About five years ago, I underwent the recruitment process of the big 4 accounting firms as an undergraduate. It was not a smooth ride, I must say. There are some things that I had to learn the hard way. If you are currently in your junior or senior year and looking to sign on to the big 4 accounting firms, sit tight because, in this blog, I will be sharing with you some hot and fresh tips on how I prepared for recruiting
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Generally, the recruiting process is slightly different depending on your class level, whether you’re in your sophomore, junior, or senior year but the structure is pretty much similar in terms of the interview process and the application forms that you need to prepare.
Now, here are some tips that you need to take note of if you plan on signing up for the recruitment process of the big 4 accounting firms.
- Start working on your resume and cover letter even before the application opens up in your school portal.
This is one of the mistakes I committed during the process. I was not able to prepare ahead of time, and we all know how messy procrastinating can be. This can lead to your resume and cover letter not being able to fully and accurately represent who you truly are and what you can offer for the company.
- Once your school portal opens up, it is when you can submit material to the accounting firms.
This step should not be complicated at all but I would recommend that you dedicate a fair amount of time working on this as well as it is a pretty long detailed application that includes your personal information.
- You will be notified for the first round of interviews which is usually done within the campus.
During this interview, expect to be asked a lot of behavioral or situational questions which you’ll have to answer using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method.
- If you passed the first interview, the firm will contact you for the second round.
The invitation for a second interview is usually sent in a week or two after the first interview and is typically done in-house. If you didn’t get a notification within this time frame, it most likely means that you did not pass the first round.
Part of the preparation for the in-house interview is conducting company research. Learn about their clients, the firm’s culture, the work atmosphere, etc. You may also ask some professionals to a coffee chat and ask more in depth questions that will help you with your research. This can also help you build a good network among the professionals within the firm.
Before the actual in-house interview, you might be assigned with an interview buddy within the firm to help you prepare more and provide you with some helpful tips.
- If you passed the second interview, you will get a notification from the firm in a week or two.
The waiting game is absolutely thrilling and a week might feel like a century. So, find some activities that you can do to keep yourself occupied while waiting for the results.
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