Big 4 interview question..

lopppy

Hey, I've interviews with KPMG and PwC this week, I'm in my third year of commerce specialising in economics. Accounting isn't my first love but the qualifications i'm told are a great starting point for any business career.

I'm kind of worried that they'll ask me why I didn't choose the Accounting stream. When I applied to them I was hoping for a graduate position in advisory/corporate finance and put them down as my first choice, but the interviews are for their auditing practices.

While I intend on applying to more finance based graduate jobs I would still feel like an idiot to turn down one of the Big 4 in the current climate.

If I get an offer I might see if they'll sponsor me to do some sort of higher diploma in Accounting because it would probably be difficult to compete with accounting specialized students in the exams.

Any advice would be appreciated

ninty9er

Unless the other new starts have previous experience in a firm, you'll be starting from pretty much the same base. The only difference is that you will more than likely have to take CAP 1 exams as an economics major isn't likely to grant exemptions. Talk to the designated exemptions lecturer to ask. The Accounting department should be able to point you to this person.

defiantshrimp

They will certainly sponsor you to do the PDA, but with a commerce/economics background I don't think you would have a problem entering directly after your degree and sitting the CAP1 exams. You need to decide if you want another year in college. The main advantages of doing the PDA is that you avoid doing one set of exams while working (the easiest set). You will qualify half a year later than if you entered directly (3 year contract starting 1 year later versus 3.5 year contract starting straight away). You also miss out on a year of paid employment.

While the qualification is certainly useful for a variety of careers in business finance, I really wouldn't recommend signing up for 3/3.5 years in Audit if you have zero interest in it. I meet far too many people who ended up in Big 4 audit by default (especially those with finance aspirations) and hate it. The work can be trying at times and is not very well paid, if you don't have a good idea of what you want to get out of it you may end up being miserable. Try to talk to anyone you know already working there to get a better idea.

lopppy

Hmm thats very interesting, ya I would like another year in college because all my friends will be in final year next year (I know I shouldn't even be thinking of that but at least I'd have a great year and I'm only 20 anyway!..)

Theres none in NUIGalway but its in GMIT, might go for it cheers!

barbie_j

lopppy wrote: »

Hey, I've interviews with KPMG and PwC this week, I'm in my third year of commerce specialising in economics. Accounting isn't my first love but the qualifications i'm told are a great starting point for any business career.

I'm kind of worried that they'll ask me why I didn't choose the Accounting stream. When I applied to them I was hoping for a graduate position in advisory/corporate finance and put them down as my first choice, but the interviews are for their auditing practices.

While I intend on applying to more finance based graduate jobs I would still feel like an idiot to turn down one of the Big 4 in the current climate.

If I get an offer I might see if they'll sponsor me to do some sort of higher diploma in Accounting because it would probably be difficult to compete with accounting specialized students in the exams.

Any advice would be appreciated

How did PwC interview go?? Mine is next week... a bit nervous

Padkir

barbie_j wrote: »

How did PwC interview go?? Mine is next week... a bit nervous

Just had mine in Galway there about an hour ago! Went grand, but some really tough questions! Make sure ya know why you chose the company that was ur preferred client! and know a bit about the budget/banks etc, which is fairly obvious! Then after that jus be prepeared to talk about urself and ur strengths, goals and ambitions and ya shud be grand!!:D:D

f_deasy

Hi everyone,

I have an interview with ernst and young next week and I'm just wondering what kind of questions they have asked in the past as I have heard they can be awful!

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Pandoras Twist

I did E&Y's mock interviews last month, theyve changed their interview style. I found them grand. Just short questions really.

barbie_j

Padkir wrote: »

Just had mine in Galway there about an hour ago! Went grand, but some really tough questions! Make sure ya know why you chose the company that was ur preferred client! and know a bit about the budget/banks etc, which is fairly obvious! Then after that jus be prepeared to talk about urself and ur strengths, goals and ambitions and ya shud be grand!!:D:D

Thanks a mill!!! any news from them yet??

Padkir

barbie_j wrote: »

Thanks a mill!!! any news from them yet??

Musta gone well because I got a phone call this mornin with an offer!!:):)
happy days!!!

jdooley28

Padkir wrote: »

Musta gone well because I got a phone call this mornin with an offer!!:):)
happy days!!!

Congragulations!!!

Just about the banking questions how technical were they?

lopppy

I was asked if there was anything going on in the economy in the last few weeks so I just went on about the budget which everyone was ready for..

The interviews are a lot more informal than you'd expect, and they basically just run through your application form so you won't get too many surprise questions.

Got an offer from kpmg yesterday and pwc today, happy days

jdooley28

I done the kpmg 1 before but wasnt succe3ssful.. i did really well(i think) in the 1st one and then just went badly in the second 1!

Padkir

jdooley28 wrote: »

Congragulations!!!

Just about the banking questions how technical were they?

Ah, not too technical, more the kinda chat ud have with the auld men down the pub!!

ted2767

How soon after interviews do they normally make offers have pwc next week

Padkir

ted2767 wrote: »

How soon after interviews do they normally make offers have pwc next week

Well for kpmg and pwc I got a phone call the followin day, and deloitte it was that evenin! But i suppose it differs, and dublin ones wil prob take longer cos theres more for interviewin!!

Muzi5434

Padkir wrote: »

Well for kpmg and pwc I got a phone call the followin day, and deloitte it was that evenin! But i suppose it differs, and dublin ones wil prob take longer cos theres more for interviewin!!

How did you find the e-tray exercise for Deloitte?

And what type of questions did they ask in the interview?

ted2767

So if you don't hear in a few days then you've not going to get called then I assume?

Louise1988

Does anyone know what the set up for KPMG business exercise or any advice on it?

jdooley28

Last year was just 2 questions they sit everyone down in a room with a load of desktops and ya answer them. Then when you go into the second interview the interviewer has your answers in front of them.

I got 1) How would your current/previous employr describe you? Give examples of responsibilities you have held at work?

2) Discuss a business/economy that is doing well in the reccession?

Louise1988

jdooley28 wrote: »

Last year was just 2 questions they sit everyone down in a room with a load of desktops and ya answer them. Then when you go into the second interview the interviewer has your answers in front of them.

I got 1) How would your current/previous employr describe you? Give examples of responsibilities you have held at work?

2) Discuss a business/economy that is doing well in the reccession?

Thank you for the reply Jdooley, very helpful.

barbie_j

Padkir wrote: »

Musta gone well because I got a phone call this mornin with an offer!!:):)
happy days!!!

Congrats!!!!
Are you from NUIG? cos your interview is much earlier than ours.... thanks for your post... really helps!!!
Once again, congrats!!!;)

Padkir

barbie_j wrote: »

Congrats!!!!
Are you from NUIG? cos your interview is much earlier than ours.... thanks for your post... really helps!!!
Once again, congrats!!!;)

Yup, in NUIG, so I'm gettin the Galway office!! Not sure if ill take it yet but i prob will!!:rolleyes:
Where r u from?? Where ya in college??

barbie_j

Padkir wrote: »

Yup, in NUIG, so I'm gettin the Galway office!! Not sure if ill take it yet but i prob will!!:rolleyes:
Where r u from?? Where ya in college??

I am applying the position in Dublin, and already graduated from DCU...
just wondering, the budget and bank topics, for the bank: Anglo Irish bank, NAMA, Asset mgmt in PwC... for the new budget: which sectors suffering pay cut, what is your opinion on it.

Do you think that's enough for these two topics??

barbie_j

Padkir wrote: »

Yup, in NUIG, so I'm gettin the Galway office!! Not sure if ill take it yet but i prob will!!:rolleyes:
Where r u from?? Where ya in college??

seems u got great choice!!!:D

Padkir

barbie_j wrote: »

I am applying the position in Dublin, and already graduated from DCU...
just wondering, the budget and bank topics, for the bank: Anglo Irish bank, NAMA, Asset mgmt in PwC... for the new budget: which sectors suffering pay cut, what is your opinion on it.

Do you think that's enough for these two topics??

Yeah id say ud be pretty sound if ya knew enough about them. It cud be that ya only get one question on all of that, but like if ur confident talkin about it ya can kinda lead one thing into another urself! id say they'd prob appreciate that better, the fact that ur confident talkin about it! :D
Eh, aswell as that maybe jus know a little bit about the challenges facin the company u chose for the commercial awareness question, and what they cud do! I got asked about that anyway and wasnt nearly well enuf prepared for it!!

And yeah, I have a bitta choice so im happy out! Was at an interview for RBK in Athlone today too and they seem great, so if i get an offer from them im gonna be fairly confused...!!:o:confused

Padkir

Louise1988 wrote: »

Does anyone know what the set up for KPMG business exercise or any advice on it?

Same format as mentioned above, my 2 questions were;
1. What do you fell you could bring to KPMG?
2. KPMG are again among the most attractive employers in the country, what do you think sets us apart from other employers?

I'm paraphrasin but it was somethin along those lines!!;)

barbie_j

Padkir wrote: »

Yeah id say ud be pretty sound if ya knew enough about them. It cud be that ya only get one question on all of that, but like if ur confident talkin about it ya can kinda lead one thing into another urself! id say they'd prob appreciate that better, the fact that ur confident talkin about it! :D
Eh, aswell as that maybe jus know a little bit about the challenges facin the company u chose for the commercial awareness question, and what they cud do! I got asked about that anyway and wasnt nearly well enuf prepared for it!!

And yeah, I have a bitta choice so im happy out! Was at an interview for RBK in Athlone today too and they seem great, so if i get an offer from them im gonna be fairly confused...!!:o:confused

oh god... leave some places for us!!! :)

Padkir

barbie_j wrote: »

oh god... leave some places for us!!! :)

ha, sure I can only take 1!! So many potential employers to disappoint...!!:p;)
It's gud havin a choice and all, but lik i really dunno wat to do! One of the lads i know, all he got was a deloitte interview, but they gave an offer and said they'd sponsor his masters, so now hes sorted, with no decisions at all!! Sure that's the life!!:D:D

barbie_j

Padkir wrote: »

ha, sure I can only take 1!! So many potential employers to disappoint...!!:p;)
It's gud havin a choice and all, but lik i really dunno wat to do! One of the lads i know, all he got was a deloitte interview, but they gave an offer and said they'd sponsor his masters, so now hes sorted, with no decisions at all!! Sure that's the life!!:D:D

that's the life
I am applying asset mgmt, do you think they will ask v. technical q about asset mgmt? I honestly dunno how to ans it... like: what u think asset mgmt do??

Padkir

barbie_j wrote: »

that's the life
I am applying asset mgmt, do you think they will ask v. technical q about asset mgmt? I honestly dunno how to ans it... like: what u think asset mgmt do??

To be honest I haven a clue about that topic!! I picked retail and distribution and it tied in nicely with the company i picked with the commercial awareness! I suppose if ya knew a little bit about it and said ya were lookin forward to learnin more about it ud prob get away with that!!
When is ur interview again??

barbie_j

Padkir wrote: »

To be honest I haven a clue about that topic!! I picked retail and distribution and it tied in nicely with the company i picked with the commercial awareness! I suppose if ya knew a little bit about it and said ya were lookin forward to learnin more about it ud prob get away with that!!
When is ur interview again??

mine is Thurs.... I wud assume they wudnt ask too technical q about asset mgmt.. just nervous..

Padkir

barbie_j wrote: »

mine is Thurs.... I wud assume they wudnt ask too technical q about asset mgmt.. just nervous..

yeah they couldnt really expect ya to know too much about it to be fair!!;)
Try not to worry about it, i was really nervous goin into mine too but it went grand like, they'll take the first 5 or 10 mins goin thru results and interests and stuff lik that which will calm ya down no end! I know it calmed me down anyway!!:):)