Questions to ask the interviewer? - Audit position

What's your experience level and the position level?

I'm a staff accountant at a CPA firm, but not sure if I know of any questions to ask. Maybe ask about the type of clients you'd be auditing and about what certain skills would be valuable in helping client demands?

Most questions that will make you stand out stem from your level of experience: asking questions as if your are interviewing them and not the other way around. This; however, isn't the case for entry level positions. Be yourself and remain confident in your answers to their questions.

What's the average length of time with your firm that audit work completely sucks the soul from your employees?





j/k, Audit work can be interesting, but it wasn't for me.

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Bert Macklin FBI

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How can you already be working in the industry and not know what questions you need to ask?

Think about what matters in your day to day...and ask those questions.

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How can you already be working in the industry and not know what questions you need to ask?

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He currently works in a small accounting position. He is interviewing for an auditing position at a CPA firm.

To be honest OP, if a CPA firm asked to interview you for an entry level position, you will likely be hired. They just want warm bodies

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He currently works in a small accounting position. He is interviewing for an auditing position at a CPA firm.

To be honest OP, if a CPA firm asked to interview you for an entry level position, you will likely be hired. They just want warm bodies

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How do you not learn about the auditing profession as an accounting undergrad or Masters student? I struggle to see how someone that is specializing in the discipline cannot come up with valid questions for an interview...

Here are some that come to mind...
Industries your office serves
Clients your office serves
Time period for busy season
Makeup of audit / tax / advisory headcount in office
Culture of office
Travel requirements
Growth path
Development opportunities
Recruiting involvement
Typical working team

Hope that helps.

Research the firm. Look at their website, look at their history, look at their industry lines.

Now that I sit on the other side of the table, one of the more interesting questions I was asked by a candidate was, what was the most interesting thing I've worked on in the last 6 months.

You can always ask the "what would a typical day look like for me".

In audit, make sure you ask about travel.

I think lynxcat nailed just about everything I was thinking about and a few I wish I would have asked before starting as an audit manager with my last firm.

You also need to find out what their expectations of you will be.

Assuming you are not a CPA, do they expect you to become one within a few years to stay on with the firm. Do they assist you in the CPA process (time off for studying/tests, pay for materials/exams, etc.).

What is their typical process for growing their own people. Do you shadow specific managers, or jump around to get a feel for different techniques? Or, do they throw you out there to see if you sink or swim.