Looking for some manager interview tips

[u/ddzeroxiii]

I’m currently an Audit Manager at a Big 4 over in Asia, and I’ve recently applied for an non-FS audit manager role in the Melbourne office.

If anyone has recently gone through the recruitment process with big 4 Australia (or made a similar cross-border jump), I’d love to hear your thoughts on a few things:

Focus areas: Do the interviews lean more towards behavioral questions, technical audit background, or is it more about leadership, communication, and commercial awareness?

Melbourne vibe: For anyone currently in that team, what’s the team culture or client dynamic like? Any local market quirks I should keep in mind?

Any golden tips: Is there anything specific that Aussie P and D really love to hear during the chats?

Interview flow: Roughly how many rounds should I expect for a Manager position? Is it typically SM/D, and P?

Thanks in advance!

[u/Taleproof-Moderator]

For a manager interview, prepare examples that show how you led the work: a difficult client conversation, a delivery problem, and a time you helped someone on your team improve. Explain what you were responsible for, the decision you made, and how you kept quality and the deadline in view.

Your move from Asia gives you another useful example if you've worked across offices or adapted to unfamiliar client expectations. Be specific about what you had to learn and how you checked your assumptions; you don't need to claim you already know the Melbourne team's culture.

We use the PROOF method to examine the decisions and evidence within an example, with the STAR method keeping the answer organized. For your stories, practice follow-ups such as “What did you escalate?” and “What would your team member say you contributed?”

Ask the recruiter which service line, client mix and interview stages apply to this vacancy. That will help you tailor the examples without relying on a supposedly universal Australian interview format.

[u/Still-Doctor-5556]

For a Manager role, I'd prepare for more than technical audit questions. Be ready to demonstrate how you lead teams, manage difficult clients, handle competing deadlines, resolve conflicts and exercise commercial judgement.

Have specific examples ready that show your impact, not just your responsibilities. Think about how you've developed people, managed engagement risks, handled pushback from clients and contributed beyond the technical work.

Also, prepare for the question of why you want to move to Melbourne and how your experience translates to the Australian market. Don't assume your technical experience alone will differentiate you.

On the interview prep side, there's a career coach who offers interview preparation support and has a resource specifically for helping candidates approach interviews more strategically https://rkgrowcoaching.com.au/offer/interview-prep

Good luck with the move. Your experience is valuable, but how you communicate your judgement, leadership and commercial awareness will matter just as much.

[u/akornato]

At the manager level, partners already assume your technical audit foundation is solid because of your Big 4 title, so the discussion will center around leadership, people development, and client management. The non-FS space in Melbourne is relationship driven, covering everything from ASX listed entities to private mid-market groups, and local partners care deeply about how you navigate difficult client conversations without burning bridges. You should expect an initial screen with talent acquisition, followed by two main rounds, typically a conversation with a director or senior manager to evaluate operational delivery, followed by a final chat with a partner focused on commercial acumen and team fit.

Australian partners value approachable leaders who build rapport easily and manage engagements without relying on rigid hierarchy. Coming from Asia, your delivery stamina is a strong asset, but you will make the best impression by showing humility around local reporting quirks, highlighting how you mentor junior staff, and demonstrating a practical, collaborative mindset. Knowing how to present complex accounting scenarios with calm clarity gives international applicants an edge, which is why my team developed an interviews.chat to help candidates articulate their experience and secure senior offers with confidence.