Application Process & Interviews at Queensland Audit Office

The recruitment process involves several steps including psychometric testing, aptitude tests, an interview and a group problem solving session.

Application via Smart Jobs - Resume & Cover Letter Video Interview Recruitment Testing Assessment Centre Final Interview

The interview process involved an online interview, a group interview and an individual interview. The online interview asked general questions about the company and basic experience questions. The group interview involved psychometric testing, written responses to the company's values and how they related to personal experiences and group activities. The individual interview was a panel of senior auditors asking specific questions about how your personal experiences have prepared you for the role.

It is a somewhat lengthy process, including a mental assessment, single interview and a group interview, but even the interviewers appeared friendly and helpful to me (as it was apparent to them that every interviewee was nervous).

There were 5 assessment stages with a very quick turn around between them. 1 - application, 2 - psychometric test, 3 - video interview, 4 - assessment centre, and 5 - panel interview.

The process was very long but I'm glad I went through it. There were 5-6 stages with multiple interviews. It was very professional and friendly throughout the entire process.

We had an online application, online testing, pre-recorded interview, assessment centre and final interview.

Very standard graduate application process: - Submit resume and cover letter through Seek, - Basic video interview, - Psychometric Testing, - Assessment Centre, - Final interview. The assessment centre and final interview were in person (at the office), not via Teams unlike most other organisations.

The interview process was long and required multiple separate assessments. Despite that it was primarily focused on people's character and ability to work together, rather than being heavy on technical questions and assessment.

I was asked about experiences where I had to make decisions, demonstrate critical thinking and provide examples of times I had overcome problems.

Why I want to work for the organisation, customer service experiences, slightly informal interview process. It was very laid back and conversational which helped with nerves.

Tell me a time where you had to manage you time effectively and what was the result of your actions? Why do you think you would make a great auditor?

Basic questions like: Why work here? How do you work in a team? How did you react to a sudden movement of a deadline? How did you react when something went wrong? (at work or at unit)

Why do I want to work at QAO? Explain a situation where there was conflict and how you dealt with it? How do you demonstrate the QAO values?

What draws you to auditing? How do you feel about travel, especially last minute trips to client site to further investigate.

The interview was not super formal- it was very conversational. This made it much easier to relax and answer the questions. Questions were very straightforward - why do you want to work for QAO, customer service experience, working in a team.

What experience do I have in customer service. Why do I want this job? What makes me an ideal candidate?

Why did you decide to apply for QAO? If you and [the other candidates in the interview] could take 5 items to a deserted island, what would you take? (gave us a few minutes to discuss). A few specific questions about my resume and past experience. What I believed I could bring to a team. How I had resolved conflicts in the past. How I had corrected a mistake in the past.

Lookup the STAR interview response template and try to think of examples in your past that could potentially address interview questions.

Be genuine.

If you are passionate about the role and public service then you will stand out among other applicants.

Have some understanding of what auditors do and read up on the values of the company.

Find a way to calm yourself and think of good examples for teamwork questions.

Research the QAO values.

Read over the values of QAO. There are some specific written questions where this knowledge will help you.

Take some time to review the Queensland Audit Office (QAO) website, so you can get a really good idea of what the office does. You can also learn about QAO's culture by following the QAO's LinkedIn page. Ask yourself whether your values align with QAO's values and try to explain in your own words what the values mean.

Showing a genuine passion for the public sector will make your application stand out.

If possible, reach out to employees on LinkedIn and get to know the company. Understand what we do on a day to day basis so you are prepared for any questions in the interview.

Don't overthink your answers and be honest. They are not looking to trick you or trip you up, just want to get a better understanding of how you operate as a person and what you can bring to the organisation.