♦ Magner Center for Career Development and Internships ♦ 1303 James Hall ♦ 718 951 5696 Interviewing with PwC: Advice from Alumni Observations: o During Interviews: they look for hints of whether you'd be friendly, whether you'd fit into the group well or you'd alienate people easily. o PwC is a Client Service Firm: therefore, clients might be also useful. o In the Tax Sector: it's assumed that experience in tax is limited because of the way college courses are structured, so, they spend a week teaching you everything you need to know and the rest can be learned on the job. (Don't worry too much if you have no experience.) Research about the firm: o Ensure that you get and tell them about the recent firm's actions toward the accounting pronouncements and the community and make them look good (e.g. you are the world’s largest financial services provider, the connected thinking philosophy…) Feedback from the recruiter: o Interview Practice: some candidates were very nervous for the interview. The more interview practice the students get the better and less nervous they will be. o Your Questions are important: students questions are a very important part of the interview. Near the end of the interview, when the interviewer asks if they have any questions, they should always answer "Yes". Asking questions is their chance to show their interest in the firm and their curiosity to learn. Some of the General Questions Asked Include Areas in: o Teamwork o Proficiency in Excel o Favorite course Tips for the Interview: o Naturally be confident and be you: tell yourself “I came for the interview and I definitely want this job; if I get it then it is great, if I do not it's another good experience to be interviewed with such a great firm.” During the Interview with the Partner: o Point out Things you have done that can make you Worthwhile for This Position: how you succeeded in school when holding a full time job and being a full time student; this is not something readily feasible by a lot of students. For most cases there is a drop in GPA. This can actually show your ability to handle multi-tasks and keep stuff on schedule successfully. Also, show him/her that you can stand in front of a work challenge. o Remember: the partner wants to get to know you, who you are, how you do things that can benefit the firm, if you are able to keep up within a fast pace environment, etc. Do not forget to ask him/her questions about his/her career in PwC… (They love to talk about it.) Interview with the Manager: (critical) o Know your resume: in detail. One alumnus heard of a manager who goes line by line on your resume to ascertain that you have been doing what is stated. Memorize your resume if you can and be able to describe clearly what you were doing on that particular job; explain the technicality of it. Manager May Ask: o Be familiar with the following questions from Manager, HR, or anyone Interviewing You: What do you do when there is a slacker on your team? Have you ever worked in a team environment, how did it work? Why are you interested in accounting firms, especially PwC, knowing that it requires a lot of hours? Why did you decide to make a career in accounting/auditing? Tell me about yourself, what makes you think you are qualified for this position, why should I hire you? *Eventually, ask the manager questions. This is stressed by various alumni. Meeting with HR: o This is where you want to know what kinds of benefits and compensation to expect, possibilities of advancement in your career, possibilities of rotation between services or industries, the traveling, and the CPA stuff among others. Manager and HR May Ask: o Give examples of a project where you had to do research, what was the project and which sources o o o o o o o o did you use. Give an example of when you had to make a decision and didn’t have enough information. Why accounting? Why PWC? Why Audit and not Tax. Tell me about yourself Tell me about a time when you were faced with conflicting situations. How did you make a decision. What are your plans for the future or where do you see yourself in 5 years? Tell me about a time when you handled a difficult situation, what was the issue and how did you solve it. Additional Questions to think about to be Prepared for PwC Interviews: Personal/Behavioral 1. What do you consider your most important characteristic? Or what are you known for? 2. Would you consider yourself a team-leader? 3. Do you always have to be in charge? 4. What characteristics do you think a leader should possess? Or what characteristics should the ideal leader have and why? 5. What will you do if you are assigned to an engagement with a team member who’s known for being a slacker, or not completing his assignments on time? 6. If someone offends you, how will you address that scenario? 7. If you were unable to complete your assignment on time, what would you do? Career 1. Why did you want to become an accountant? Or just, why accounting? 2. There are three other companies of the Big 4s, why PwC? 3. What do you think is the most important in achieving the goals you set? Or how do you plan to achieve the goals you set? 4. Why assurance and not tax? Or why tax and not assurance? Hierarchy 1. Where do you see yourself in PwC? (It’s always important that the candidate answer this question futuristically). They should think about becoming a partner or manager within a realistic period of time. At PwC, the hierarchy is Associate, Senior Associate, Manager, Senior Manager, and Partner. It usually takes 3 years to get to each level. General 1. Why did you choose Brooklyn College? 2. What did you enjoy the most about Brooklyn College, and why? 3. What did you do to either hurt or help your GPA? 4. Looking back, what will you change about your college experience? Additional Advice for Interview: 1. Research the company (pwc.com) - # of offices, employees, developing markets, etc. 2. Be confident, honest and positive 3. Be able to talk about everything on your resume´ 4. Be punctual 5. Smiling helps The Interviewers love the following questions: Candidates should approach these various questions with no hesitation and answer in a lucid manner. o Practice these types of questions and be confident in your answers. Show the interviewer that you have been in tough and rigorous situations yet you successfully got out of them by doing...... o ‘What are your strengths and weaknesses', ' tell me of a tough or an uncomfortable situation, whether at work or at school, that you found yourself in and how you resolved it', ' tell me about yourself' and at times ' why should we hire you and not anyone else'. Important Keys to Remember When Answering the Interviewers Questions: o Dedication: positive attitude and willingness to learn o Contentious: to meeting deadlines. These are keys to getting hired and passing those interviews. o Pro-activeness: a major aspect that is a must and it is absolutely necessary to mention. If the candidates are pro-active, they will get ahead. Alums strongly recommend sometime during the interview or to an answer that the candidate provides about him or herself, they should mention that one of the keys to their success was being pro-active in school or in their internships, etc. What the Interviewers Want to See: o Confidence: the interviewee has to be able to subtly show that you can take on any projects without much training and tackle it. The interviewers want to see if the candidate can improvise. o Success: under stressful times and being able to meet deadlines, especially in this field, is crucial. Must be hungry to learn and not afraid of work and take on several projects at the same time. (Multitasking should be mentioned by the candidate. How he/she had succeeded before in one or another situation by their ability to multitask.) What Candidates Should be Able to Do: o o o o o Demonstrate the ability to adapt when necessary. (Examples include travel.) Demonstrate interest in learning about various developments in the accounting industry. Ask what PWC has to offer to broaden their knowledge of the accounting profession. Explain why they chose accounting as their profession. Show that he/she is able to work in a team environment. At the same time, the candidate has to show that when needed he or she can step up to the plate and be a leader. o Appear to be friendly, especially in places where longevity is a big concern. http://www.pwc.com/us/en/careers/campus-candidates/interview-tips.jhtml Advice from Alums: 1. Do Your Homework: about the firm/industry. Shows you are serious about making this a career. Don't just Google the company. Reach out to the alums who work/worked there, interns, friends etc... 2. Be up to Date: with current events/issues.......and tie in a few questions concerning current events and the firm/company. 3. Practice in the Mirror: (or with a friend etc).This helped one alum because she was able to realize that her hands were flying everywhere and it made her conscious of little quirks that may be read wrong by the interviewer. 4. Ask Questions: have a few questions in mind especially since sometimes the interviewer may have answered the question you wanted to ask. Questions like "Tell me some of the things you think you did as a new employee to help you progress in your career" are good starters. Picture yourself working for the company. It helps phrasing questions easier. 5. Know your Resume Inside and out: don't include information about a club/membership that you didn’t actively participate in. One alumnus mentioned that his interviewer asked him to go step by step, discussing everything on his resume. 6. Be prepared for: the "tell me about yourself question". Use it as a way to highlight things that may/may not be on your resume. Don't tell them your life story. 7. Ask about: a typical day in the position you're interviewing in. Ask about challenges that new hires typically experience. Ask about their training. 8. Show Interest by: asking about being provided with a coach/mentor. 9. Turning Weaknesses into Strengths: if asked about any weaknesses that you have, be honest but back it up with a strength, or make sure you can talk about how you're improving or working to turn it into a strength. o When asked what is your biggest strength or weakness, to be safe, the candidates should address this directly to the job: Some weaknesses to consider are: learning gap – all the technical skills such as, not knowing PwC software, PwC methodologies, etc. Some strengths to consider are: academic prowess (GPA and grades in accounting classes), leadership skills…provided the candidate is/has been part of a professional organization), and upward mobility in your job if the candidate is currently employed. 10. Show Parallels to Accounting: use recent jobs to look for similarities with the auditing or taxation profession. It helps you to sell yourself when you are able to communicate your work experience or extracurricular activities (ex: customer service jobs can help you sell your client facing strengths). 11. Remain Professional: at every stage of the interviewing process and do not bad mouth people (ex: coworkers, classmates, school and/or teacher). o This is especially important during the pre-interview dinners; avoid making any negative comments about people or your school. This will reflect negatively on the candidate as a person. o Always maintain professionalism, even when having fun during happy hour functions with colleagues. 12. Super Day: be bold and introduce yourself to your competitors, they maybe your future colleagues. o You are probably being watched, so you want to demonstrate that you can work a crowd and build a relationship with total strangers (this is vital since that is what you will be doing with clients and this will also help your salesmanship when you are a partner). o Be polite to everybody you meet at the firm's HQ you never know, the security guard in the front of the building might have someone's ear who has influence. 25 ways to Strike Out on Interviews: o What Alum’s Advise you to Stay Away from: 1. Poor personal appearance 2. Lack of interest and enthusiasm 3. Failure to look at the interviewer when conversing 4. Limp, fishy handshake 5. Late for interview 6. Vague responses to questions 7. Lack of planning for career 8. Lack of confidence and poise 9. Over aggressive, conceited with superiority complex 10. Inability to express self clearly 11. Makes excuses, evasive, hedges on unfavorable factors 12. Lack of tact 13. Lack of courtesy 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Indecision Cynical No interest in Company Wants job only for short time Intolerant (strong prejudices) Inability to take criticism Narrow Interest 21. 22. 23. 24. Ask no questions about the position Low morals Lazy Over emphasis on money (Never about ask salary) 25. Failure to express appreciation for interviewer’s time Consider Other Questions That You May Be Asked: 1. 2. 3. 4. What are your short-term and long-term goals? How would you describe success? Don’t you feel you might be better off with a different size firm than ours? How would you describe your own personality? Use the Following as a Guide for Questions to Ask the Interviewer: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. o Questions to ask about Position: Can you explain the job cycle? How can I, as an associate/intern really make an impact in PwC’s business? Describe your expectations of the right person in this job technically and personally? How could someone exceed them? Has any associate/intern who has worked for you been a super-star? Why? Has any associate/intern who has worked for you failed? Why? What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of the job? What do you find to be the most mundane aspect of the job? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. o Other Questions for the Interviewer: Do you mind if I ask your background? How long have you been with the company? What do you consider your major achievement here? What do you like most about the company? What are your “secrets” about how to do well here? 1. 2. 3. 4. o Questions to Ask About the Company: Who are your main competitors? How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors? How would you describe your company culture and philosophies? What are some changes currently going on in the firm? > Within department > Sales, marketing > External factors > Accounting changes o Come up with Interesting Questions to Ask the Interviewer: Try to be original with your questions; your goals with your questions should be to take the pulse of the firm's atmosphere via the staff. For example, during an interview, and alum asked the partner "if he had a time machine and could go back in time to meet his younger self as he is entering the firm, what advice would he give himself to put him on the right path?”. It’s Important that the Candidates Know the Company Structure, Lines of Business, Major Changes, etc: o The lines of business are: o o o o o o o Assurance Group – (audit and compliance etc.) Advisory Group – (internal control and regulatory compliance as well as financial advisory, risk management etc.) Tax Group– tax compliance (internal, federal, state and local, acquisition and mergers etc.) There are other groups that are very important to the company’s business: Transaction Services team – primarily responsible for mergers and acquisitions System Process Assurance team - (SPA); they are the IT auditors. OGC – Legal team; advise other teams about legal matters; litigation. National - advisors for all teams on accounting matters and issues. The candidates should be aware of the major changes impacting the profession such as: Implementation of IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards). New credit requirements for financial institutions to get loans. Impact of the recession on the company – (ex: lower audit fees were charged due to liquidity issues etc.) SOX 404 PCAOB The candidate should be mindful that “soft skills” are very important in the profession: Companies are not only looking for good GPAs, they also want great orators that have excellent interpersonal skills. The candidate should know why he/she wants to work for PwC as opposed to Deloitte and Touché or Ernst and Young: The candidate should think about the Company-awards, reputation, commitment to learning and the positive things their mentors/friends disclose. The candidate should be willing to explain why PwC should hire him/her instead of another candidate: Although all the Big 4 accounting firms does the same work, they have different brands. This question is asking you what your brand is and why is it better than the other candidates’. PwC primes itself on “connected-thinking”. What that means is working with and sharing your point of view and respecting the point of view of others who in most instances have different race, gender, and religious beliefs. (Keep in mind PwC is an international franchise). The candidate should also be willing to answer behavioral questions: Ex: You are working on a project but there’s a slacker in your group; how do you ensure this person does not extend the project because of his/her tardiness? The public accounting profession requires a lot of time management. The candidate should be able to use 3 words that would best describe them and why: The candidates should take three qualities from PwC website that he/she is comfortable with and elaborate. You can call the Magner Center at 718 951 5696 to schedule a mock interview with a counselor. When possible see if you can talk to someone who works at the company prior to your interview. Contact Natalia GuarinKlein at nataliag@brooklyn.cuny.edu to see if perhaps there is time to pair you up with an alumnus/alumna prior to your interview.