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Prepare the basics clearly
Know your résumé, graduation timing, service-line preference, CPA plan, office interest, and why the firm.
Accounting recruiter screen
Accounting Internship Recruiter Phone Screen: What Should I Expect?
A quick recruiter call is usually a screening conversation, not a surprise CPA exam over the phone.
The recruiter may be confirming your background, graduation date, CPA eligibility timeline, service-line interest, office preference, availability, and whether moving you into the formal interview makes sense.
Practice More QuestionsQuestions I would prepare
Tell me about yourself.
Why accounting?
Why public accounting?
Why audit or tax?
Why this firm?
When do you graduate?
What are your CPA plans?
Which office are you interested in?
How technical will it be?
For a recruiter screening call, prioritize explaining your interests and timeline clearly over memorizing detailed accounting rules. If the recruiter specifically tells you there is a technical component, prepare for that instead.
Questions to ask the recruiter
What does the interview process look like after this?
Which office would the internship sit in?
What is the internship timeline?
Are interns aligned to an industry beforehand?
What are the CPA-eligibility expectations?
Do not stretch the call to prove interest
A screening call can be short. Answer the question, ask a couple useful questions, and do not keep the recruiter on the phone because you think duration equals success.
Before you answer
Take the call somewhere quiet, have the job description open, and know your own application well enough that the recruiter does not have to remind you which role you applied for.
Short does not mean unimportant
Use the recruiter screen to make your timeline, interests, and fit easy to understand.
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