Questions to Ask at Your Audit Job Interview

When applying for audit jobs, it pays to be well prepared for your potential interviews with the hiring companies. The way you present yourself and answer each question they ask you will help your potential employer determine if you’re the best candidate for the job.

But is just answering their questions enough to land that job? If you intend to show up and just answer the interviewer’s questions, you may not be doing enough. Growing evidence suggests that employers are looking for candidates who have taken the time to research the company prior to the interview and prepared some questions of their own to pose to the interviewer.

By asking questions during your interview, you send a message to your potential employer that you are inquisitive, you know about the company, and that you care to know the things that are related to the business.

 

Below are 10 possible questions to ask at your next audit job interview:

 

1. Ask about the biggest challenge that the company or the audit department has gone through. Then, ask how they were able to overcome it or the things that they’re doing to resolve the issue. By asking this question, you show that you want to know the challenges that can keep the audit department from realizing their goals. If possible, you can share your expertise or experience on how they can overcome these challenges.

2. Ask questions about the company’s culture. Ask your interviewer questions that will help you show your interest in the audit position that you’re applying for and the company as a whole. Consider asking the interviewer about their personal experiences while working for the company or you can even ask them to describe the company culture in general. Also, ask about your direct supervision and the things that you can expect should you get hired.

3. Ask about the person who previously had the job that you’re applying for. Is it a newly created role? Did the previous auditor get promoted? Did they resign? If they did, would the interviewer know the reason? This question will help you figure out if the company offer good career advancement opportunities to its employees (if the previous auditor was promoted) or if there are issues when it comes to expectations.

4.  Ask about the employer’s expectations. Ask what they want you to accomplish in the first three, six, and twelve months in the position. This will not only help you get their attention very quickly as a forward thinker, but will also give you an idea if you can live up to those expectations. If you’re confident that you can deliver what they expect to get from you, be sure to tell them that.

5. Ask about the strengths of the auditing team. This is one of the rarely asked questions during interviews but worth asking anyway. This will help you get a better picture of the dynamics of the current team that you may work with should you get hired. Knowing their strengths can help you figure out ahead of time the things that you can do to compliment your future colleagues.

6. Inquire about the history of the position. It can be helpful to understand the history of the position that you are applying for. What are the roles and responsibilities that come with it? What were the accomplishments of the previous auditor? What did the last auditor do to contribute to the success of the company? Also, inquire about growth so you’ll see if there’s a future for you in this company. How long did it take to promote the last auditor?

7. Ask about the interviewer’s experience with the company. Ask how many years he or she had been working for the company. What makes the company great to work for?

8. Ask about the factors that are considered for promotion. Aside from being professional and delivering quality work at all times, what do they expect you to do before you can climb up the corporate ladder? Do they expect you to participate in continuing programs that will allow you to broaden your knowledge in the field of auditing? Will on-going training be provided?

9. Ask for examples of projects that you’ll be working on. This will give you a good picture of what you’re going to do on a day-to-day basis should you get hired.

10. Ask the interviewer how the current position can contribute to the overall success of the company. Asking this question can help you to figure out how the audit team is integrated with the rest of the company. Does it sound like the audit department is seen as a vital part of the overall company strategy? Just something they need to have to meet government regulations? A necessary evil?

 

Remember that the interview process is not only for the company to find out if you are right for them, it’s also for you to find out if they are right for you! So don’t be afraid to think about what makes a company attractive to you beforehand and ask a few questions during the interview to see if the company offering the job will meet those requirements.