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Which of the Big Four offer the best graduate programme?

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Comments

  • #32
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    ryanf1 wrote: »
    I think there is alot more to me than my academic grades and I would like to have the chance to show that to a company.

    There's a lot more to all of us, including people who tick all those boxes! These programmes are hugely competitive to get into, so they need to cut down the numbers too, in addition to knowing someone has the studying chops.
    ryanf1 wrote: »
    Some is due to personal reasons which mean that what I have achieved in academic terms is quite impressive for me personally.

    I understand. My degree took six years with some crap results thrown in, due to a long illness. I got a 2.1 in the end, so have always just been honest about the reasons for my lacklustre performance some of those years.


  • #33
    Gael23
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,151 ✭✭✭✭Gael23


    April O Neill wrote: »
    I understand. My degree took six years with some crap results thrown in, due to a long illness. I got a 2.1 in the end, so have always just been honest about the reasons for my lacklustre performance some of those years.

    Does that honesty get you anywhere? I have had medical issues since I was born so what I have managed to achieve both in school and college is a million miles from the way things were supposed to turn out. My telling them about that I would be slightly worried it might be a turn off even though its an attempt to explain my grades.


  • #34
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    ryanf1 wrote: »
    Does that honesty get you anywhere? I have had medical issues since I was born

    Yes, I've always been open about it. I've got a few jobs now where they were fully knowledgeable on it. It's better to be honest, and actually, potentially employers need to know about it, as if you don't inform them and become ill again, it can breach your contract.

    If it has affected academic results, it will probably help to bring it up, rather than hinder. I understand your apprehension, I was the same. Put it this way, what have you got to lose? If you don't explain why your results aren't up to their requirements, then you won't get a look in. This way you might!


  • #35
    Rothmans
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,807 ✭✭✭Rothmans


    ryanf1 wrote: »
    Does that honesty get you anywhere? I have had medical issues since I was born so what I have managed to achieve both in school and college is a million miles from the way things were supposed to turn out. My telling them about that I would be slightly worried it might be a turn off even though its an app emit to explain my grades.

    I know what you're saying alright, how close were you to the minimum entry requirements?


  • #36
    Gael23
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,151 ✭✭✭✭Gael23


    Rothmans wrote: »
    I know what you're saying alright, how close were you to the minimum entry requirements?
    I got 395 LC points and will most likely graduate with a 2:2 degree. Most want 400+ points and a 2:1 degree.


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  • #37
    witchgirl26
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,360 ✭✭✭witchgirl26


    Johnny_Fontane wrote: »
    Remember future ACA's, that its is incredibly important which area of big 4 you go into.

    I specialise in recruiting for accountants and we see so many newly qualified big 4 ACA's trying to move from FS audit into Industry roles.

    Whilst it can be done, its difficult.

    Its not enough to just get in to the Big 4, you need to make sure that you get into the right area and know what to expect when you come out.


    Hmmm I'm not sure about this at all really. I qualified via the FS audit department in KPMG a couple of years ago. Stayed on for a bit and then last year decided to move to pastures new. I applied for lots of jobs within the financial industry as that's where my strengths were according to the recruiter & based on my experience......nada from 14 interviews. Was offered a job in industry in a sector I'd never gone near in Internal Audit (so no figures really involved) after 1 interview with them. Also a lot of the big 4 don't let you pick which audit sector you go into.


  • #38
    An Citeog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,096 ✭✭✭An Citeog


    ryanf1 wrote: »
    I got 395 LC points and will most likely graduate with a 2:2 degree. Most want 400+ points and a 2:1 degree.

    Why would they choose you over someone with 425+ points, a 2.1 and extra curriculars? That's who you'd be competing against and it'd be impossible for them to interview everybody that applies.

    Also, the professional exams are a couple of steps up from undergrad level so there's a greater chance that somebody who meets the entry criteria will get them first time than somebody who doesn't. Also, the LC is the only exam that almost all candidates will have sat, so is a useful comparison aswell as having to distinguish between various courses across different colleges.


  • #39
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    An Citeog wrote: »

    Also, the professional exams are a couple of steps up from undergrad level so there's a greater chance that somebody who meets the entry criteria will get them first time than somebody who doesn't. Also, the LC is the only exam that almost all candidates will have sat, so is a useful comparison aswell as having to distinguish between various courses across different colleges.

    Good points.

    I've never done any professional exams, but have heard they are tough. Which undergrad have never been, once I've put the work in. And then you have to factor in that people are working full-time while studying for professionals.

    I think another reason why the LC is considered is that it is, in some ways, more gruelling than undergrad in that you have a wide range of subjects to study, and because you have full days at school, doing well at it shows you have the time-management skills you need if study and working.


  • #40
    freema
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30 ✭freema


    Has anyone heard any replies from ey?


  • #41
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    freema wrote: »
    Has anyone heard any replies from ey?

    Not yet!


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  • #42
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    freema wrote: »
    Has anyone heard any replies from ey?
    April O Neill wrote: »
    Not yet!

    But to add to this; the closing date was only Monday the 26th, so I wouldn't fret just yet if I were you. :)


  • #43
    freema
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30 ✭freema


    Got a phone call off them this morning!did anyone else hear any replies?


  • #44
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    freema wrote: »
    Got a phone call off them this morning!did anyone else hear any replies?
    Nope, I'll take that as a no for me so! :) What date did you submit your application?


  • #45
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    On my job page it's says
    Submission Completed – Updated: 30/Aug/13

    Which is today. Wonder what 'updated' means?


  • #46
    Stabshauptmann
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,885 ✭✭✭Stabshauptmann


    A friendly heads up, you are not in your friend's kitchen.

    You'd be surprised what people say in pubs, buses, boards.ie or facebook that they think is private, and well, it's not...


  • #47
    Stabshauptmann
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,885 ✭✭✭Stabshauptmann


    TokenWhite wrote: »
    Minimum of 425 points? Christ alive, even with what I would think is a relatively strong CV compared to most graduates (comfortable 1.1, couple of different jobs a few academic awards, including one national one) I think that's me out. Is it similar criteria for all the big accounting firms?

    I never really knew what I wanted to do with my life when I sat my LC so was never really motivated to study for it, and only managed to get a very average 305 points in it. I thought my work experience and the other achievements would make up for it but if the applications without the minimum LC points are filtered out, am I as well not to bother even wasting my time applying? and rather just focus on smaller firms?

    I do not know how the HR department work. But I was in a different firm in 2011 and put a friend's CV forward. He had 445 points and it was rejected because he had less than 500 LC points. I told the head of dept in as polite and politik way as possible that that was a nonesense, but that was their call.


  • #48
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    Stabshauptmann wrote: »
    A friendly heads up, you are not in your friend's kitchen.

    You'd be surprised what people say in pubs, buses, boards.ie or facebook that they think is private, and well, it's not...

    Post deleted, though there was nothing in that post that wasn't on my application. ;)

    Though on Facebook, if your page is locked down, you only have to worry about what you write on other people's pages. Your own page can very much be private bar profile pic and cover photos.


  • #49
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    Stabshauptmann wrote: »
    I do not know how the HR department work. But I was in a different firm in 2011 and put a friend's CV forward. He had 445 points and it was rejected because he had less than 500 LC points. I told the head of dept in as polite and politik way as possible that that was a nonesense, but that was their call.

    Did he have a 2.1 degree? Did he have the required grades in Maths and English?


  • #50
    freema
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30 ✭freema


    Has anyone heard anything about their interviews?


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