Getting a job at one of the Big Four accounting firms is your ticket to success. Not only will you earn a handsome salary but your resume and experience will demand respect from leaders and professionals in the accounting industry. As your career progresses, you will build a network of other elite professionals that will prove to be priceless. Who are the Big Four accounting firms that recent college graduates are trying so hard to work for? The Big Four are PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Deloitte and Touché, and Ernst & Young. With the extreme competition, how can you get your foot in the door?
KPMG
In 2014, KPMG is planning to hire 16,000 people in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Most of the hires will be recent college graduates (9,000), 7,000 will be experienced accounting professionals and 70 to 80 will be partners. Their campus and online recruitments will be in the audit, advisory and tax specialties. For more information about their recruitment efforts for 2014, check out this efinancialcareers.com article.
Networking
Recruiters from the Big Four will pursue freshman and sophomore accounting college students with good grades. KPMG gives a look into their recruitment process for college campus hires at efinancialcareers.com. KPMG concentrates on the top 50 universities but their recruiting spans 300 schools. They host networking events where attendance at these events is critical.
Leadership programs
Leadership programs are offered by the accounting firms. These programs allow the students to work at the firm for three or four days. Their work is assessed and if they are good, they will move to the next step in the recruitment process. KPMG holds a KICC (KPMG International Case Competition) every year where students solve business issues and meet the firm’s partners. They use this competition as a recruitment tool.
Internships
If your grades are good and you have attended the networking events and leadership programs, you will be offered an internship during your senior year of college. If your internship is successful, chances are you will get a job offer when you graduate.
Good Grades
If you are a recent college graduate or about to graduate and have not participated in the above steps, you still have a chance although competition is extremely high. A 4.0 in all of your accounting classes is essential.
Bilingual Skills
Speaking more than one language carries a lot of weight these days. Many entry-level positions at these firms require travel. Big Four accounting firms are international and do business on a global basis.
Study Abroad
Exchange students that participate in programs that allow them to study abroad are looked at in a very positive light. They show that you have a global mindset and are willing to learn another culture.
Relevant Work Experience
If you can work part-time as an accounting clerk, bookkeeper or some other work that is relevant to accounting, it is a plus but not essential.
Honor, Achievements and Scholarships
Good grades will land you on the Dean’s List which is looked at favorably. Try to join the accounting club and if you can become an officer.
Resumes
Make sure that your resume is free of typos, spelling and grammar errors. Your resume should consist of one page. You should include your overall grade point average and also the GPA of your accounting classes. Be truthful about your experience or lack of experience.
Cover Letters
Don’t, don’t, don’t, did I say don’t send the same cover letter to each firm that you are applying to. You need to customize your cover letter according to the position and the firm. Sending standard cover letters are very obvious and are discarded along with your resume. Your cover letter should reflect that time and effort was put into writing it.
Interviews
After filling out an online application and passing a cognitive ability test, you will be invited to your first interview. This interview is with a recruitment that will focus on your abilities and how well you will fit into the KPMG organization. You are then invited to a second interview with a business member who will assess your market and technical knowledge. A job offer is extended after the second interview.
It is normal to be nervous at an interview. To alleviate the nervousness, practice how you will answer typical questions like:
- Tell me about yourself
- Why do you what to work for us
- How would you handle a conflict with a co-worker
Be ready for a technical interview. Take the practice tests because you will be asked about accounting procedures and practices.
Wear conservative and professional attire to the interview. For ladies, if you can see up it, down it or through it, don’t wear it.
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Currently, PricewaterhouseCoopers’s is hiring 12% more people than in 2012. They currently have 100 positions in America and over 100 positions overseas that need to be filled in their public sector division. Of the new hires, 30 percent will be recent undergraduates and MBA graduates. The remaining 70 percent will be experienced professionals.
About 40 percent of the new hires will have experience working in the public sector. They are looking for people that have a good work ethic, analytical skills, intelligence and experience in the position for which they are hiring. More importantly, if you share views with the public sector’s mission, you have a good chance of getting the job. Do your homework and research when preparing for this interview. For more information, check out this efinancials.com article.
Conclusion
Networking is very important. As a college campus hire, you are given opportunities to become visible to the recruiters. For experienced professionals, build an impressive one page resume and customized cover letter. All candidates need to research the firm they are interviewing for and be very prepared for the interview.
