A Guide to Understanding CA Interviews at Startups
Introduction
In recent years, startups have emerged as a driving force in the business world, offering innovative solutions, dynamic work environments, and exciting career opportunities. For Chartered Accountants (CAs), these upcoming ventures present a unique chance to step beyond traditional roles and contribute to the growth of young organizations.
Startups differ from established corporations in their approach to business operations, requiring professionals who can adapt quickly and wear multiple hats. We interviewed our student, CA Naman Agarwal. Based on his experiences, this guide will help you navigate your journey into the startup world and set yourself apart as a valuable asset.
How to Apply for Jobs at Startups?
Since startups are smaller than corporate firms, they don’t have a lot of job openings. Below listed are the best ways to find jobs and apply for them at startups:
- Careers Page: Students can check the careers pages of the startups. Some companies may list job openings on the webpage or mention an email address for contacting the HR team. You can apply for the listed job openings or email the concerned people your resume and ask for an appointment to interview at the firm.
- LinkedIn: You can use LinkedIn to find the right people to connect with in startups. The jobs portal on the site also helps in finding new opportunities. You can search for the company and job role you wish to interview for and apply for them through LinkedIn.
- Connections: Startups hire people through internal referrals since they trust their contacts more. Speaking to your connections for job opportunities may be another great way to apply at startups.
CA Interviews at Startups for Business Finance Role
CA Naman spoke about a few interviews he gave at various startups and since the job role was in Business Finance, the interview format was pretty similar. The startup where he accepted the offer had an HR round and 3 technical rounds.
HR Round
The HR round is general profile screening and resume-related questions. Questions on your Articleship experiences may also be asked. This round is part of filtering out candidates from the large pool the company receives. Once the interviewer is satisfied with your responses, they will schedule an interview with the managers for the technical round.
Manager Round
CA Naman’s first technical interview round was focused on his articleship experience and all the work he did during that time. The manager also explained what work would be assigned to him in their company, what would be his view on the work and how he would approach it. The interview went on for about 30 minutes.
Director Round
CA Naman told us that the director’s round was the interview with the most technical questions. A few questions asked by the director were:
- What’s the difference between unearned and unbilled revenue?
- Why do you want to work at a startup?
- If a startup fails, what would be your backup plan?
- Practical Case Study on IND AS 115
CFO Round
This round may or may not be conducted based on the availability of the CFO. If the CFO is one of the managing directors, the previous round may be the last. CA Naman’s experience with the CFO was more on explaining his articleship experiences and contributions. Along with a few case study questions, he was also asked to explain his articleship tasks, substantiating them with numbers.
Questions asked in the Business Finance CA Interviews at Startups
- Financial Reporting topics
- IND AS 115 & 116
- Financial Instruments
- Why join startups?
- Do you know Macros in Excel?
Along with these, the interviewers in startups are looking for a zeal for working and how tactfully a candidate answers case study questions. For example, if they ask you to rate yourself from 1 to 10, you should be able to pick a number and justify your reason for choosing that number.
Since startups are small-scale businesses, they are looking to get that one candidate who will be the best fit for the company. Startups in their growth phase, want to know how you would contribute to their motto and working culture and if you have a consultant mindset.
What to look for before applying for CA Interviews at Startups?
There are a few tips we can offer to make your job hunt easier and successful.
- Series of Funding: Check which series of funding (Series A, B or C) the startup falls under. This will help you choose the best option to apply for.
- Investors: Also check on who is investing in the company. Many big names in the industry invest in startups with long-term plans of making them listed companies.
- News: Keep updated on news related to the latest startups and finance investing.
- Online Communities: Joining online communities on Whatsapp and Telegram will help in getting updates on the latest job openings at startups.
How CA Interviews at Startups are different from other domain interviews?
The biggest difference is that in conventional CA role interviews, the interviews focus on questions on auditing, taxation and the laws the candidates may have covered under their articleship.
Well-known startups like Flipkart, Myntra, Meesho and more, may focus more on the technical side of questioning during interviews. They may grill you on your technical knowledge.
Upcoming startups focus more on the person’s mindset towards working and their problem-solving skills, along with some focus on technical knowledge related o articleship experience.
Preparation Tips for CA Interviews at Startups
- Learn about important terminology related to startups like:
- Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)
- Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
- Churn Rate
- Gross merchandise volume (GMV)
- Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
- Check sites like Startup News and Your Story for the latest news on startups.
- You can also sign up for incubation centres like Ycombinator. These sites allow you to create a profile and they match your profile to potential job openings in startups.
Conclusion
Preparing for CA interviews at Startups requires much effort as a fresher. Having placed more than 13,000 students at their dream companies, we know how to cater to your needs.
Ultimately, every interview is a learning experience. Whether you secure the role or not, the effort you put in today will prepare you for even bigger opportunities tomorrow. So dream big, work hard, and trust that your dedication will lead to success.
Join our Getting Interview Ready Workshop now to learn more on interview prep.
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