You have passed the online tests, the interview with the recruiter, perhaps a case study with a manager. One last meeting remains, often shorter than the others: the interview with a partner. Many candidates prepare for it as an extra technical interview and are thrown by a conversation about something else entirely: why audit, why this firm, what you want to be doing in five years, how you react under pressure. The partner has read their colleagues’ feedback; they are no longer trying to find out whether you are competent, but whether you belong in their team. This article explains where this interview fits, what the partner checks, the questions on outlook and motivation, how to talk about the firm and your CV, and what happens next.
Where this interview fits in the process
In the large networks, careers pages describe a multi-stage process: pre-screening, tests, interviews with operational staff. The interview with a partner usually comes at the end, as a validation. In a mid-tier or regional firm, it may come earlier, or even be the only interview: the partner then recruits directly.
What characterises this interview:
- it is often short, from twenty to forty-five minutes;
- it is less structured: the partner leads the conversation freely, sometimes as an informal discussion;
- it focuses less on technique: that has been checked before, although a verification question can never be ruled out;
- it carries a lot of weight: the partner’s opinion is often decisive, especially if they are hesitating between several candidates.
For a busy-season internship or a first job, the partner sometimes meets several candidates in a row, during a recruitment day. For an experienced position, the interview is more like a conversation between future colleagues.
What the partner wants to check
A partner puts their liability behind the engagements and answers for the quality of their team. They are looking for four things.
Consistency of plans. Why audit, why now, why this type of firm. A path that reads like a logical sequence (DCG, work-study, busy season, master’s) is reassuring; a more winding path must be explainable simply.
The ability to cope. Year-ends are intense, clients demanding. The partner looks for signs of stamina and maturity: how you react to workload, to criticism, to the unexpected.
Professional bearing. An auditor represents the firm at the client. The partner observes how you express yourself, listen and ask questions, your punctuality and your presentation.
Fit with the team. They imagine how you would work with their managers, seniors and clients. They wonder whether you will stay.
Questions on outlook and motivation
The questions are often open. A few classics, with what they are looking for:
“Why audit?” The partner expects an answer showing that you know what the job involves: understanding different businesses, analysing risks, working in a team, learning fast. Avoid “because it is a good training ground” without saying what you intend to learn there.
“Where do you see yourself in five years?” There is no wrong honest answer. Plans for partnership, the DEC, a specialism (financial services, IT audit, sustainability) or a move into industry after a few years can be expressed, provided you show what you will bring to the firm in the meantime.
“What has taught you the most in your career so far?” Prepare a precise experience, with a concrete lesson: a heavy busy season, an engagement where you had to chase a client, an error corrected.
“How do you react when you are behind on an engagement?” The partner is looking for a reflex of raising the alarm: warning early, proposing a solution, prioritising.
“What is your biggest weakness?” Choose a genuine area for improvement, with what you are doing to work on it. Fake weaknesses (“I’m too much of a perfectionist”) go down badly with an experienced partner.
“Do you have any questions?” This is a question in its own right. One or two questions about the team, the clients or the firm’s development show your interest.
Talking about the firm without reciting its website
Reciting a firm’s corporate presentation (international presence, number of countries, values) is useless: the partner knows it better than you. What they expect are personal, verifiable reasons.
A few sources of precise reasons:
- a meeting: an auditor met at a careers fair, a speaker on your master’s programme, an alumnus of your school;
- a specialism: a sector in which the office is strong, a particular offering (audit of associations, public sector, financial services, sustainability);
- an organisation: team size, versatility between audit and accounting services, the in-house training path;
- a location: a regional office, rooted in the local economy.
Put them simply: “At my master’s careers fair, I talked with a senior from your Lyon office who described her engagements in the food industry; it is a sector I know from my work-study placement, and I would like to work in it.” To understand the differences between types of firm, see our overview of audit firms beyond the Big Four.
Going back over your CV in a few sentences
The partner will often ask: “Introduce yourself in a few minutes.” This is the opportunity to tell your CV as a coherent story, without reading it out.
A three-part structure works well:
- where you come from: education and first experiences, in one or two sentences;
- what you have learned concretely: a key experience, with a figure or an example (“nine engagements during my busy season, including a stock count where the quantities did not match”);
- why you are here: the position, the firm, what comes next.
Two minutes are enough. The partner will pick up on whatever interests them. Make sure every line of your CV can be told in one sentence: our article on describing audit engagements on a CV helps make them concrete. The audit lead CV example and the audit assistant CV example show paths that are easy to tell because every line contains a fact.
After the interview: timing and response
Timing varies: a few days in a regional firm, sometimes one to two weeks in a large network, especially during intern recruitment campaigns. If you were given a response date, wait for it before following up.
Following up, if necessary, is done with your HR contact, through a short, courteous message recalling the position and the date of the interview.
The response:
- if you receive an offer, check the details (start date, office, pay, support for the DEC if relevant) before accepting;
- if you are turned down, ask for feedback: many firms give it, and it will help you next time.
For your next applications, update your CV with what you learned from the interview. The CV editor lets you change the summary or an experience in a few minutes, without touching the layout, and produces a PDF that firms’ screening software reads correctly. If you are also preparing for the earlier stages, our article on the case study in an audit interview covers the technical test that often precedes this interview.
Sources
- KPMG France, recruitment in audit roles 🔗.
- Deloitte France, recruitment FAQ 🔗.
Frequently asked questions
Is the interview with the partner technical?
Rarely in depth. Technique has been assessed beforehand; the partner may nevertheless ask a verification question, especially for an experienced position.
How long does this interview last?
Often between twenty and forty-five minutes. It may be longer in a regional firm where the partner is the only person recruiting.
Can you talk about pay with the partner?
For an internship or a first job, pay is generally set by a scale and discussed with human resources. For an experienced position, the subject may come up at the end of the interview, if the partner raises it.
What should you do if you are turned down at this stage?
Ask for feedback, identify what was missing (plans, knowledge of the firm, bearing) and build it into your next application. A rejection at this stage often means your profile was close.