The process took 1+ week. I interviewed at EY (Los Angeles, CA) in Oct 2009
Interview
The interview process for an audit internship revolves around behavioral interviews. There were a set of 3 interviews -- the first of which was a phone interview - casual and basically a screening process for the on campus interview. EY heavily recruits out of my school, which made the set up process for the interviews very easy. During the on campus interview, they went over the content of my resume and discussed my intentions with public accounting. The in house interview involved a series of 3 interviews of 45 minutes each -- with a senior/manager, senior manager and a partner. Each of my interviews involved behavioral questions in how I responded under pressure, my ability to work with teams, etc. I asked a lot of questions during my interviews and I believe that led them to believe I was interested and excited about the position.
Having now been involved with the recruiting process on the other end, what I think EY looks most for in an audit candidate include:
- strong command of English (unless recruiting for a language specialized division of EY)
- examples of the ability to work well in teams
- strong interest in the public accounting field
- humble, yet confident presence
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
When have you had an experience with a difficult team member? What did you do to resolve the difficulty and what was the outcome?
First round behaviourals and casing, second round plain behavioural with motivation etc. The casing was audit related, with some technicals and then a case about a small firm, and expected difficulties and other regarding auditing.
The interview process was pretty smooth, with the interviews being virtual, and more of a walkthrough of my resume with multiple interviewers. I also found that preparing for follow up questions and pitching myself as a candidate through stories in college was a very helpful approach.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What was a challenging moment throughout your time in college?
Very straightforward. Behavioral interviews only. Asked about my on-campus experiences and why I should be a part of the internship program. As long as you practice your behaviorals and have experience to talk about that relates to accounting or even just business in general, you should be well prepared for the interview. It was not very difficult.