Can you describe a time when you identified a significant error during an audit? What steps did you take to address it?
Behavioral
Attention To Detail
Problem-solving
Communication
This question is important because it assesses your attention to detail and problem-solving skills, which are critical in financial auditing.
How to answer
- Use the STAR method to structure your response: Situation, Task, Action, Result.
- Clearly outline the context of the audit and the nature of the error discovered.
- Explain the steps you took to investigate the error and gather relevant information.
- Discuss how you communicated your findings to your team or management.
- Highlight the outcome of your actions and any improvements made to processes as a result.
What not to say
- Failing to provide a specific example and speaking in generalities.
- Downplaying the significance of the error or the impact on the audit.
- Not mentioning any follow-up actions or lessons learned.
- Blaming others without taking personal accountability for the process.
Sample answer
“During my internship at Deloitte, I discovered a discrepancy in expense reports that indicated potential fraudulent activity. I investigated by tracing the transactions back to source documents and found mismatched receipts. I presented my findings to my supervisor, and we reported it to management. This led to a review of the expense reporting process, which improved accuracy and reduced errors by 20%.”