1. Explain me why do you feel you are a good fit for our company?
I have the determination. On getting my feet to this door of oportunity and I am willing enough to give all my focus and attention to prove that the company gain an asset.
2. Tell me about a time when you solved a difficult problem?
Scenario based questions are particularly common in typical interview questions and answers structures for audit roles as they provide practical proof of certain core competencies. In your example, interviewers will be looking for demonstrations of teamwork, leadership and versatility, problem-solving and quick thinking.
3. Tell me why do our clients keep coming back to us?
Interviewers want to see that you understand how the firm is successfully servicing its clients.
In your answer you should touch on what the firm does differently to its competitors, the strong relationship-building skills held by people at the firm, and the services it offers clients in addition to audit.
4. Explain me in your opinion, what qualities make a great leader?
Effective Delegation.Identifying potential in the candidates.. Most importantly bringing the best out of the person and deliver effective results.
5. Tell us how do you detect errors in financial documents?
Errors can be detected in a financial document by comparing them to the originals and looking at the specific information in each of the columns. If the numbers do not match up, there is likely some sort of issue. The common issues in financial documents revolve around errors of principle, omission and commission.
6. Tell us what achievement are you most proud of?
Most interview guides will recommend having at least one example to hand so you are not seen to be struggling to think of something. The answer should be told like a story, in an engaging way, and demonstrate that you are the right person for the job due to a mixture of the right competencies and attitudes.
7. Explain me what would you change about an auditors role, if you could?
I would make the reports and avoid providing specific recommendations and leave management through their own brain storming process to identify the next course of action to address the anomaly pointed out.
For it let me gain different experiences that help me improve my skills personally and professional at the same time learning new things.
9. Tell me how do you see your career progressing after 3-4 years in Internal Audit?
This question according to Edwards is again about striking the right balance. He says, “If a ‘rotation scheme' is in place, candidates should show clear ambition, whilst demonstrating an open-mindedness to different career directions.” He further explains, “If you typecast yourself into one narrow career path, there's a chance you're talking yourself out of the job if the company is any less than 100% sure they can deliver on your ambitions.”
10. Tell me how you should conduct an internal audit?
To conduct an internal audit you should
☛ Decide what you want to achieve
☛ Identify risks and review objectives
☛ Plan and audit activities
☛ Validate the facts and complete the work
☛ Develop a deliverable or report that will drive action
☛ Follow up
11. Please explain about your accounting education?
I have a degree in accounting as well as well as a professional qualification with the association of certified chartered accountants. I have five years completed articles training with kpmg chartered accountants.
12. Please explain what do you find most challenging when performing an internal audit?
In an organisation, errors are about to happen intentionally or un intentionally. Intentional errors are frauds which is very tough to identify when people collude to make it very secretively since audit is persuasive and not conclusive.
13. Explain me about what areas you audited in your last job?
Internal control review including role and effectiveness of senior management, evaluation of Human resources policies and practices, assess the role and effectiveness of the audit committee and other committees audit risk management c, Revenue cycle, receivables, Expenditure cycle, payroll cycle.
14. Tell me about an inefficiency you detected during an audit?
I have learnt that communicating effectively plays a very important role in audit. My articleship gave me a opportunity to work on it.
15. Tell us how successful have you been in your career so far?
It is a good interview tactic to learn how to strike a balance between sounding confident but not conceited and modest but not overly self-critical. Acknowledge that while you are proud of your achievements there is always scope for improvement and development and you are keen to continue your journey with new opportunities.
16. Explain me what is it about this role that particularly attracts you?
Focus on the alignment of the opportunities the role offers with your personal aims and ambitions and convey what a good fit you are for the role by drawing attention to the parallels between your skills and experience, and the role requirements.
17. Explain me why do you want to leave your current role?
Be honest while staying positive, avoiding anything that suggests conflict or in which you could be perceived as portraying your current employer or manager negatively. This will reflect equally badly on you. A better interview tactic is to talk instead about the need for new challenges and development opportunities.
18. What are your weaknesses as Financial Auditor?
The first thing to know when answering this question is that your interviewer is hoping to understand how you operate in the internal audit function and how your personality may affect your work. Be honest in your response, mention a real weakness, but frame it as something you were made aware of, subsequently worked on and have overcome and thus improved. This shows your interviewer that you are self-aware, open to constructive criticism and flexible in terms of your own development.
19. Why should we hire you as Financial Auditor?
A typical job interview question and one which gives you the opportunity to mention any achievements or qualifications you have that add value to your role as internal auditor. Now is the moment to talk about your skills, your experience and how you will be an asset to their business. Make sure to give examples of everything you discuss, for example, don't just say “I'm a good team player”, prove it. A handy tip in this instance is also to make sure you have memorised the job description so you can keep referring back to it as you make your case for why they should hire you.
20. Tell me what you should do after the internal audit?
After the internal audit,
☛ Hold an auditors meeting with auditees involved with the audit, discuss the non-conformances and what part is missed
☛ Issue the audit report in a timely manner
☛ Encourage auditees to take corrective actions again flaws
☛ Help and guide those responsible for completing the corrective actions with setting reasonable deadlines
☛ Take the feed-back of the auditees and how your audit team were perceived
21. Tell me what is required to perform an internal audit?
To perform an internal audit all of the financial records shall be given by the treasurer for the audit, including the check-book register, bank statement, deposit slip, cancelled checks, treasurer's reports, expense vouchers or warrants with bill receipts, the annual treasurer's report etc.
22. Explain about a time when you solved a difficult problem?
Competency questions come up in interviews for all kinds of graduate roles, but they're particularly important to positions in audit. This is because your interviewers probably won't expect you to have a detailed understanding of the audit process so instead will be looking for a number of core competencies to show you have the potential to do well in the job.
The skills interviewers will look for include teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, adaptability and judgement. Make sure you have examples of times when you demonstrated these competencies to hand, and practise answering competency questions using the STAR method, outlining the Situation, Task, Action and Result.
23. Explain me about some recent developments within the audit industry?
This is a great opportunity to show an understanding of the audit industry as a whole, through ongoing professional development, keeping up with industry communications or through your professional network for example. Make sure your answer is as relevant as possible to the prospective employer and the role in question.
24. Explain me how long do you intend to be in this role?
It is important to show commitment and loyalty so by all means mention that you are particularly interested in roles with scope for internal mobility within an organisation. One final interview tip is to use this as a chance to show ambition by making it clear that you are stimulated by a continual challenge.
25. Tell me why do you feel internal auditors have an important role in our company?
For they serve as a translator because they help the management understand the company's standing in all aspects and help detect the problems in the earliest time by their audit report.
26. Tell us what do you enjoy most about being an auditor?
The fact that you engage people on different levels and that you get to be position to help in ensuring that an organisation thrives.
27. Tell me would you consider yourself to be a trustworthy person?
Honest, conscience, I can easily be bugged by my conscience as such I remain to be trustworthy in order to avoid sleepless nights due to guilt.
No I have not been offered a bribe. I have always been very straight and objective in handling audit matters. Management once indicated that they want me to train their staff in audit matters and accounting and they would pay my allowances. I indicated to them that this would not be possible unless the event is handled by the Institute of Public Accountants where I subscribe and I would be a facilitator, but under the institute.
29. Tell me the check-list for the internal audit?
Check-list for the internal audit includes
☛ Warrants / Vouchers
☛ Bills / Receipts
☛ Disbursements / checks
☛ Bank Reconciliation
☛ Income
☛ Treasurer's Reports
☛ Taxes
30. Please explain, can you provide some examples of cultural adaptability?
Edwards explains that the best way to answer this question is by showing, not telling. “Our clients are often looking for people who will travel frequently, across different time zones, and encounter many different cultural approaches both inside and outside of their business dealings,” he says. “If you can show that you know what that entails, it helps the interviewer feel more relaxed about putting you in that challenging environment. Any examples of visiting family and friends abroad, studying in a different country and thus experiencing their culture or adapting yourself to new ways of working will show the interviewer that this isn't going to shock you.”
I will keep encouraging them in each and every aspect of their performance and give them motivation to enhance their performance by making them refer standards and inculcate positive attributes within them so that they gain confidence that the company is actually growing because of their contribution towards work.
32. Tell me have you ever had an employee act unprofessionally towards you? How did you react?
Yes many times. I was passionate to get my required details from them and after getting I worked closely on their issues.
Yes I am. Documentation helps give a background on the issue and the facts documented enable making of sound judgement and conclusions.
Number crunching allows one reach the right decisions through analysis and taking on the best options according to cost benefit analysis. Number crunching also allows one determine the right costs and also provides assurance that Value for money is being attained in terms cost and economy as well as efficiency and effectiveness. I like paying attention to details as it enables one take the best possible alternative given the various decision available.
Friendly attitude, team work, encouraging them since we are all of one team and towards one single goal.
