Fran Green, Audit Associate

What made you apply to the National Audit Office?

I really enjoy applied maths, so when I was looking for a job, I knew that the finance sector would be the right place for me. But the constant nagging in the back of my head was that I wanted my work to have a bit of an impact and to help other people. The National Audit Office holds the government accountable for their spending and so therefore is working for the public to scrutinise our government. This sounded like the perfect mix of maths and helping others and so I applied there almost immediately.

Which part of the assessment process did you find easiest or hardest?

The assessment process was fairly straightforward. I think for me I struggled with the assessment centre because I didn’t want to come on too strong but also didn’t want to get lost in the crowd of eligible candidates!

What 3 tips do you have for students that are applying to the National Audit Office?

The three tips I would give are:

1. Stay organised! Research the National Audit office during your application and keep a file of information about them. Don’t overload yourself with applications that you forget where you have applied.
Furthermore, if you research them, during your interviews you can ask the NAO questions too and find out if it really is a place you want to work.

2. At the interview, be yourself. Surprisingly, it is easy for an interviewer to spot when you’re not being yourself. If you don’t do something, don’t pretend to! At the National Audit Office, our workforce is diverse and there are people from different backgrounds and with different hobbies and ideas of fun! You don’t need to pretend to be something you’re not when you are working here.

3. Before your interview – don’t sit in silence! Have a chat with someone – anyone beforehand to help you feel at ease. If you just sit silently before your interview, it might take you a second to warm up to chatting with the interviewer!

Good luck with your application!!