TIPS TO HELP YOU LAND THAT GREAT ACCOUNTING POSITION
Here are suggestions from Behrend alumni, faculty, and the Academic and Career Planning Center (ACPC)
Long Before the Interview
1.
Good Grades. For Big 4, at least a 3.2 and majority of
your competition will be 3.5 or better; if under 3.5, be
exceptional in several other ways and show it on resume.
2.
Cliché = "be involved" Fact = BE INVOLVED, EARLY.
Senior year is too late! Show a record of community &
campus involvement--VERY important to firms that make
their living by networking skills.
a. Be in fewer groups, but be heavily involved, seek
leadership roles (formal & informal). They recognize
BS ones where you only attend an occasional meeting.
b. Be able to talk about organization accomplishments,
what you contributed, what you got from and what
you brought to the organization. Students that have
great interviews say this was huge because they were
able to chat comfortably about things they knew well.
3.
Meet Accountants and Be Where Accountants Are. If at
a community function where there might be someone
that works at a firm where you hope to interview
someday, introduce yourself.
a. If you are nervous try "I just wanted to take the
opportunity to meet someone from a firm that I'm
hoping to work for in a couple years when I have
completed my coursework." They likely will ask about
where you go to school, how much longer you have
until graduation, or why you want to be Big 4.
b. As long as you have considered these types of
questions, you will find yourself in a conversation with
someone that may be able to give you a needed boost
from the inside. You could ask what suggestions or
career advice she/he might offer.
4.
Get 150 Credits. Before heading out for a full-time job;
have a plan even if it is summer community college
credits if a graduate degree isn’t possible now.
5.
Apply ASAP. The Big 4 recruit as early as mid-September
for positions starting the following summer or fall. Use
your free Nittany Lion Career Network account, add OnCampus Interviewing upgrade (strongly recommended
for full time, and recommended for internship seekers).
Also apply direct to company web site.
Applying and Getting the Interview
6.
Brainstorm Accomplishments & Evidence. Start with a
draft/resume all document (see ACPC manual) to capture
as much raw material to work with as possible. Attend
an ACPC resume seminar.
7.
Recruiters’ Scan Resumes First. Likely less than 30
seconds, looking for address, GPA, school, # of credits
(they do NOT want if you aren't at 150 credits by the
time you start work, unless you are applying for an
internship).
8.
One Page Resume. Unless you have cured cancer; in
that case, get out of accounting and into medicine. Font
size 11 point recommended and 10 point minimum, .75
inch margins on all 4 sides.
a. Do it by saying what you need to say clearly and
concisely. You will expand in the interview.
b. They already know what you do as an accounts
payable clerk, so trying to make your internship spread
across 10 lines won't impress them -- unless you had
an unusual circumstance (your supervisor was hit by a
bus and you unexpectedly had to do it all on your own;
you were only supposed to do input, but they gave you
other responsibilities as time went on).
c. Focus on higher level skills, KSAAs and not routine
duties; use #s to indicate scope of influence/activity
where possible (e.g. handled 81 accounts for over $20
million).
d. Use non-accounting/gen ed academic projects to show
additional evidence of leadership, teamwork,
organization, prioritization, problem-solving,
communication, AND that you are well-rounded and
knowledgeable beyond accounting.
e. You have a degree from a highly respected and
accredited school (AACSB the same as Smeal!), and
your GPA stands for itself. You are smart enough for
them to teach you what you need to know. But they
can't teach you soft skills: communication (written &
oral), involvement, people skills, and work ethic, etc.
f. So, is the Bruno’s job from freshman year relevant?
Yes. Don't make a big deal about it, but it shows that
you have a history of working (probably long hours in
stressful situations), understand some things about
responsibility, teamwork, and customer service. Again,
don't try to make it sound like more than it is, but
don't think it doesn't matter.
g. High school clubs and organizations don't matter
unless you continued with them in a leadership role,
OR achieved something of which you are still
particularly proud (i.e., Eagle Scout). Use this category
sparingly, if at all.
h. On the outside chance that you finished a 4-year
degree, then sat for and passed parts of the CPA exam
and continued with your schooling to get the 150
credits before applying, PUT THOSE COMPLETED EXAM
PARTS ON YOUR RESUME, AT THE TOP, IN BOLD. The
#1 gripe from recruiters is hiring students who can't
pull the trigger on the exam. If you show that you
already are clearing those hurdles, you jump to the top
of the pile.
9.
Get Ahead of the Game. They say to apply online, but
you will have an advantage if you first establish contact
with a recruiter via e-mail and/or UP Career Fair.
a. Review company career web sites first, understand
posted procedures, look for tips and suggestions.
b. Students have said they sent up to 90 emails (not all to
the same person) trying to find the right contact.
Prospective hires need to have a contact inside that is
pitching for them, even if that means talking to a
recruiter by phone and making a good impression by
not asking questions answered on the company web
site. Persistence and digging in are good traits too!
Interviewing
10. Practice, Practice, Practice. Attend ACPC interviewing
seminar, review sample questions in ACPC manual. Ask
your friends what kinds of questions they were asked.
Don't plan to BS your way through. Interviewers know it
when they hear it!
a. Use the Interview Stream on line practice tool and
watch their short video tips.
b. Schedule a live practice interview with ACPC.
11. Hygiene and Grooming Are Especially Important. They
are trying to picture putting you in front of a 60-year-old
seasoned CFO or CEO of a company and need to make
sure you are presentable and respectable to someone
that has been working 50-hour weeks since before you
were born.
a. Men--shave any facial you have. It was a stereotype
back in the day and it still is. If you feel that facial hair
is necessary, shave it off for the interview and grow it
back (neatly) after you have the position. I (KPMG
Senior Audit Associate/2011 grad) have a full beard
and have since a month from when I started. No one
has made any negative comments since I've grown
mine back, neatly trimmed and kept of course!
b. Women and Men--proper business attire (full suit) for
full time and intern candidates; nothing too short, too
long, too tight, or too loose. If all they remember is a
wardrobe malfunction, then you lost the interview.
12. Interviews at University Park. If at all possible, make the
drive down for any interview opportunities. Go to all of
the pre-interview events (listed on Nittany Lion Career
Network events calendar).
a. This gives you another chance to talk to the
interviewer before your short, 30-minute interview the
next day. Most professors are very accommodating
but talk to them in advance, submit assignments early,
and do them better than good!
13. Make a Connection with Interviewer. Many of the Big 4
look at your resume credentials to get you in the door for
an interview, but a lot of the interview process is also to
see if you are someone that they can relate to and would
want to work with for the long hours required.
14. Ask Really Good Questions. It's the mark of a good
auditor to understand the environment, ask relevant
questions, and then ask great follow ups as you progress.
If you can do that in the interview, you'll show them
what they are getting if they hire you.
a. Asking "how much is the starting salary," "how much
vacation time to I get" and "what the benefits are like"
are not good questions until after they extend an offer.
b. But asking "are the employees active in the
community" or "how are you able to balance your
work life with community involvement" puts your
interests in a better light for the interviewer. See ACPC
manual for other suggested questions to adapt to your
particular style.
15. Tough Questions to Handle. Even well-prepared
candidates can be thrown off a bit. Watch for
a. Tell me about yourself (usually asked first); behavioral
based questions. See ACPC Manual & attend seminar.
b. If they ask when you would be available to start, tell
them “as soon as you need me!” Expounding on how
you really wanted to have one last summer off could
cost you a great job.
c. They will likely ask you to bring up a past situation
where...something happened. Your memory will fail
you. Don't panic. Pause, smile, comment that that’s a
good question, and then if you can't come up with
something great, just come up with something
adequate, and say, "I'm sure I'll come up with a better
example once I'm in my car, but..." and give them the
best you've got.
16. Thank Yous. Ask for a business card, and send a wellwritten thank you e-mail within 24 hours after the
interview, personalized with details from the discussion.
Finally
17. No Big 4 Internship? The KPMG alum did not but says
take advantage of the internships available around Erie.
Start applying for them as soon as your junior year and
try to get internships that work for an extended period
(not just a month or two) as this will highlight your ability
to multi-task and stay organized between work and
school (a position with the Big 4 is demanding and
requires you to be able to handle working on many
different tasks).
18. Don't Be Discouraged. If you apply to several of the Big 4
firms, but don't get asked for an interview, many of the
larger regional firms are just as good and in some cases
offer more money.
Contact the ACPC, Reed 125, 814-898-6164 or
AskACPC@psu.edu if you have additional questions or would
like to schedule an individual appointment to discuss your
internship or job search. See Behrend.psu.edu for links to the
resources listed above. Your accounting faculty members
also are a great resource. Visit their office hours!