I know this forum doesn't look to kindly on Big 4 accounting but it is the path I have chosen to start off with. Just to say it upfront I do intend to leave auditing after either year 3 or 4.
I'll be looking to interview for a Big 4 full time job in the Fall at a top 25 accounting school (NIU) so all of our recruiting is on campus and we are a highly recruited school. Now I have not had a internship before do have some other experiences. Also my GPA is 3.94 for accounting and I believe 3.8 overall (could be 3.75).
E-Commerce Firm Owner, Self-Employed, Ebay.com, January 2010- August 2011
• Developed and operated a small computer resale business that specialized in video games and laptops
• Located, negotiated for, and acquired used merchandise and processed for sale
• Used data collected from customers to fine tune products and selection to better meet target market needs
• Created online store front which attracted over 50 unique visits per day
• Utilized Excel and Access to solve financing issues by forecasting for growth and planning all expenditures to use assets completely, wisely, and effectively
Generated social media attention via Facebook and Twitter to inform customers of sales, promotions and discounts
Sales Expert, Petco, Wheaton, IL, April 2010-August 2011
• Assisted in cash handling activities including daily reconciliations and bank deposits
• Trained new employees on company policies, procedures, customer service techniques, and how to handle high traffic situations
• Advised customers on decision making process and demonstrated product knowledge
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
National Association of Black Accountants
• Network with professionals in accounting and finance industries
INTERESTS AND HOBBIES
Golf and intramural sports, Computer building, Paper trading
That is a portion of my resume that I haven't updated since this spring 12' which I'll obviously be updating. Since then I've elected and started to serve as NABA Vice President and have been selected for NIU's ELC course. The ELC course is a prestigious course we must apply to much like a job and work with actual firms (mine is Escort) to work on specific consulting projects. This is not a accounting course but allows for a ton of experience working with groups. I'll also be ready to take the CPA test upon graduation as I'll have 150 hours.
So for those with experience what are my chances at landing a full time interview?
You will definitely get an interview if not an offer from your GPA alone. I worked at a Big 4 before and since you seem to have your accounting courses on lock, you should be golden. Just make sure you have those 150 Hours though.
Depends on your location preference. Like at my school, Big 4 recruited very soon, like August and the offers come out early October. So if your location preference is full, then you won't land any interviews. However, you have 3 location preference.
If anyone could make shit look and smell good, it would be you sir.
I do have the hours situation under control and will be ready to take the CPA actually a little before I graduate. Blueslord, I am in Chicago and would like to stay here unless a opportunity in New York or in California. My schools recruiting will be in early September, not sure when offers come out but I expect by early November. Any idea on how that might effect me?
Excuse me Flake?
So you are competing with UIUC in Chicago, and competing with USC, UCLA, BYU in California. In NYC, I am not sure, but it will be BYU and UIUC definitely. I don't think it will affect much if you do well in the interview. I know in some school like mine, you are going to land interviews at Big 4 with 3.5 GPA for sure and 95% accounting major landed a job at Big 4. It means top 25 is great, but UIUC is right there to compete with you.
I am not accounting major though :))
Have you thought about internal audit? Big 4 is .... When I was undergrad I was deciding between big 4 audit and Internal Audit and Im glad I chose internal audit.
Mbaer, I have thought about internal audit but it does not fit what I want to do in my future as well as external audit especially at a Big 4 firm. Out of curiosity, why did you choose internal audit and why are you glad you choose it?
It was at a BB, way less hours then external for the same money (45hrs per week avg), and I actually got to learn about how BBs work. You literally learn how the business works one process at a time. Disclaimer: I may not have actual use for any of that knowledge in the future, and a lot of it was ops, but it was more fun then what I saw my friends that went to external were doing. They kind of get stuck in the weeds. Just my 2 cents.
My school is actually ranked higher than UIUC in every ranking I've seen but thanks for your and everyone else's input.
What a badass.
Really? So why don't you say that your school is number 1 in accounting then. Wow! Wow!
Because being ranked ahead of UIUC doesn't mean it's #1?
NIU is better than UIUC. What a joke today! Thank you and keep that in mind when you do interview ok :))
Not sure what the hostility is about, I'm just saying my school is highly ranked in accounting. Don't get me wrong it's complete shit in most everything else but it's consistently a top 10 accounting school. I also thought you were referring to University of Illinois Chicago. I guess your referring to Champagne? That school is ranked higher than mine but no need for hostility dude.
Seriously, I doubt people outside of the midwest know the difference between UIUC, NIU, and a whole in the ground.
comeBackid:
UIUC = University of Illinois Urbana Champagne
UIC = University of Illinois Chicago
UIUC is pretty universally regarded as one of the top, if not THE top, accounting programs in the country.
UIC on the other hand, is a regional feeder at best, and as mbaer2012 points out, nobody outside of Chicago has ever heard of it, or would know the difference between NIU and UIC. Also, NIU has never been a top 10 Accounting program - even if you're only looking regionally. Consider, in the Midwest you have UMich, Notre Dame, Indiana, UIUC, Michigan State, UW Madison, Ohio State, UPenn, Penn State, etc. All of these have far more highly regarded Accounting programs than NIU.
Semantics aside, you should have no problems landing a Big4 gig in Chicago. a 3.94 in Accounting is solid. I have an Accounting degree from UMich and know tons of people from regional schools with worse stats than you that got Big4 gigs.
Thanks for that djfiii. I didn't come here to argue about how my school is good or anything because truth be told I could give a shit about that school and whatever it is ranked. I just want to go big 4 and open up opportunities I closed for myself while not putting forth any effort in high school. Although the staff here do tell us NIU is like #7 or something. Thanks everyone for giving me a idea of where I stand I do appreciate it.
On a serious note, we did compete with the Big4 a lot for candidates and regardless of what other people have said a high GPA will get you an interview but not a job. When we recruited every year we would not even look at your resume unless you had a 3.5, and we've turned down many people with GPAs over 3.7 after the first interview. My point is, your resume gets you the interview but after that its all on you. The impression you make in the interview will far outweigh the resume. Good luck!
Great. I am out of SB, sorry
Don't take it personally. People on this forum are prestige whores. That's because the focus of this forum is (mostly) investment banking, consulting, private equity, Asset Management, etc. These fields are notoriously picky about pedigree. You can argue whether that reality is justified, but ultimately it's an academic conversation. As a practical matter, the top firms in those fields recruit only at the top schools, so if your goal is to break in, even if you don't personally hang your hat on prestige - you still have to play the game as it stands today.
So, don't be surprised that everyone pounces on the difference between UIUC and UIC, particularly when you're making claims about NIU superiority. In fact, most people on this board (myself and Illiniprogrammer excluded) would even consider UIUC a sub-par school for purposes of the above. Generally, if you aren't at an Ivy, or MIT, Stanford, UChicago, etc. then you have failed in the minds of most posters around here.
Since your focus is Big4, everyone rightfully circles back to the conclusion that you're golden with a 3.94 after having their say about NIU being a shit school. If you hadn't focused so much on trumpeting the awesomeness of NIU, people probably would have avoided the topic anyway.
l
This is definitely not true. Yeah, for your first few months at Big 4 audit you're doing monkey work, but if you're smart you get bumped up to complex projects very quickly. A few years in and you're working with top financial executives while your IBD counterparts are still doing pitchbooks and PowerPoint. Auditors very rarely follow last year's procedures nowadays. You have to have an in-depth understanding of the business to design your own audit plan each year.
Big 4 is also definitely exclusive. Not like BB IBD exclusive, but last year out of a couple thousand kids interviewed for my office, only a couple dozen made it in. The rule of thumb is about the top 5% of students make it in. Of course, that's top 5% from top state/tier 2 schools, but it's still exclusive. Having said that, the OP has the necessary qualifications to get an interview. Just be cool during the interview, and you'll be fine.
Audit is a great career to get on the fast track without selling your soul.
l
I guess how difficult it is to get in might vary by market - I only have direct experience with one region in the U.S. And I definitely agree on making a break for it after a little while.
Enim vitae delectus laborum totam. Similique ipsa magnam in. Est sapiente voluptas eos animi ab. Et qui ipsam cum amet natus delectus sapiente.
Quis accusantium laudantium sint placeat vitae. Sunt aliquam iste error aut. Non aliquam placeat qui tempore atque. Labore repudiandae quis accusantium aperiam et minima. Ab et et magni sit. Deleniti perferendis repellat facere officia explicabo vel.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Soluta quasi voluptate eius nam et. Laborum est cumque inventore deserunt velit fugiat assumenda.