skill that can be developed over time. It essentially means doing whatever is necessary to make your manager’s job easier. Some clear-cut benefits of managing up include increased productivity and better working relationships between boss and employee. Example #1: "I am a firm believer in the benefits of managing my manager. At the end of the day, I want to make the audit engagements we work on together run as smoothly as possible. One area where I really focus on is communicating and prioritizing workload on a regular basis. This ensures that I’m always working on the highest-priority items. Another thing that is crucial is understanding my manager’s style. For example, do they like regular check-ins by email throughout the day, scheduled catch-up meetings, etc. Then I tailor my communication to their style."49. In your opinion, why is it important for organizations to have effective internal controls? Internal controls are rules, regulations and safeguards that an organization puts in place to ensure integrity of financial information and to prevent fraud. There are several benefits to having robust and effective internal controls, including preventing fraud/theft, improving accuracy of financial reporting, and complying with laws and regulations. Example #1: "Internal controls are vital for organizations of all sizes. First and foremost, internal controls are necessary to be in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. Additionally, strong internal controls are necessary to prevent fraud and theft by employees. Finally, strong and effective internal controls result in improved timeliness and accuracy of financial reporting, which makes for smoother audits."50. Explain the steps involved in a bank confirmation process and what it helps evaluate. This question dives into a common responsibility for first year staff on audits. Bank confirmations test the existence, ownership and accuracy of bank accounts. Answering this question correctly will show that you paid attention in class and are ready to take on responsibilities right away. Example #1: "Bank confirmations are a key test for auditing cash. Confirming bank accounts involves compiling a list of the clients bank accounts from the balance sheet and then sending letters to the banks to confirm the balances. By completing these procedures, the existence, accuracy and ownership of the bank accounts on the client’s balance sheet are properly tested."51. What qualities or skills do you believe a good auditor should possess? This question is a good opportunity to show you have an understanding of what qualities make a good auditor. Some key areas to hit are ethics (honesty/integrity), an ability to interact with colleagues and clients (communication skills, people person), an ability to limit mistakes (focused/attention to detail), and an ability to get to the correct answer (skeptical/inquisitive/problem solver). Example #1: "First and foremost, I believe an auditor should be honest and have great integrity. Without this, it would be impossible for the person to perform the role effectively. Next, the auditor should have the education and technical skills to perform the job. They should have exceptional people skills as they will be required to communicate effectively with colleagues, clients and other parties. They should have an inquisitive mind and a keen attention to detail. Finally, an auditor in a management position should have excellent communication skills."52. As an audit manager, what steps would you take to ensure audit fieldwork runs smoothly? Auditors have a limited amount of time in the field and time must be utilized effectively. An Audit Manager is responsible for planning the audit and making sure the audit runs smoothly during fieldwork. Example #1: "As an Audit Manager, I understand that I will be heavily involved in the audit planning process before we perform fieldwork for the client. I would use the planning documents as my field guide to ensure that the fieldwork is running as planned. I would check in with the Audit Partner daily or even more frequently, if issues were to arise. I would also manage the staff auditors to make sure they were using time efficiently."53. Imagine a staff auditor is making mistakes during audit fieldwork. How would you handle the situation? Part of an Audit Manager's responsibility is making sure staff auditors are working efficiently and effectively. Describe the steps you would take to ensure that the mistakes being made by the staff auditor are corrected. Example #1: "As Audit Manager, it is my responsibility to make sure that all staff are performing their duties effectively. If a staff auditor is making mistakes, my first course of action would be to sit with them and discuss the situation. It could be as simple as they misunderstood the assignment. I feel a responsibility to share my knowledge with others. If the problem persists, I would discuss the issue with the Audit Partner and in extreme cases, discuss reassignment to other duties."54. How do you feel past experience has prepared you for the Audit Manager role? Be sure to highlight the different areas you were exposed to as a Staff/Senior Auditor. To not sound like a 'know it all', make sure to acknowledge that even in a manager role, there is still plenty to learn once you have been hired. Example #1: "I have been in a Senior Auditor role for the last two years, and I have been fortunate to have been exposed to a variety of different roles and responsibilities. Since I work at a boutique accounting firm, I was able to be involved in all aspects of the audit, including planning, internal controls assessments, tax returns, and analytical procedures to name a few. Additionally, even though my role was not technically manager level, I still took pride in taking younger staff under my wing. I believe that this experience sets me up nicely for the next step in my career. Of course, I also realize there is much more to learn as I grow."55. As external auditors, how can we rely on the work of internal auditors? As part of their responsibilities, internal auditors document policies and procedures. In some cases, external audit firms can rely on the work of the internal audit team in conducting the financial statement audit. Example #1: "Audit rules require auditors to obtain an understanding of a client's internal controls. As part of their responsibilities, an internal audit team often documents and assesses internal controls for their organization. In some cases, the external auditors can leverage this work in completion of their financial statement audit. In other words, they don't need to duplicate the work of the internal audit team. However, as external auditors we will often need to do our own transaction testing and therefore cannot rely on the internal audit team's work."56. How would you deliver excellent customer service to clients in your role as Audit Manager? Being able to interact and communicate effectively with clients is a key skill for an auditor at any level, and also shows that the candidate possesses the ability to grow into larger roles within the organization, such as director and partner. Setting a good example for more junior staff is a key responsibility of an audit manager. Example #1: "I believe that being able to communicate with our clients effectively will be key from day one. Whenever I communicate with anyone, I make sure that I am responsive. If I can't give someone the information they are seeking right away, I make sure to let them know the anticipated timing. If there are unexpected delays, I provide updates. I would also make sure I review any documents or emails I send to other departments in order to build trust in my abilities. I would act professionally while out in the field at our clients' places of business. Finally, it is important for me to set a good example for junior staff members."57. Explain how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act changed the auditing profession. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is major legislation passed in 2002 that substantially changed the accounting and auditing professions. It was enacted in response to major fraud scandals such as Enron and WorldCom. The interviewee should know the Act in detail, as it is a key driver of the profession, but a summary here will suffice. Example #1: "The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed into legislation in 2002 in response to fraud scandals like Enron. The goal of SOX was to protect investors and employees from fraudulent reporting. As a result, there is a greater onus on auditors to provide assurance that financial statements are free of material misstatement. For example, auditors are now required to test a company's internal controls and report on their effectiveness. Additionally, there are stricter requirements for financial statement disclosures."58. What would you do if during an audit you found an accounting practice that was suspicious? This is an opportunity to highlight your integrity and honesty. The high-level answer should be obvious - that the concern must be addressed immediately. Example #1: "If I was working on an audit and discovered a practice that I found questionable, I would immediately voice my concern to the Audit Partner. It's possible that I could be misinterpreting the situation. If not, the partner would provide good counsel on next steps to resolve the situation. The most important thing is to be honest and ethical - two character traits that I am proud to say I possess."59. Are you open to travel with this position? The topic of travel will almost certainly come up during your interview. Many large firms send their auditors out in the field for a good portion of the year. Even smaller boutique firms require several overnight trips a year. Given this, be prepared to articulate how much travel you are comfortable with (for example, 25%, 50%, etc). Most job descriptions will include the expected amount of travel. The interviewer is gauging whether you are a candidate that is willing and able to meet the travel requirement, so try to align your answer with the expectation of the role. Example #1: "I am definitely open to travel. I saw on the job description that travel is estimated to be 25%-50%, which I am comfortable with. Since I am still growing in the profession, I think traveling would be a fantastic opportunity for me to immerse myself in the role and learn as much as I can about our clients and their operations."60. Why do you want to work at ABC Public Accountants? This question is an opportunity to show you have done your research on the firm. Be sure to mention some of the firm's biggest clients, as well as some of the industries they specialize in. Example #1: " I believe continuing my career at ABC Public Accountants would be a very rewarding experience. First, the firm specializes in industries that I find interesting, such as aerospace and technology. It would be a very exciting opportunity to work with clients such as XYZ Aeronautics and American Technologies. Secondly, I have heard about ABC's amazing culture and how they promote continuing education and mold leaders. Alumni from my school have talked about ABC's Leaders of Tomorrow mentorship program, which sets the firm apart from others. For these reasons, the open Audit Manager role at ABC is very appealing to me."61. What is your experience with interacting with senior executives at various organizations? An Audit Manager will be expected to interact with senior leadership of the firm's clients. Many times, the manager will be the highest ranking firm representative in the field. Highlight that you not only have experience presenting in front of leadership, but also that you are comfortable doing it. Be specific with what you presented. Example #1: "I have ample experience getting in front of leadership and presenting. In my previous role as senior auditor, I would meet with Controllers, CFOs, and other client leadership while completing walk-through documentation and to discuss issues. I always felt the need to prepare in advance for any questions that might arise, and would promptly follow-up on anything that developed during those meetings. Even though these were low-risk conversations, the interactions gave me confidence at an early stage in my career."62. How would you handle working in an increasingly remote environment? This is a question to gauge if you are disciplined enough to work from home. Be sure to touch on how you would stay focused and communicate with team members. Even after things return to normal, remote work may continue to be more common across many industries, including auditing. Being able to effectively manage your projects with little supervision sets you up to be promoted to management roles in the future. Example #1: "I have experience working remotely. In my previous role as senior auditor, we were able to work from home on Fridays in the summer. I enjoyed working from home, and was able to stay on task and communicate effectively with my team members. There were some ground rules I implemented, such as maintaining regular hours, keeping my morning routine as if I was going to the office, and scheduling breaks to take care of non-work related tasks. I also had a standing meeting with my manager and team members every morning to discuss priorities for the day. Working remotely would not impact my productivity or the timeliness in which I correspond with colleagues."63. What is the purpose of audit documentation? This is a technical question, asked to see if you are able to articulate the information that is gathered in the field to support the audit. According to auditing standards (pronouncement AU-C Section 230), the two primary purposes of audit documentation are 1) to provide evidence to support the auditor's conclusion and 2) to provide evidence that the audit was planned and performed appropriately. Example #1: "There are a couple important purposes of audit documentation. First, the documentation needs to support the conclusion the auditor reached in the audit report. Secondly, the documentation serves as evidence that the audit was planned and performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards."64. How would you describe your management style? The interviewer is checking to see if you are an effective leader and are a good fit for their company culture. A good way to kick off your answer is to describe what you believe makes a strong manager. Then note that you have those qualities. Example #1: "There are some key qualities that I believe make a strong manager. First, I believe a manager should give clear directions and then let their staff take those directions and run with them. I then make myself available to answer questions and offer guidance. Additionally, I believe a manager should be flexible, understanding that each employee has different needs and working styles. I try to make these qualities part of my management style."65. How do you keep up with the latest developments in auditing standards? This question is asked to determine if you take the initiative to stay current on the latest accounting developments. If you are a CPA, talk about how you use mandatory continuing education requirements to stay up to date on the latest trends and regulations. Example #1: "I stay up to date in various ways. First, I subscribe to e-newsletters from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for auditing standards updates and the Financial Accounting Standards Board for updates to generally accepted accounting principles. Additionally, since I am a CPA, I stay up to date on new standards for continuing education courses. I try to select courses that align nicely with the roles and responsibilities of my current position."66. What is the difference between fraud and error? This is a technical topic covered in the auditing standards under AU-C Section 240. The key difference between fraud and error is that the former is intentional and the latter is unintentional. There are two main types of fraud that an internal auditor should be concerned with: fraudulent reporting and misappropriation of assets (ie theft). Example #1: "The main difference between fraud and error is that fraud is intentional and errors are unintentional. As auditors, we are primarily concerned with financial misstatements that are caused by fraudulent financial reporting and misstatements that are caused by theft and other misappropriation of assets."67. How do you mitigate and manage stress? The life of an auditor can be stressful with a lot of travel and deadlines. The interviewer wants to gain insight into how you react to stressful situations. Example #1: "Due to tight deadlines, travel and other demands of the senior auditor role, stress is inevitable. However, there are steps I take to help mitigate stress. First, I try to be as organized as possible. I am constantly prioritizing my workload to make sure time-sensitive tasks are handled before they are due. Next, I try to leave work at work. When not at work, I enjoy exercising, reading, and traveling. Being able to enjoy these activities makes me feel calmer and rejuvenated while at work."68. In an audit, who is primarily responsible for the prevention and detection of fraud? According to auditing pronouncement AU-C Section 240, a company's management is primarily responsible for detecting fraud and preventing it in the first place, by having effective internal controls. An auditor must conduct an audit in accordance with GAAS (generally accepted auditing standards). However, given the limitations of an audit, there is an inherent risk that not all material misstatements will be detected. Example #1: "Ultimately, it is a company's management that is responsible for preventing and detecting fraud within their organization. They can achieve this by implementing effective internal controls and committing to a culture of honest and ethical behavior. As auditors, there is a chance we would catch fraud and misstatements during our audit. However, there is an inherent risk that an audit won't catch all material misstatements and fraud."69. What is the auditor’s responsibility when planning an audit? Auditing standard AU-C Section 300 Planning an Audit covers what the auditor's responsibility is during the planning phase of the audit. The engagement partner and other key members of the audit team should be involved. As a staff auditor, you will be heavily involved in the planning process, so it's important to brush up on the requirements detailed in the standard. Example #1: "During the planning phase of an audit, the engagement partner and other key engagement team members should establish an understanding of the terms of the engagement, assess the continuance of the client relationship, and develop an overall audit strategy that sets the scope, timing, and direction of the audit."70. What areas of public accounting or industries are you most interested in? In large firms, there may be different divisions that focus on various areas of public accounting (auditing, taxation, etc). If the job description identifies which areas the role is focused, make sure you mention those areas in your answer. Example #1: "I was excited to come across this role, because I am very interested in corporate taxation. I am also interested in technology, and I know this firm specializes in the technology industry. I have a strong desire to learn more about other areas of public accounting and different industries, so employment in a large firm such as XYZ Public Accountants is very appealing to me."71. How do you manage your manager? In other words, what steps do you take to make sure you get what you need from your boss and make both your lives easier? Also known as 'managing up', 'managing your manager' is a soft skill that can be developed over time. It essentially means doing whatever is necessary to make your manager's job easier. Some clear-cut benefits of managing up include increased productivity and better working relationships between boss and employee. Example #1: "I am a firm believer in the benefits of managing my manager. At the end of the day, I want to make the internal audit engagements we work on together run as smoothly as possible. One area I really focus on is communicating and prioritizing workload on a regular basis. This ensures that I'm always working on the highest-priority items. Another thing that is crucial is understanding my manager's style. For example, maybe they prefer regular check-ins by email throughout the day or scheduled catch-up meetings, etc. Then, I tailor my communication to their style."72. In your opinion, why is it important for organizations to have effective internal controls? Internal controls are rules, regulations, and safeguards that an organization puts in place to ensure integrity of financial information and to prevent fraud. There are several benefits to having robust and effective internal controls, including preventing fraud/theft, improving accuracy of financial reporting, and complying with laws and regulations. Example #1: "Internal controls are vital for organizations of all sizes. First and foremost, internal controls are necessary to be in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. Additionally, strong internal controls are necessary to prevent fraud and theft by employees. Finally, strong and effective internal controls result in improved timeliness and accuracy of financial reporting, which makes for smoother audits."73. What are analytical procedures and what are some examples? Analytical procedures are techniques and methods that auditors use to obtain audit evidence, which allows them to express an audit opinion. The five main types of analytical procedures are analytical review, inquiry, observation, inspection, and recalculation. Example #1: "Analytical procedures are the techniques and procedures we use as evidence to express our audit opinion on the client's financial statements. Some common procedures include analytical review, inquiry, observation, inspection, and recalculation."74. Why do you want to be an internal auditor? This question is a way for the interviewer to find out a little bit about what makes you tick. Be honest and direct - don't give a phony answer that the interviewer will see through. Try to tie the roles and responsibilities of an internal auditor to your background. Example #1: "Since I was young, I have always liked math and have been good with numbers. I took an accounting class in high school and really enjoyed it - the concepts came naturally to me. As I researched careers in accounting, auditing really appealed to me because it is almost like being an accounting 'detective'. Furthermore, I would enjoy working for one company as opposed to multiple clients. Given this, I think working as an internal auditor will be a great way to apply my skill set in math and accounting to an exciting career."75. What qualities or skills do you believe a good internal auditor should possess? This question is a good opportunity to show you have an understanding of what qualities make a good auditor generally, and a good internal auditor specifically. Some key areas to hit are ethics (honesty/integrity), ability to interact with others in the organization (communication skills, people person), ability to limit mistakes (focused/attention to detail) and ability to get to the correct answer (skeptical/inquisitive/problem solver). Example #1: "First and foremost, I believe an internal auditor should be honest and have great integrity. Without this, it will be impossible for the person to perform the role effectively. Next, the auditor should have the education and technical skills to perform the job. They should have exceptional people skills as they will be required to communicate effectively with colleagues, external auditors and other parties. Finally, they should have an inquisitive mind and a keen attention to detail."76. Where do you see yourself in five years? This question is a good opportunity to highlight that you want to continue growing professionally and help the organization grow. This question is not a good opportunity to say you want the interviewer's role. The interviewer is trying to see that you have goals for your career. Example #1: "If I am fortunate enough to be hired for this role, my goal in the near term is to learn as much as possible about our organization. An internal auditor has a unique opportunity to learn about the policies and procedures of many departments, and that is insight that I will not take for granted. I would also like to be viewed as a leader in the organization by my colleagues. As long as I am growing professionally and acquiring new knowledge and skills, I believe I would be very happy."77. Why do companies require audits? This question tests your understanding of the audit process beyond just the technical aspects one would learn through college coursework. Being able to answer this question shows you have a firm understanding of one of the basics of the profession. Example #1: "Audits can be required for a variety of reasons. Most commonly, lenders and investors demand audits to ensure that an organization's accounting and financial reporting is free of material misstatement or errors. Some organizations, such as not-for-profits, may be required to have an audit performed by a regulatory body or grant stipulation. In some cases, an organization may choose to have an independent audit performed as good practice."78. What are the differences between an audit, a review and a compilation? Audits, reviews and compilations are the three main types of engagements an auditor will perform. Being able to articulate the differences between these services is essential. Conversely, not being able to state the differences could be a disqualifier from the role you are interviewing for. Example #1: "The main differences between the three types of engagements are the scope of services performed and the level of assurance provided. A compilation is simply financial statement preparation by the auditor based on representations from management. In a compilation, the auditor is not required to provide any assurance that the financial statements are accurate and free from errors/fraud. A review is more involved, and requires the auditor to perform analytical procedures and inquiries of management to ascertain that information contained in the financial statements is correct. In a review, the auditor provides limited assurance that the financial statements do not require any material modifications. In an audit, the auditor provides assurance that the financial statements are free of material misstatement or errors. This requires the auditor to expand the scope of the engagement to test ending balances, perform tests of internal controls, acquire third party confirmations and physically confirm assets, among other procedures."79. How do you feel your education has prepared you for the internal auditor role? Be sure to highlight all of the different subjects within accounting you have studied to show you have a well-rounded education. To not sound like a 'know it all', make sure to acknowledge that there is still plenty to learn once you have been hired. Example #1: " I have been fortunate enough to study various accounting subjects at a great business school, including auditing, financial accounting and taxation. In addition to book learning, the accounting curriculum also allowed us to interact with accounting and auditing professionals on a regular basis, as well as obtain on-the-job immersive experience as part of a robust co-op program. The knowledge and experience obtained from this coursework provided me with a solid foundation for my future career. Of course, there will always be more to learn as I grow in the profession."80. How do external auditors rely on the work of internal auditors? As part of their responsibilities, internal auditors document policies and procedures. In some cases, external audit firms can rely on the work of the internal audit team in conducting the financial statement audit. Example #1: "An internal audit team often documents and assesses internal controls for their organization. In some cases, the external auditors can leverage this work in completion of their financial statement audit. In other words, they don't need to duplicate the work of the internal audit team. However, an external audit firm will often need to do their own transaction testing and therefore cannot rely on the internal audit team's work."81. How would you deliver excellent customer service to colleagues within the organization? Being able to interact and communicate effectively with colleagues is a key skill for an internal auditor, and also shows that the candidate possesses the ability to grow into larger roles within the organization such as manager and director. Even new internal auditors will need to email and call colleagues at all levels within the organization, so be sure to mention that you have attention to detail and are responsive. Example #1: "I believe that being able to communicate with our colleagues effectively will be key from day one. Whenever I communicate with anyone, I make sure that I am responsive. If I can't give someone the information they are seeking right away, I make sure to let them know the anticipated timing. If there are unexpected delays, I provide updates. I would also make sure I review any documents or emails I send to other departments in order to build trust in my abilities. Finally, I would act professionally while out in the field at our company's various locations."82. Explain how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act changed the auditing profession. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is major legislation passed in 2002 that substantially changed the accounting and auditing professions. It was enacted in response to major fraud scandals such as Enron and WorldCom. The interviewee should know the Act in detail as it is a key driver of the profession, but a summary here will suffice. Example #1: "The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed into legislation in 2002 in response to fraud scandals like Enron. The goal of SOX was to protect investors and employees from fraudulent reporting. As a result, there is a greater onus on auditors to provide assurance that financial statements are free of material misstatement. For example, auditors are now required to test a company's internal controls and report on their effectiveness. Additionally, there are stricter requirements for financial statement disclosures."83. What would you do if during an audit you found an accounting practice that was suspicious? This is an opportunity to highlight your integrity and honesty. The high-level answer should be obvious - that the concern must be addressed immediately. Example #1: "If I was working on an audit and discovered a practice that I found questionable, I would immediately voice my concern to my manager. As a more junior internal auditor, perhaps I was misinterpreting the situation. If not, my manager would provide good counsel on next steps to resolve the situation. The most important thing is to be honest and ethical - two character traits that I am proud to say I possess."84. Are you open to travel with this position? The topic of travel will almost certainly come up during your interview. Many large companies have a centralized internal audit function, where the internal audit team travels to various locations to perform their duties. Given this, be prepared to articulate how much travel you are comfortable with (for example, 25%, 50%, etc). Most job descriptions will include the expected amount of travel. The interviewer is gauging whether you are a candidate that is willing and able to meet the travel requirement, so try to align your answer with the expectation of the role. Example #1: "I am definitely open to travel. I saw on the job description that travel is estimated to be 25%-50%, which I am comfortable with. Since I am still growing in the profession, I think traveling would be a fantastic opportunity for me to immerse myself in the role and learn as much as possible from my colleagues."85. What is the purpose of the internal audit function? This question is an opportunity to show what you know about the profession of internal auditing. In addition to mentioning the purpose of internal audit, also mention some key responsibilities. Example #1: "Internal Audit teams exist to offer risk management to an organization by catching errors, flaws and fraud before an external audit is conducted. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act amplified the need for internal audit functions by requiring management of a company to certify in writing that the financial statements are accurately presented. Internal audit teams help give management confidence in the financials by evaluating the effectiveness of internal controls, corporate governance and accounting processes."86. What is your experience with presenting to senior executives? An internal auditor will at times be expected to present to senior leadership. Highlight that you not only have experience presenting in front of leadership, but also that you are comfortable doing it. Be specific with what you presented. Example #1: "I have ample experience getting in front of leadership and presenting. In my previous role as senior accountant, I would present to the CEO, CFO and other senior leaders during our monthly Finance Review meetings. I always felt the need to prepare in advance for any questions that might arise, and would often circle back promptly on follow-ups that developed during those meetings."87. How would you handle working in an increasingly remote environment? This is a question to gauge if you are disciplined enough to work from home. Be sure to touch on how you would stay focused and communicate with team members. Even after things return to normal, remote work may continue to be more common across many industries including auditing. Example #1: "I have experience working remotely. At my internship, we were able to work from home on Fridays since it was summer. I enjoyed working from home, and was able to stay on task and communicate effectively with my team members. There were some ground rules I implemented, such as maintaining regular hours, keeping my morning routine as if I was going to the office, and scheduling breaks to take care of non-work related tasks. I also had a standing meeting with my manager and team members every morning to discuss priorities for the day. Working remotely would not impact my productivity or the timeliness with which I correspond with colleagues."88. What is the purpose of audit documentation? This is a technical question to see if you are able to articulate the information that is gathered in the field to support the audit. According to auditing standards (pronouncement AU-C Section 230), the two primary purposes of audit documentation are 1) to provide evidence to support the auditor's conclusion and 2) to provide evidence that the audit was planned and performed appropriately. Example #1: "There are a couple of important purposes of audit documentation. First, the documentation needs to support the conclusion that the auditor reached in the audit report. Secondly, the documentation serves as evidence that the audit was planned and performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards."89. Have you sat for the CPA exam or are you planning to sit for the CPA exam? Obtaining a CPA license is a major step an auditor (both internal and external) can take to show they are committed to growing in the accounting profession. These days, many students are able to sit for the CPA exam before they graduate. Additionally, many internal auditors have already spent enough time in public accounting to satisfy the hours worked requirement. Example #1: "Becoming a CPA is a major goal for me in my career, as it will help me grow in the accounting and auditing profession. By starting my career in public accounting, I have already satisfied the hours-worked requirement for obtaining a CPA license. Additionally, I have already sat for and passed two parts of the exam. My goal is to sit for and pass the remaining two parts of the exam within the next twelve months."90. How do you keep up with the latest developments in auditing standards? This question is to see if you take the initiative to stay current on the latest accounting developments. If you are a CPA, talk about how you use mandatory continuing education requirements to stay up to date on the latest trends and regulations. Example #1: "I stay up to date in various ways. First, in school we learned the latest and greatest pronouncements and standards. I also subscribe to e-newsletters from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for auditing standards updates and the Financial Accounting Standards Board for updates to generally accepted accounting principles. Additionally, since I am a CPA, I stay up to date with new standards with continuing education courses."91. What is the difference between fraud and error? This is a technical topic covered in the auditing standards under AU-C Section 240. The key difference between fraud and error is that the former is intentional and the latter is unintentional. There are two main types of fraud that an internal auditor should be concerned with: fraudulent reporting and misappropriation of assets (ie theft). Example #1: "The main difference between fraud and error is that fraud is intentional and errors are unintentional. As internal auditors, we are primarily concerned with financial misstatements that are caused by fraudulent financial reporting and misstatements that are caused by theft and other misappropriation of assets."92. How do you mitigate and manage stress? The life of an internal auditor can be stressful, with a lot of travel and deadlines The interviewer wants to gain insight into how you react to stressful situations. Example #1: "Due to tight deadlines, travel and other demands of the internal auditor role, stress is inevitable. However, there are steps I take to help mitigate stress. First, I try to be as organized as possible. I am constantly prioritizing my workload to make sure time-sensitive tasks are handled before they are due. Next, I try to leave work at work. When not at work, I enjoy hiking, cooking and traveling. Being able to enjoy these activities makes me feel calmer and rejuvenated at work."93. In an audit, who is primarily responsible for the prevention and detection of fraud? According to auditing pronouncement AU-C Section 240, a company's management is primarily responsible for detecting fraud and preventing it in the first place by having effective internal controls. An auditor must conduct an audit in accordance with GAAS (generally accepted auditing standards). However, given the limitations of an audit, there is an inherent risk that not all material misstatements will be detected. Given this, an internal auditor's role is integral in giving management confidence in both the financial statements and internal controls. Example #1: "Ultimately, it is a company's management that is responsible for preventing and detecting fraud within their organization. They can achieve this by implementing effective internal controls and committing to a culture of honesty and ethical behavior. As internal auditors, our jobs are extremely important as by carrying out our responsibilities, we are giving management confidence in both the financial statements and the company's internal controls."94. What are some ways that internal audit interacts with external auditors? Auditing standard AU-C Section 322 The Auditor's Consideration of the Internal Audit Function covers what the external auditor's ability to rely on the work of internal auditors. According to the standard, the two parties (internal and external auditors) can: hold periodic meetings, schedule audit work, provide access to the internal auditors' working papers, reviewing audit reports, and discussing possible accounting and auditing issues. Example #1: "As an internal auditor, I would interact with the company's external auditors in several ways. First, we would work together to schedule audit work and hold several planning and review meetings. I would also provide access to our working papers and other files as needed. Additionally, we would discuss any accounting issues discovered during the audit."95. What are some of the ways that you can show professionalism when out on an internal audit assignment? In public accounting (as well as many other service-based professions), showing professionalism while interacting with clients is essential. For an internal auditor, colleagues in other divisions should be considered their 'clients'. The interviewer is gauging how much awareness the candidate has. Example #1: "It is extremely important to display professionalism when we are out in the field conducting internal audit procedures at the company's various locations. First and foremost, I know that I must look the part by adhering to the appropriate dress code. For some assignments, a suit is appropriate. For others, business casual attire. Secondly, I know I must act professionally. This means speaking respectfully to all personnel, whether it is the company's CFO or a personal assistant. I shouldn't take personal phone calls or play music loudly. As a general rule, I shouldn't do or say anything that would harm our team's reputation."96. How do you manage your manager? In other words, what steps do you take to make sure you get what you need from your boss and make both your lives easier? Also known as 'managing up', 'managing your manager' is a soft skill that can be developed over time. It essentially means doing whatever is necessary to make your manager's job easier. Some clear-cut benefits of managing up include increased productivity and better working relationships between boss and employee. Example #1: "I am a firm believer in the benefits of managing my manager. At the end of the day, I want to make the internal audit engagements we work on together run as smoothly as possible. One area where I really focus on is communicating and prioritizing workload on a regular basis. This ensures that I'm always working on the highest-priority items. Another thing that is crucial is understanding my manager's style. For example, do they like regular check-ins by email throughout the day, scheduled catch-up meetings, etc. Then I tailor my communication to their style."97. In your opinion, why is it important for organizations to have effective internal controls? Internal controls are rules, regulations and safeguards that an organization puts in place to ensure integrity of financial information and to prevent fraud. There are several benefits to having robust and effective internal controls, including preventing fraud/theft, improving accuracy of financial reporting, and complying with laws and regulations. Example #1: "Internal controls are vital for organizations of all sizes. First and foremost, internal controls are necessary to be in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. Additionally, strong internal controls are necessary to prevent fraud and theft by employees. Finally, strong and effective internal controls result in improved timeliness and accuracy of financial reporting, which makes for smoother audits."98. Describe your experience using ERP and general ledger software systems An internal auditor will need to be able to navigate ERP and general ledger software systems. Speak specifically to the ERP and other accounting systems you have used and some of the functions you performed. Many job descriptions specifically state which accounting software the company uses. In any event, make sure to highlight that you are quick to learn new software systems. Example #1: " In my last role, I used SAP to pull down transaction-level data to perform analytical procedures. In previous accounting roles, I used Hyperion to book journal entries and run queries. Since I have an underlying understanding of accounting, I am easily able to learn new software packages and I welcome that challenge."99. How will you add value to our company? Assure the hiring manager that you will immediately add value to their organization. Speak briefly of your plan to make a difference right away. Example #1: "If I am successful in obtaining this position, I plan on making a difference immediately. My strong level of education as well as my managerial experience will add value to this position. I also have a very strong work ethic which you will notice immediately." Here is an anonymous answer example: "if i am successful in obtaining this position, i tend to make the difference immediately. i believe my strong level of education, as well as my managerial experience, will add value to the company. i also have a strong work ethic which you will realize immediately." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Your skills and qualities are good to mention; however, they are framed in a very general way. The interviewer would like to hear specifics. Make sure you stand out from other candidates! In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "I plan to add value to your company by doing (A) and (B) in the first 90 days. My education in financial audits, as well as my experience in managing a team of 5 junior auditors, will be valuable to your company. My work ethic is solid, I never miss a deadline, and I am available to coach new trainees to work in the same manner." Here is an anonymous answer example: "i plan to add value to your company by completing the required training and risk management activities on time and learn the ia function's methodology and apply them in the first 90 days. my qualifications and years of experience both in external and internal audit environment will be valuable to your company. i am trained to work under pressure, and i have strong management and planning skills." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Very specific and helpful. You do an excellent job highlighting how your skills will benefit the company, should they choose to hire you.100. Why do you enjoy auditing? How you answer this question could help the hiring manager to determine where you best fit within their organization. Example #1: "I enjoy auditing as a whole, however; the main reason that I enjoy auditing is because it's the perfect job for an analytical, organized person such as myself. I love knowing that I can make an impact on a company financially and organizationally." Here is an anonymous answer example: "while i enjoy auditing as a whole, i enjoy internal auditing mostly because i love knowing that i can make a difference within an organization. i enjoy knowing i have helped a particular organization to maintain compliance with laws and regulations. i have helped it to mitigate both financial and operational risks and also helped it to improve its internal controls." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Rather than burying the lead, give your reasoning right upfront. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "I enjoy auditing because I am fulfilled by helping organizations maintain compliance with laws and regulations. I like helping companies mitigate both financial and operational risks while improving its internal controls." Here is an anonymous answer example: "i enjoy internal auditing because it provides a broad perspective to an organization where i get to know the real purpose and function of the entity. internal auditing offers a variety in daily tasks, builds a relationship with a large network of people, adds value to the business by providing the third line of defense towards an effective control environment, governance, and risk management." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Nicely said! It seems you have a genuine desire to make a difference through your auditing knowledge.101. Tell me about an inefficiency you detected during an audit. Talk to the hiring manager about how you came across the inefficiency and how it impacted the company you were working for at the time. Example #1: "During my most recent operational audit I found that there was a great deal of improper duplication of responsibilities in job descriptions and cumbersome processes with very time-consuming steps. I made a recommendation to streamline these descriptions." Here is an anonymous answer example: "in my recent audit assignment, i discovered that the client was using manual accounting. i recommended to management that they purchase an accounting scanner which helps eliminate manual capturing of transactions through scanning of invoices and receipts. they could integrate it with the accounting software for allocation of transactions hence streamlining the accounting process." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: This is a very good example of a process improvement you recognized. Did the client take your recommendations? What was the outcome? In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "During my most recent audit assignment, I discovered that the client was leaning on manual accounting methods. My recommendation was to purchase an accounting scanner which would eliminate manual capturing of transactions through invoice and receipts scanning. This approach would allow for easy integration into the company's accounting software. The client agreed and made the change. So far, they are pleased with how my recommendation has helped them streamline their accounting process."102. Tell me about your most significant career accomplishment. The hiring manager is able to learn more about your personality through this question. You can make the answer a bit personal. Example #1: "My most significant career accomplishment comes from the position I am currently in. The company promoted to me to a management level position after just 3 months. The promotion was in response to my strong work ethic and level of reliability. I was very proud of that accomplishment." Here is an anonymous answer example: "my most significant career accomplishment was when i obtained my chartered accountant qualification and gained membership in the association of certified chartered accountants. i am also looking to obtain a certified internal auditor qualification since they just approved my application." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Good response. I have cleaned it up a bit in regards to grammar. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "My most significant career accomplishments include obtaining my Chartered Accountant qualification as well as my membership with the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants. My next accomplishment will be obtaining certification as an Internal Auditor. This application was recently approved."103. Have you ever discovered fraud in an audit? Tell the hiring manager about a time that you discovered fraud in an audit. Talk about your course of action and what the result was. Example #1: "In 2014 I discovered bank transfer fraud during an internal financial audit. I immediately followed our internal protocol set for situations such as this. The employee was found and charged with fraud. I was very satisfied with my work on that audit."104. In your current position, how are inspection reports posted and communicated? Do you agree with the process? Talk to the hiring manager about the process for posting and communicating reports in your current position. Whether you agree or disagree, keep your answer positive and brief. Example #1: "I am very happy with how inspection reports are posted and communicated, in my current company. We have had a couple of kinks but all-in-all, very minor." Example #2: "I have some challenges with the way my current company posts and communicates inspection reports. I have recently presented some suggested changes and they are being reviewed right now."105. Why do you feel you are a good fit for our company? What makes you the best fit for this organization? Talk to the hiring manager about the areas that are the best fit for you, and how that will benefit them should they choose to hire you. Example #1: "When I initially read your job posting, I knew that this role was a perfect fit for me. Your company vision and mission are exactly what I personally aim to achieve in my career as well. If you were to offer me a position, I would make a positive impact immediately because I have a strong understanding of your company's goals." Here is an anonymous answer example: "i believe i am the best fit for this company because i have vast experience in auditing which focuses on adding value to the company, protecting its image and safeguarding its assets. i also feel i am a good fit because i have experience in managing others as shown in my current position. therefore, i will ensure that i am properly managing the internal audit function in accordance with iia standards" In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: The ideas here are good; however, rewording it a bit will help the interviewer to better follow along. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "I feel I am a good fit for your company because I take the initiative to add value to a company while protecting its image and safeguarding its assets. I have experience managing other team members and would ensure the proper management of each internal audit function following IIA standards." Here is an anonymous answer example: "i feel i am a good fit for this role and your company because i continuously look for challenging assignments, i have the self-motivation to learn continually, and i aim for delivering to the highest quality and efficient ways. i believe my values follow what zurich aim for their customers - that is customer-centric and continuously innovating to improve customer journey and service. i have the relevant years of audit experience in the insurance industry and a mix of financial services. i am a qualified accountant and will soon receive my full qualification as a certified internal auditor." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Good job, bringing in the values of the company and how they align well with your own. You sound very confident in your abilities. Here is an anonymous answer example: "i feel i am a good fit for this role and your company because i continuously look for challenging assignments, i have the self-motivation to learn continually, and i aim for delivering to the highest quality and efficient ways. i believe my values follow what zurich aim for their customers - that is customer-centric and continuously innovating to improve customer journey and service. i have the relevant years of audit experience in the insurance industry and a mix of financial services. i am a qualified accountant and will soon receive my full qualification as a certified internal auditor." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Good job, bringing in the values of the company and how they align well with your own. You sound very confident in your abilities.106. What improvements would you make as the audit manager, if you were awarded this position? When hired, the company would like to know that there are measurable results right away. Assure the hiring manager that you have already thought about a variety of ways that you will make an impact on their organization,should you be the successful candidate. Example #1: "If I am the successful candidate, I would begin by streamlining the audit process. In our first interview together you mentioned that you have troubles with a few under-performers. I would address that immediately through setting team and personal targets and creating a very thorough performance review with everyone on my team." Here is an anonymous answer example: "when i get this position, i am going to make sure that the internal audit department is fully equipped and staffing is correct. i am going to make sure that the organization achieves and maintains compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and it improves its internal control environment, ensuring the reliability of financial information" In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Your response is good but do make sure that this is an actual pain point of the organization before saying you will improve factors such as staffing and organization. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "If awarded this position, I would first ensure that the internal audit department was equipped with well-trained staff. I would ensure everything was in place for legal and regulatory compliance while looking at improving any necessary internal controls." Here is an anonymous answer example: "when i get this position, i will actively participate in the learning and development of members of staff. i will contribute to the preparation of training materials and help facilitate some of the training." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Very nice response! You offer some excellent detail, which shows that you are already picturing yourself succeeding in this role.107. Tell me about what areas you audited in your last job. Bring your last experience to life for the hiring manager, talking about your areas of focus. Example #1: "In my most recent position, I was responsible for overseeing operational and compliance audits. In the role before this one, I managed all financial audits. As you can see from my resume, I have experience in all types of audits." Here is an anonymous answer example: "in my most recent assignment, i carried internal controls tests surrounding procurement and payroll as they are the most significant and prone to fraud areas." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: To the point and clear. Nice work. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "In my most recent assignment, I carried internal control tests surrounding procurement and payroll. These areas are most prone to fraud, which is why they were a significant portion of my work." Here is an anonymous answer example: "in my most recent audit assignment, i carried out an internal audit of the group's regulatory reporting framework. this is an area of focus by the regulators due to the importance of the information provided by the companies towards successful oversight by the regulators." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: To wrap up your response, perhaps try adding some information about the difference you made through this auditing work.108. How do you manage a healthy work/life balance? This question is intended for the hiring manager to get to know you on a personal level just a little bit better. You can keep the answer brief and be sure to remain positive. Example #1: "I manage a healthy work/life balance by making the best of the time I have at work, and at home. I am organized which helps me greatly when it comes to time saving. I do tend to work a bit too late at times but I am always sure to avoid burnout by incorporating sleep, healthy eating and exercise into my daily plan." Here is an anonymous answer example: "when i am not at work, i ensure that i spend quality time with my husband and my son. i also go out often with friends to unwind after a long week of work. i also visit my parents on weekends." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Your response may be more on the personal side than the interviewer is looking for. Try explaining how you ensure that you remain emotionally balanced at work. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "To maintain a healthy work-life balance, ensuring peak work performance, I build downtime into my schedule. I plan my week according to my responsibilities and make sure to give myself the family and friend time that recharges me, on the evenings and weekends."109. Why do you feel internal auditors have an important role in our company? Talk to the hiring manager about why you feel your job function is important to their company. Example #1: "As an internal auditor, I feel my job is incredibly important for the overall financial and operational standards of the company. When I perform operational, financial and compliance audits, the company can utilize my findings to effectively use their resources and ensure overall operational efficiency." Here is an anonymous answer example: "for any organization to achieve both its strategic and financial objectives, it is of great importance that it has an internal auditor to ensure thorough risk management and improved internal controls. the auditor should ensure that staff uses those effectively and efficiently throughout the period, adding value to the company." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: The response runs on a bit. Try cleaning it up to allow the interviewer to keep track of your answer. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "I feel internal auditors have an important role in your company as they help you to achieve business objectives, both financially and strategically. Internal auditors protect a company through risk management and improved internal controls." Here is an anonymous answer example: "a cornerstone of strong governance, the internal audit function bridges the gap between management and the board. this function assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, as well as the ethical climate of the organization. in addition, internal audit serves as an organization’s safety net for compliance with rules, regulations, and overall best business practices." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Very well said! You offer up excellent reasoning in your response.110. As a manager, what skills do you possess that help you excel at your job? As an internal audit manager, what skills do you feel are most important in order to be successful? Do you possess these skills? Demonstrate to the hiring manager that you are able to excel in this role. Example #1: "I feel that as an audit manager, the most important skills for me to possess are integrity, attention to detail and strong organization. With these three skills, I am able to successfully manage, lead, and be an effective employee." Here is an anonymous answer example: "i am professional in my work. i have a strong work ethic. i am always willing to go the extra mile. i am not afraid of challenges. i am able to work well under pressure. i also have good report writing skills." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: It's great that you mentioned your report writing skills. These are the specific examples that an interviewer would be looking for. Most candidates will say 'work ethic...extra mile...unafraid of challenges...work well under pressure.' These are all canned responses that will put you in the same category as the other candidates. What other skills do you have that are unique and memorable? In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "The top skills that help me as a manager include my ability to write excellent reports, as well as my emotional intelligence. I possess strong levels of self-awareness and social awareness which help me a great deal with it comes to leadership and relationship management." Here is an anonymous answer example: "the top skills that help me as a manager include my ability to build a strong relationship with members of the team and audit clients and my enthusiasm to coach and mentor junior members of the group. i am self-aware, and i know when to seek help and support. i am reliable and trustworthy." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Perfectly said. This is an excellent answer and very detailed for the interviewer.111. While attending post-secondary, what was your best and favorite subject? Explain to the hiring manager where you excelled the most in your post-secondary courses and why. Example #1: "During my post-secondary education my best grades were in macroeconomics and organizational behaviour. These subjects came naturally to me and I really enjoyed learning the concepts." Here is an anonymous answer example: "during my post-secondary, my favorite subject was accounting. i loved the idea of working with numbers analyzing financial information and auditing i love to help others improve." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Good answer! I have cleaned it up just a bit. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "Accounting was my favorite subject while attending post-secondary. I love working with numbers, analyzing financial information, and finding discrepancies. I believe this stems back to my desire to help companies improve their internal operations."112. If you had an under performing auditor, what would you say to him or her, to help boost their performance? Tell the hiring manager about a time that you have had to handle an under performing auditor. How did you feel about your method of managing this situation and would you do it the same way again? Example #1: "I have handled situations previously with under performing auditors. I follow a particular schedule when it comes to coaching, documenting, and then taking corrective behaviour if needed. I try to be an encourager first and will get to know why the auditor is struggling. I like to make a plan of action with the auditor so they are accountable for their own performance." Here is an anonymous answer example: "in my current job, i had an underperforming auditor. i asked why she was not performing well, but she had no reasons. she had a social media addiction which affected her performance. to help her boost her performance, i laid down rules and consequences of non-compliance with those rules regarding the use of the internet during work hours. her performance improved soon after that" In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: The fact that you used a real-life example is great! I have positioned the response to sound more positive. Terms such as "laid down...consequences...non-compliance...rules" are all very harsh when discussing human resource manners. This wording could give the interviewer an idea that your leadership style leans towards autocratic, which is rarely effective. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "In my current role, I had an underperforming auditor whose performance was directly related to her social media addiction. I approached her with my concern, and she agreed to discontinue using the internet for personal reasons, during work hours. Her performance improved soon after that."113. In your opinion, what qualities make a great leader? Talk about any leaders or mentors that you have had, and they similar qualities they had. How do you fit in as a leader? Do you emulate these qualities? Example #1: "I have had a few really great mentors and leaders in my life and they all have similar qualities. Patience, an analytical mind, and a strong set of personal morals and values. When these qualities are combined, it simply adds up to great leadership." Here is an anonymous answer example: "in my opinion, a great leader is the one who has empathy, a high level of integrity, and who is reliable and professional." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Great! I cleaned up the wording a grammar. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "A great leader is one who shows empathy and a high level of integrity. As a leader, it is also important to be reliable, and professional."114. What is your leadership style? Are you able to take on a leadership role over others who were once your peers? What type of feedback have you received on your leadership style in your most recent managerial roles? Tell the hiring manager what you feel is your greatest strength in leadership. Example #1: "I very naturally take on a leadership role in my work, and day-to-day life. I am able to lead by taking on the role of a caring coach and mentor." Here is an anonymous answer example: "i lead by example. if i want to be respected and treated well, i will certainly practice what i preach. i show respect and empathy to all members of the team. i love coaching junior members, and i am always willing to spend time coaching them." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: You sound like a dynamic and inspired leader. The interviewer should really appreciate the energy that you bring forward in your answer!115. What do you find most challenging when performing an internal audit? Talk to the hiring manager about your most challenging experience during an internal audit and what you do to push through that challenge to complete the audit successfully. Example #1: "The part of an internal audit that I find most challenging are the annual risk assessment audits. They are very detailed and take a great amount of concentration. Even though they are my biggest challenge as an auditor, they are my favorite. Enjoying my work makes it easy for me to stay focused."116. What do you enjoy most about being an auditor? Generally speaking, your favorite part of being an auditor will also be the part that you are most skilled in. Tell the hiring manager what you enjoy the most in your career. Example #1: "The part I enjoy most about being an auditor is my ability to make sound decisions based on fact, and compiled data. It can be very mathematical and is calculated. I also love that I can assist in streamlining a company's processes to increase their bottom line." Here is an anonymous answer example: "i enjoy making a positive impact on an organization by improving internal controls, increasing reliability on financial information, improving corporate governance, and mitigating risks affecting an organization's achievement of objectives." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Great response! Well done.117. How long have you been an auditor? What has prepared you for the manager role? Tell the hiring manager what has prepared you to take on a management role at this junction in your career. Example #1: "I have been an auditor for 3 years total and have completed all of the required education and certifications to qualify for a management role. I have proven leadership skills in my most recent role and am now ready to take those skills into a formal management type of position." Here is an anonymous answer example: "i have been an auditor for the past seven years. my achievement of the chartered accountancy qualification as well as my strong work ethic and reliability have prepared me for the manager role." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Perfect! Well organized response. Here is an anonymous answer example: "i have been an auditor for the past ten years. my qualifications, both in accounting and internal auditing, and my day-to-day tasks, managing and coordinating the team and the client, has prepared me for the manager role." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: This is good! To make your answer even stronger, try adding in some detail around the team you coordinate (job titles, how many people, etc.) All in all, some additional detail will help to paint a fuller picture for the interviewer.118. Have you ever had an employee act unprofessionally towards you? How did you react? An an internal audit manager you will be responsible for managing a variety of personality types. Tell the hiring manager how you handle that kind of task. Example #1: "In my current role it took me some time to gain the trust of some of the team members. They didn't want a new audit manager at first. One employee in particular was quite rude to me. I took him aside and confronted him on his behaviour, asking if I had personally done anything to offend him. By placing the 'blame' on myself, he realized that I wasn't all that bad and he quickly came around." Here is an anonymous answer example: "i have had a junior auditor who refused to perform the work that was not initially assigned to them only because the person to whom the work was initially assigned fell ill. i called them for disciplinary and reminded them of how they are expected to behave as a professional, and that professionalism is key." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: This example is great but I recommend organizing it a bit so that it's easier for the interviewer to follow. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "I once managed a junior auditor who refused to perform the additional work that was assigned to them, after a coworker fell ill. I called a disciplinary action meeting; reminding the employee that we are a team, and that professional behavior was an expectation. This persons' behavior significantly improved after the fact."119. Have you ever been offered a bribe at any of your previous positions? What did you do? Tell the interviewer if you have ever been in a situation where you have been offered a bribe for a positive audit result. Example #1: "Yes, I have been offered a bribe previously. Earlier in my career, I was performing a financial audit on a client. I was offered a cash incentive in exchange for a positive grade. I, of course, did not take the bribe and I reported the situation to my supervisor." Example #2: "I have not come across a situation like this before. If I were to be offered a bribe I would certainly not take it. I would be sure to report the incident immediately." Here is an anonymous answer example: "in a recent assignment, i discovered that the payroll accountant and the finance manager were committing fraud through collusion. they were paying ghost employees. when i raised the issue with the finance manager, he promised to give me money if i did not report the issue. i did not take the bribe but reported it to my supervisor." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Great example. I have cleaned it up just a touch. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "In a recent assignment, I discovered that the payroll accountant and the finance manager were committing fraud through collusion. They were paying ghost employees. When I raised the issue with the finance manager, he offered to pay me if I did not raise the issue. I did not take the bribe, and reported the full situation to my supervisor."120. Tell me about your management experience. Do you enjoy being a leader? Have you been a leader in the workplace or in a volunteer situation? Take the hiring manager through your experience as a leader and why you find leadership an enjoyable experience. Example #1: "I do enjoy being a leader but I also enjoy having a strong mentor to look up to as well. I have been in a variety of management level roles, leading from 1 to 5 people. I would love to expand my leadership experience to include a larger team of incumbents." Here is an anonymous answer example: "being a manager is quite an experience, both negative and positive, but i would not trade it. i enjoy being a leader because it helps me to understand different personalities better. it helps me with coaching and mentoring skills. i enjoy knowing that i had an impact on an organization's decision-making." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Try rewording this slightly to sounds more positive. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "I enjoy being a leader because it helps me to understand different personalities better while working on my coaching and mentoring skills. I like to be in a role where my work has a positive impact on an organizations' decision making and overall business operations."121. How do you remain focused during a day filled with number crunching and paying acute attention? Being an audit manager can be tedious, detailed work. Tell the hiring manager how you manage to keep your focus on even the most mundane and repetitive days. Example #1: "I remain focused on the job by double checking my work on a consistent basis, especially if I am becoming a bit tired when working overtime. The work becomes a bit repetitive but I do really enjoy auditing so it doesn't happen to me too often." Here is an anonymous answer example: "i list the tasks that i need to complete on a day and prioritize them depending on urgency. i will set a definite time to finish a job and aim to finish within my allotted time. i check on my progress by mid-day, and if delays are coming, i will meet with the members of the team and will ask if they could help." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: It sounds as though you are highly prepared and very organized! It's great that you are also willing to ask for help from others.122. In your most recent performance evaluation what positive feedback did your Supervisor have for you? Did they recommend any areas for improvement? Think back to your last couple of meetings with your supervisor. What positive and constructive feedback did they provide for you? Even if you do not receive formal performance evaluations, you can answer this question. Example #1: "If I were to gather the positive feedback from my supervisor I would say that she consistently comments on my high level of reliability and my strong skills in documentation. For constructive feedback, she has recommended that I take additional coursework in Excel as I am currently at an intermediate level and she would like to see me at an expert level." Here is an anonymous answer example: "recently, i was tasked with developing standard operating procedures (sop) for my organization. i developed sops for audit software, accounting software, and project and time management software. my supervisor was impressed with my work and gave me positive feedback. he encouraged me to keep doing a good job. i was excited about that feedback." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Your example is good! I have reworded the phrasing so that your response is easier to follow. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "I was recently tasked with the development of SOPs for my organization. I created standard operating procedures for audit and accounting software as well as project and time management software. In the end, my supervisor expressed that he was impressed with my work. I gained positive feedback, and he encouraged me to keep doing a great job. I felt great about that feedback." Here is an anonymous answer example: "recently i was tasked with developing standard operating procedures (sop) for my organization. i developed sop for auditing software, accounting software, as well as project and time management software. my supervisor was really impressed with my work and gave me positive feedback and encouraged me to keep on doing a good job. i must say i was really excited about that feedback." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Your example is good! I have reworded the phrasing so that your response is easier to follow. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "I was recently tasked with the development of SOPs for my organization. I created standard operating procedures for audit and accounting software as well as project and time management software. In the end, my supervisor expressed that he was impressed with my work. I gained positive feedback, and he encouraged me to keep doing a great job. I felt great about that feedback."123. What would you change about an auditors role, if you could? Are there aspects to your role that you feel could be passed to a more junior position, in the interest of time and efficiency? Perhaps you have a particular responsibility like this in your current position. Remain positive when answering this question and avoid being critical of the company's internal structure. Example #1: "One thing I would change about the auditor's role in my current company would be taking a bit of the more junior workload off of the audit managers in order to ensure utmost efficiency. For example, I take time every week to scan resume's that come into my department. I would love to have an HR Administrator who could screen resume's for me so that more of my time is spent on the audit related tasks where I am most trained." Here is an anonymous answer example: "i believe the client and engagement management could be delegated to a more centralized function where the focus is client and engagement acceptance. auditors could focus more on providing value to the business and keeping abreast of emerging risks and issues that could impact the business." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: This is a great suggestion, and very thoughtfully said.124. Tell me about your accounting education. Walk the hiring manager through your educational background. Be sure to discuss any awards or recognition. Example #1: "I completed my Bachelor's Degree in Finance from the University of Waterloo. I graduated top in my class and made the Dean's list. I also completed my CPA this past year."125. Would you consider yourself to be a trustworthy person? Assure the hiring manager that you are a trustworthy person. Talk a bit about how you see yourself and confirm this by referring to previous feedback from a manager or supervisor. Example #1: "I certainly do consider myself to be a trustworthy person. I have consistently been complimented on my high level of accountability on the job." Here is an anonymous answer example: "when someone assigns me a job or assignment, i take it seriously and take full responsibility for the successful completion of the project. i am trustworthy, and i always aim for the timely completion of our deliverables." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Nicely said! You seem very reliable.126. Are you clear and detailed when it comes to documentation? How important is accurate documentation to you? Tell the hiring manager about your documentation style. Have you ever received a compliment from a supervisor on your strong documentation? Example #1: "I am incredibly clear and detailed in my documentation. In my opinion, as an internal audit manager, that is one of the most important factors in a job well done. My current supervisor often comments on my clean documentation and I take pride in that." Here is an anonymous answer example: "as an auditor, i know that i will need to document my work. auditors always need to have evidence. i maintain both hard copies and software documentation for the work i did, in case anyone needs to reference it in the future. my supervisor always compliments me on the fact that my documentation is proper." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: The idea is there but I recommend rewording it so that the response is easier to follow. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "Accurate documentation is vital for a job well done since an auditor always needs evidence from which to work. To ensure proper documentation, I maintain both soft and hard files; in case my work needs to be referenced in the future. My current supervisor always compliments my documentation style." Here is an anonymous answer example: "clear and concise documentation is important to our line of work because it provides evidence of the job done and provides back-up to issues i am raising. i am thorough on my documentation, and i self-review my work before someone else reviews it. if an auditor could reperform what i've written in my documentation, it meant my documentation is clear and easy to follow." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Very nice! It seems you are precise and careful in your work, making the job of everyone else easier, as well!127. Do you have your CPA designation? If not, do you plan on obtaining it? CPA designation is important to have as an internal audit manager but not always a requirement of the position. Example #1: "Yes, I achieved my CPA designation 3 years ago from Yorkville university. I am happy that I chose to obtain it as I feel it is a very helpful asset for me as an audit manager." Example #2: "I have not completed my CPA as of yet, however; I understand the importance of this designation. My goal is to begin this coursework by the end of this year." Here is an anonymous answer example: "i do not have it, but i have already enrolled to pursue it." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: If you can, offer up additional details such as which association or organization you are registered with, to obtain your CPA. Also, begin your response with a positive versus a "do not have" statement. In response to the anonymous answer example, here is a revised answer from Rachelle Enns: "I am currently enrolled with (Association) to obtain my CPA designation. This designation should be complete by the Fall of 2020."128. Are you skilled in creating flowcharts, presentations and reports? As an internal audit manager, it is very important that you are able to take complicated data, analyze it, and turn it into easy to understand flowcharts and presentations. Example #1: "I am highly skilled in creating presentations, reports and flow charts. This type of work accounts for approximately 25% of my work day. For the creation of these reports, I am an expert user in Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint." Here is an anonymous answer example: "i am highly experienced in creating powerpoint presentations, reports for the audit committee, and documenting a process using flowcharts. audit and ac reports and powerpoint presentations are two of our key deliverables; therefore, i must deliver these to the highest quality. in my role, report writing is one of my primary responsibilities. once i've written the draft of my report, i will self-review my work and assess whether i am delivering the right message, and i am using the right tone. i will not submit the report for someone's review unless i am happy with my draft." In response to the anonymous answer example, here is what Rachelle Enns said: Fantastic answer! You are very thorough in your response, which will leave any interviewer confident in your abilities.129. What accounting software are you familiar with? You will likely have your tech/software skills listed on your resume. Start with the programs that you are most knowledgable in and work your way down. Be sure to ask the hiring manager which programs they prefer to use in their company so that you have the opportunity to speak to those as well. Example #1: "I am an expert level user in QuickBooks, SAP and Simply Accounting. I have used PeopleSoft a little bit as well. Can you share with me which programs you use most in your office?"130. How strong are your analytical skills? As an internal audit manager it is very important to be analytical. Tell the hiring manager the ways in which you showcase your analytical skills. Example #1: "I am a highly analytical individual and consider it a vital skill for being a successful internal audit manager. I would consider myself most analytical when I am presented with a brand new case, or client. I always want to start the audit process with the correct foundation."

5. 5.

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6. 6.

   Have you ever had a documentation error occur during the auditing process? How did you handle it?
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7. 7.

   What do you enjoy most about being an auditor?
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8. 8.

   Have you ever been offered a bribe? How did you react?
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9. 9.

   Do you enjoy traveling?
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10. 10.

    How many times have you run an auditing team?
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11. 11.

    Tell me about a time when you sought guidance, from another coworker who was the same level as you?
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12. 12.

    If you were given documentation that didn't make sense mathematically, what would your next steps be?
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13. 13.

    Are you okay working longer hours certain times of the year or if a job had a deadline?
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14. 14.

    If you could change anything about being an auditor, what would it be?
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15. 15.

    Have you ever been burned out during an audit? How did you regain your focus?
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16. 16.

    Give me an example of a time you pushed back when asked for additional documentation and why.
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17. 17.

    As a CPA, have you ever signed off on an audit and if so, what does that mean to you?
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18. 18.

    Describe a difficult auditing project and how you overcame it.
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19. 19.

    If you were an external auditor, what's the first thing you'd ask for when entering an audit?
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20. 20.

    Describe a time when you had to work with a large team auditing team and how you handled it.
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21. 21.

    Have you ever had difficulty with a supervisor?
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22. 22.

    By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations, and environments.
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23. 23.

    If you're working for multiple clients at one time, how do you monitor the amount of hours you spend on one compared to the other?
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24. 24.

    Have you ever been overloaded with work, i.e., multiple auditing contracts or clients at once, or just a large amount of auditing work all at once?
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25. 25.

    What platforms have you audited in the past?
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26. Staff Auditor Interview Questions

    26.

    Why do you want to be an auditor?
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27. 27.

    What qualities or skills do you believe a good auditor should possess?
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28. 28.

    Where do you see yourself in five years?
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29. 29.

    Why do companies require audits?
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30. 30.

    What are the differences between an audit, a review and a compilation?
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31. 31.

    How do you feel your education has prepared you for the auditor role?
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32. 32.

    Why do you want to work at ABC Public Accountants?
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33. 33.

    How would you deliver excellent customer service to clients?
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34. 34.

    Explain how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act changed the auditing profession.
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35. 35.

    During an audit, you discover one of the firm’s largest clients uses a questionable methodology to value receivables. What would be your course of action?
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36. 36.

    Are you open to travel with this position?
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37. 37.

    Do you have experience handling massive amounts of data? Give an example of how you used data to solve a problem?
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38. 38.

    Identify a time when you made a mistake and the actions you took to correct it.
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39. 39.

    How would you handle working in an increasingly remote environment?
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40. 40.

    What is the purpose of audit documentation?
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41. 41.

    Have you sat for the CPA exam or are you planning to sit for the CPA exam?
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42. 42.

    How do you keep up with the latest developments in auditing standards?
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43. 43.

    What is the difference between fraud and error?
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44. 44.

    How do you mitigate and manage stress?
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45. 45.

    In an audit, who is primarily responsible for the prevention and detection of fraud?
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46. 46.

    What is the auditor’s responsibility when planning an audit?
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47. 47.

    What are some of the ways that you can show professionalism when on an audit engagement?
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48. 48.

    How do you manage your manager? In other words, what steps do you take to make sure you get what you need from your boss and make both your lives easier?
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49. 49.

    In your opinion, why is it important for organizations to have effective internal controls?
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50. 50.

    Explain the steps involved in a bank confirmation process and what it helps evaluate.
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51. Audit Manager Interview Questions

    51.

    What qualities or skills do you believe a good auditor should possess?
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52. 52.

    As an audit manager, what steps would you take to ensure audit fieldwork runs smoothly?
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53. 53.

    Imagine a staff auditor is making mistakes during audit fieldwork. How would you handle the situation?
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54. 54.

    How do you feel past experience has prepared you for the Audit Manager role?
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55. 55.

    As external auditors, how can we rely on the work of internal auditors?
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56. 56.

    How would you deliver excellent customer service to clients in your role as Audit Manager?
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57. 57.

    Explain how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act changed the auditing profession.
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58. 58.

    What would you do if during an audit you found an accounting practice that was suspicious?
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59. 59.

    Are you open to travel with this position?
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60. 60.

    Why do you want to work at ABC Public Accountants?
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61. 61.

    What is your experience with interacting with senior executives at various organizations?
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62. 62.

    How would you handle working in an increasingly remote environment?
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63. 63.

    What is the purpose of audit documentation?
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64. 64.

    How would you describe your management style?
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65. 65.

    How do you keep up with the latest developments in auditing standards?
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66. 66.

    What is the difference between fraud and error?
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67. 67.

    How do you mitigate and manage stress?
    View All 130 Auditor Answers
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68. 68.

    In an audit, who is primarily responsible for the prevention and detection of fraud?
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69. 69.

    What is the auditor’s responsibility when planning an audit?
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70. 70.

    What areas of public accounting or industries are you most interested in?
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71. 71.

    How do you manage your manager? In other words, what steps do you take to make sure you get what you need from your boss and make both your lives easier?
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72. 72.

    In your opinion, why is it important for organizations to have effective internal controls?
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73. 73.

    What are analytical procedures and what are some examples?
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74. Internal Auditor Interview Questions

    74.

    Why do you want to be an internal auditor?
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75. 75.

    What qualities or skills do you believe a good internal auditor should possess?
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76. 76.

    Where do you see yourself in five years?
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77. 77.

    Why do companies require audits?
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78. 78.

    What are the differences between an audit, a review and a compilation?
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79. 79.

    How do you feel your education has prepared you for the internal auditor role?
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80. 80.

    How do external auditors rely on the work of internal auditors?
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81. 81.

    How would you deliver excellent customer service to colleagues within the organization?
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82. 82.

    Explain how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act changed the auditing profession.
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83. 83.

    What would you do if during an audit you found an accounting practice that was suspicious?
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84. 84.

    Are you open to travel with this position?
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85. 85.

    What is the purpose of the internal audit function?
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86. 86.

    What is your experience with presenting to senior executives?
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87. 87.

    How would you handle working in an increasingly remote environment?
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88. 88.

    What is the purpose of audit documentation?
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89. 89.

    Have you sat for the CPA exam or are you planning to sit for the CPA exam?
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90. 90.

    How do you keep up with the latest developments in auditing standards?
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91. 91.

    What is the difference between fraud and error?
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92. 92.

    How do you mitigate and manage stress?
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93. 93.

    In an audit, who is primarily responsible for the prevention and detection of fraud?
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94. 94.

    What are some ways that internal audit interacts with external auditors?
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95. 95.

    What are some of the ways that you can show professionalism when out on an internal audit assignment?
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96. 96.

    How do you manage your manager? In other words, what steps do you take to make sure you get what you need from your boss and make both your lives easier?
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97. 97.

    In your opinion, why is it important for organizations to have effective internal controls?
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98. 98.

    Describe your experience using ERP and general ledger software systems
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99. Internal Audit Manager Interview Questions

    99.

    How will you add value to our company?
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100. 100.

     Why do you enjoy auditing?
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101. 101.

     Tell me about an inefficiency you detected during an audit.
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102. 102.

     Tell me about your most significant career accomplishment.
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103. 103.

     Have you ever discovered fraud in an audit?
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104. 104.

     In your current position, how are inspection reports posted and communicated? Do you agree with the process?
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105. 105.

     Why do you feel you are a good fit for our company?
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106. 106.

     What improvements would you make as the audit manager, if you were awarded this position?
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107. 107.

     Tell me about what areas you audited in your last job.
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108. 108.

     How do you manage a healthy work/life balance?
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109. 109.

     Why do you feel internal auditors have an important role in our company?
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110. 110.

     As a manager, what skills do you possess that help you excel at your job?
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111. 111.

     While attending post-secondary, what was your best and favorite subject?
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112. 112.

     If you had an under performing auditor, what would you say to him or her, to help boost their performance?
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113. 113.

     In your opinion, what qualities make a great leader?
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114. 114.

     What is your leadership style? Are you able to take on a leadership role over others who were once your peers?
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115. 115.

     What do you find most challenging when performing an internal audit?
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116. 116.

     What do you enjoy most about being an auditor?
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117. 117.

     How long have you been an auditor? What has prepared you for the manager role?
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118. 118.

     Have you ever had an employee act unprofessionally towards you? How did you react?
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119. 119.

     Have you ever been offered a bribe at any of your previous positions? What did you do?
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120. 120.

     Tell me about your management experience. Do you enjoy being a leader?
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121. 121.

     How do you remain focused during a day filled with number crunching and paying acute attention?
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122. 122.

     In your most recent performance evaluation what positive feedback did your Supervisor have for you? Did they recommend any areas for improvement?
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123. 123.

     What would you change about an auditors role, if you could?
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124. 124.

     Tell me about your accounting education.
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125. 125.

     Would you consider yourself to be a trustworthy person?
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126. 126.

     Are you clear and detailed when it comes to documentation? How important is accurate documentation to you?
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127. 127.

     Do you have your CPA designation? If not, do you plan on obtaining it?
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128. 128.

     Are you skilled in creating flowcharts, presentations and reports?
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129. 129.

     What accounting software are you familiar with?
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130. 130.

     How strong are your analytical skills?
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