I agree with Keely. For Big 4, experience is not that imporatnt because they expect you will work hard and are capable of learning at a fast pace and they will teach you everything. Neither is certification which is why they pay for your licensing and study materials. You just have to demonstrate that you're smart and willing to work hard, you're eligible to sit for the exams and committed to getting licensed, and you work well in a team environment. So don't be the loner at a recruiting event…make sure you're smiling and chatting with someone whether you know who they are or not.
Network, network, network!!!!! When I was in Big 4, I was really impressed with a intern I had. Not only was he great, but he told me that he went to a small state school and Big 4 didn't recruit on his campus. So he got the recruiting calendars for several larger schools and he would attend those events. And that's how he got his foot in the door. I've also gone bar hopping and ran into some partners in town for a meeting. They were chatty and ready to accept resumes. Big4 are always looking for smart, young, capable, ambitious people to work as slaves for them 🙂
If you're going through Big 4 recruiting at your school…it is a lot like Greek Rush. It's about personality and fit because the work you'll be doing and the kind of hours you'll be putting in are all the same no matter which firm you choose. So show them (not tell them) that you're smart and a hard worker (a lot of times they guage your GPA for this which is one of the reasons why they have minimum GPA requirements), you'll get your CPA, and you can get along with anyone and everyone.
In the actual interviews they ask lots of personality/behavioral questions. Nothing about your knowledge in anything accounting (unless you're categorized as an experienced hire–meaning you are already a senior, manager, partner somewhere and interviewing at Big 4 for a similar or higher position. Then they ask you technical questions to make sure you're qualified and can hit the ground running). They will ask questions that help them determine your personality and whether are a good fit. This usually starts with “Tell me a little about yourself”. But I have had questions like “What is your favorite movie and why” and the good old “If you were and animal, what would you be and why?”. They want to know how you handle stress and sometimes how you handle potentially unethical situations. I've been asked “If a friend of yours had to skip class for a legitimate reason, say she was feeling a little sick, then she asked you to let her copy all your notes and homework for the day she missed, what would you do and how you would say it to her? What if she skipped school for a not so legitimate reason, say she went to the mall with another friend?” I've gotten questions too bizarre to share here as well…I think they just wanted to see me squirm and how I would tackle the situation.
When I became the one asking recruits questions I would ask stuff like, “So how is school going? Is your program challenging? Do you have questions for me? ” Wrong answer would be “OMG…the program is so intense! I'm so stressed and tired all the time. I can't wait to graduate! So, how bad are the hours? I heard they're bad but is it like working 10 hours a day?” Any thing that sounds like whinning, that you can't handle stress, that you can't sit and work for more thant 8 or 10 hours a day is a bad sign to Big 4. LOL!!!
B - 83 Done
A - 88 Done
R - 81 Done
F - 77 Done
Ethics - Done
Attest Hours - Done
Licensed-May 2013!
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