In a large audit network, the interview follows a standardised process: online tests, an interview with a recruiter, then with a manager and a partner. In an independent French accounting firm (cabinet d’expertise comptable), it is often the partner who sees you in person, in their office, between two year-end meetings with clients. They read your CV the day before, know every line and are looking for only one thing: someone autonomous to whom they can quickly hand part of their portfolio. The conversation is more direct, more concrete, and it is prepared differently. This article describes who interviews you, the questions that come up about your background, technique and plans, how to defend your CV line by line and the mistakes that cost you the offer.
Who interviews you and what they are looking for
In a small firm, the interview is with the partner, sometimes accompanied by the most experienced staff member or the person who will supervise you. They are recruiting for a specific need: a departure to replace, a growing portfolio, a missing skill (payroll, legal, audit).
In a regional firm or a network, a first conversation may take place with someone in human resources, followed by an interview with an office manager, an engagement lead and a partner.
In every case, the partner wants to check four points:
- autonomy: which client files they can give you from the first week, with what level of review;
- reliability: will you meet tax deadlines and maintain the quality of year-end accounts;
- client contact: will you be able to answer a business owner, explain a set of accounts, reassure a worried client;
- commitment: will you stay, or leave after the first tax season.
Candidates often underestimate this last point. A firm that entrusts a portfolio invests time; a partner fears a quick departure that would force them to redistribute everything.
Questions about your background and your client files
These are the most numerous and the most precise questions.
“How many client files did you have, and of what type?” Answer with figures and a breakdown: number of files, legal forms (sole traders, limited companies, simplified joint-stock companies, property companies, associations), sectors, tax regimes, level of involvement (full bookkeeping, review, year-end accounts only).
“How far did you go on a file?” The partner wants to know whether you did the data entry, the review, the year-end accounts, the tax return, the client meeting. Be honest about the share reviewed by someone else.
“Which software did you use?” Name the accounting production, payroll and paperless software. If the firm uses different software, show that you can adapt.
“Tell me about a difficult file.” Prepare a concrete example: a client who did not supply their documents, a VAT error discovered during review, a tax audit, a tight cash situation. Describe the context, what you did and the result.
“Why leave your current firm?” Give a calm, forward-looking answer: broadening your client base, discovering audit, moving closer to a region, pursuing the DEC in a firm that supports it. Avoid criticising your current employer.
Technical accounting and tax questions
Many partners ask a few technical questions, orally, to check the basics. They concern the firm’s day-to-day work:
- VAT: tax regimes, VAT on invoicing versus on receipts, reverse charge, adjustments;
- corporation tax and income tax for the self-employed: moving from accounting profit to taxable profit, common add-backs and deductions;
- year-end entries: accrued expenses, deferred income, provisions, impairment of receivables, change in inventory;
- legal forms: the difference between an SARL and an SAS for the owner, social security regime, salary and dividends;
- the tax return package: the main schedules, the checks before filing;
- current affairs: the roll-out of electronic invoicing, recent changes in business taxation.
Some firms set a short written exercise: a series of entries to post, a VAT return to check, a set of accounts to comment on. Our article on recruitment tests in accounting firms details the formats, and the one on accounting questions at interview the classics to revise.
Talking about the DEC and your plans
The question of the chartered accountancy diploma almost always comes up, in one form or another.
“How far along are you with the DSCG or the DEC?” Be precise: units passed, year of traineeship, written exams, dissertation topic. A partner values a realistic timetable more than an ambitious promise.
“Do you intend to do your traineeship with us?” If so, say so, and show that you know the obligations (training, half-yearly reports). If you have already started elsewhere, explain that the traineeship can continue with another training principal, provided the Order is informed: our article on the DEC traineeship details the rules.
“Where do you see yourself in five years?” A partner looking to retain people is happy to hear: engagement lead, qualified chartered accountant, perhaps partner one day. If your plan is industry or audit, it is better to say so and show what you will bring during the years spent at the firm.
“What do you think of how the profession is changing?” This is an open question about paperless processes, automated data entry and the growth of advisory work. Show that you see these changes as an opportunity to do more review and advisory work.
Defending your CV point by point
The partner will go through your CV line by line. Every figure, every software package, every engagement can lead to a question.
A few preparation rules:
- reread your CV the day before and prepare a sentence of explanation for each line;
- only mention what you can explain: software used for a week or an engagement observed from a distance will put you on the spot;
- have anonymised examples: “a building craftsman moving to corporation tax”, “an association with employees and a grant to account for”;
- be consistent about figures: if your CV mentions sixty client files, the partner may ask how you spread them over the year.
The CV that makes the interview easier is one that describes a portfolio rather than tasks. The accounting firm staff accountant CV example shows this presentation, and the trainee chartered accountant CV example that of a profile on the DEC traineeship. Our article on the staff accountant role gives the expected vocabulary.
The mistakes that cost you the offer
- Knowing nothing about the firm: its size, its activities (accounting only, or also audit, payroll, legal), its clients. The firm’s website and the Order’s directory are enough to prepare.
- Inflating your autonomy: claiming to have done year-end accounts alone that were in fact fully reviewed is quickly spotted by a partner.
- Neglecting professional secrecy: naming a client or giving identifiable details about a file is disqualifying.
- Talking only about salary and remote work: these topics are legitimate, but at the end of the interview, once mutual interest has been established.
- Showing little interest in client relationships: in chartered accountancy, they are the heart of the job.
- Hesitating on technical basics: a poorly handled question on VAT or a year-end entry weighs heavily for an experienced position.
A clear CV makes the whole interview easier. If yours needs reworking before the meeting, the CV editor handles the layout for you and produces a PDF that firms’ screening software reads without losing your figures or the order of your experience.
Sources
- Onisep, accounting firm staff job profile 🔗 and chartered accountant job profile 🔗.
- Ordre des experts-comptables, the chartered accountancy curriculum 🔗.
Frequently asked questions
How many interviews does an accounting firm hold?
Often one or two in an independent firm, sometimes three in a network. The partner almost always takes part at some point in the process.
Should you bring a printed CV?
It is a good habit, especially in a small firm. The partner has read it, but a clean copy within reach makes the conversation easier.
Can you negotiate salary at the first interview?
It is better to wait until the partner raises the subject or until the end of the interview. Prepare a realistic range, taking into account the region, the size of the firm and your portfolio.
How can you prepare in one evening?
Reread your CV line by line, prepare two client files to talk about, revise VAT and year-end entries, and read the firm’s website to learn about its activities and clients.