Big 4 (Part 2)

Re: thank you by herdo , January 26, 18:21
welcome....
u can do the presentation on whatever u want. In fact, they would rather u dont do it on something like tesco, easyjet.... Do it something ur interested in...and make sure u can talk about it - thats important!!
to be honest...i've kinda forgotten what the e-tray was on!!!! - i think in this massive thread though....the likes of eliot and boru gave some excellent suggestions - which helped me get the offer - so i'm sure u'll find all u need to know there
If ure still unsure....i'd b more than happy to try to remember fully and post it on this thread....but i dont want to mislead u...so i'd need to gather my thoughts again
I started preparing 4 my presentation a week b4 the assessment, so its good 2 c that u wanna b fully prepared.
Best of luck....i'm a bit tired now...so i might post something more detailed within a day or 2 hopefully
Best of Luck!!

Re: thank you by Alphi , January 26, 18:28
Dear herdo and Geee,Thank you so much for the kind reply. I have read through everything here for hours, very interesting and helpful. you guys are great!!!!!I think i am gonna choose Vodafone and focus on the interesting strategies etc.. of the company. although a big topic :( thank you herdo... i am sorry for such a pain.. take your time to remember what happened in the e-tray.. Great Great thanks !!!!

Re: thank you by at last , January 26, 18:52
anyone of u guys been to pwc first interview for assurance. you seem to be really helpfull and if u guys can give me any tips, I would greatly appreciate it. Well done on all your job offers and I hope I have one soon

Re: thank you by herdo , January 26, 19:16
Yes....I had my PwC first round a while, but for not 4 audit.
Make sure u know the basic competencies but they will be impressed if u can talk about both IFRS and Sarbanes-Oxley - commerical awareness - they look at that heavily
If u dont know about Sarbox or IFRS....say so...and i'm sure someone can help u

Re: thank you by at last , January 26, 19:55
hey!! does anyone know about IFRS and sabox and the impact it will have on pwc. thanks once again herdo

Re: thank you by Eliot Spitzer , January 26, 20:02
Search this thread for a post from me on the 14th of Jan.
I've outlined the impact of IFRS and Sarbox in the big 4.

Re: thank you by herdo , January 26, 20:08
Sarbanes Oxley:
Since 2002, Sarbox has become the most challenging proposition for the legislation of companies. These companies must test their internal control properly - many companies are struggling with this
IFRS:
Introduced on Jan 1st 2005, and affects EU companies, and this changes the way companies produce their accounts - again companies need help with this
Because companies need so much help, Pwc can provide them with help, but for a price - so actually those accountancy firms will be happy, as they will get a lot of money.
Thats what i think, maybe someone should correct me quickly if i've made a mistake so that no one is mislead

Re: thank you by dan. , January 29, 14:02
hello
ive just discovered this forum today, and its really good stuff!!
I have a PWC first round interview at Birmingham in a couple of weeks..
Just like to ask a few questions, would appreciate any feedback ..
Just to confirm that i will only have an interview, they wont suprise me any numerical tests willl they??
Also from reading this thread, the interview will mainly consist of questions based on my application..is this correct?
Could somebody please tell me current business affairs that may be relevant...as i am not to educated on this..i have read about the sarbanes oxley and IFRS.. but are there any important issues i need to know about??
And finally has anybody got any good interview preparation techniques they would recommend?
Any help very much appreciated
Thanks
Dan

Re: thank you by Eliot Spitzer , January 29, 14:53
Hi Dan,
Havent been to a pwc interview but i've had quite a few interviews with other firms and the format tends to be the same.
For current affairs concerning accountancy firms you should be able to talk about liability caps and the possible merger between ICAEW and CIMA.Check out www.accountancyage.com for the most relevant issues.
I normally prepare for interviews by summarising why i want to work for a firm, what i can offer the firm, why i want to work for a particular division, examples of leadership, teamwork, initiative etc, facts about the company (such as turnover, profit, competitors turnover and profit, areas of growth, chief executives etc)and also questions to ask them.
I write all of it on a sheet of A4 and review it on the way in to the interview. I normally find it quite helpful as this way the answers to most of the questions they throw at me are at the tip of my tongue.
Its useful to go over your application answers as they will invariably question you about these.
I also pick 3-4 current business issues and read up on them. In my recent interviews I have talked about Yukos, the stock exchange, strength of the dollar and the listing of China Airways on the LSE.Make sure you read the FT or at least browse the FT website for a few days before the interview.... just to be safe though since I havent been asked anything that I couldnt answer by reading the business section of the telegraph or times!!
Good Luck
Good Luck.

Re: thank you by dan. , January 29, 22:03
Hi again
Thanks for your reply Eliot, was very informative..
Just another to question to ask.. Throughout this thread, i keep on seeing issues relating to liability caps...uve mentioned it in your reply?? what is this about then? (forgive me if the question is dumb)
Thanks for all the information again, im so grateful...
By the way im curious.. are you working anywhere at the moment?? or have you got any job offers ?? Are you undergrad?
Thanks
Dan.

Re: thank you by Eliot Spitzer , January 29, 23:30
Hey Dan,
Its not that dumb a question!! I didnt know anything about it until I started preparing for interviews.
Under current conditions if a company collapses, it can sue its auditors if it feels they were in any way responsible or negligient. A good example would be how Equitable is claiming damages of £2bn from EY. This is an area of concern for the big 4 as a claim that big could easily put them out of business. This is why they are lobbying the government to limit the amount that they are liable to pay out. Hence the term "liability cap".
I am not working at the moment. I graduated in 2003 and temped at Deutsche Bank for a while before going travelling. I've been applying for grad jobs since September and have fortunately got a couple of offers. I've decided to accept an offer from Deloitte and will be starting with them in September. I'm off on my travels again from March!!

Re: thank you by SPSAT , January 30, 00:53
Hi Eliot,
So EY was lucky enough to escape from Equiable's huge claim, but actually was it becuz EY really didnt do anything wrong or just becuz Equitable's management were more liable for the mistake?
And the big 4's lobbying has not been successful so far, am I correct?

Re: thank you by herdo , January 26, 19:12
no problem whatsoever!!
ok for the e-tray here goes:
The e-tray is split into 2 parts:
1st Part: 70 mins:
You will be give a booklet with quite a few pages. The booklet is split into parts 1 and 2. At the beginning of part 1, spend at least 5 mins - but no more than 10 mins- browsing through the booklet- thats what i did, just to gather information. Most of the information needed for the multiple choice replied are in the booklet, although if they're not, it is critical that u always take care of client issues first. Any calculations needed are fairly simple. I would suggest that you work fairly quickly, and try to give urself about 3 or 4 mins spare time, so that u dont waste any time for part 2, and u can use that 3 or 4 mins famililarising urself with section 2 of the booklet which is notably smaller, but here u must make decisions and analsyse the information
2nd Part: 50 mins
You will have to write 2 e-mail recommendations. For one of them, you must remember to apologise for the lateness of the reply. Spend about 25 mins on each. Basically I spent 5 mins on each one just gathering the info, and then 20 mins for the actual e-mail - make sure your arguments are in bullet point format - thats what i did at least. I didn't actually write much, I just wrote what i saw basically. Try to write the same amount for each one. Also, remember that there is no spell checker, so avoid making careless spelling mistakes. The decisions u make should b fairly straightforeward, but make sure u start something like this:
Dear abc,Thankyou for your e-mail. I have analysed the information carefully, and below are my suggestions:.........I hope you have found this information useful, please contact me for any futhur information....
You could write something like that... I cant remember exactly what i wrote. It's all about being tidy and polite, and also backing your suggestions I think. I really do think quality is more important than quantity
I do remember that Boru gave some excellent suggestions regarding the e-tray as well if i remember.
If there's anything else i remember...i'll let u know
Vodaphone is an excellent company to choose...but be careful!!!!! - Vodaphone is very well know, and the chances are, are that the partner will know about them, and could probe into it, and u must be up to the challenge of proving that u have done ur research. But uve got the right idea, and it should be fine
Best of luck again!!
Keep posting!!!!!

Re: thank you by Eliot Spitzer , January 26, 19:24
Hi,
I would agree with Herdo about Vodafone. Its a very well known company and although they are audited by Deloitte, there is a good chance that the partner at KPMG will know a lot about them, especially if the partner happens to be part of the information, comm and entertainment industry group.
I chose a mid-sized company which I used to work for and there was very little the partner could throw at me that I couldnt answer since he knew very little about the company and the ball was in my court the whole time.
Having said that, if you do your research properly, you should be fine. Just be prepared for some very probing questions!!
If you are going to talk about Vodafone though, make sure you talk about how they took over mannesman in germany. Thats been one of the biggest issues concerning cross-border takeovers in recent times and Deutsche Bank chairmain was put on trial in Germany for his role in the takeover.

Re: thank you by Alphi , January 26, 19:30
dear Elloit..thanks a lot for the ideas... gosh... u r so smart :) thank u!

Re: thank you by Eliot Spitzer , January 26, 19:33
hahaha.....
not that smart! I worked at Deutsche Bank last year so I had to know that!

Re: thank you by Alphi , January 26, 20:02
hello everyone.. sorry for questioning again.. i am just a bit confused cos somebody in the threads said the first part is to answer 24 multiple choice questions in 70 minutes, someone said it's reply 24 e-mails in 70 minutes...which one is true? thank u!

Re: thank you by Eliot Spitzer , January 26, 20:04
You recieve 24 emails and for each email you recieve you need to choose a response from a number of options.
So to answer your question - Both are true!!

Re: thank you by Alphi , January 26, 20:09
Dear Elloit,you are such a helpful& great person. thank u!! gosh.. i expected i gotta draft the reply to 24 e-mails in 70 minutes..... thanks god i don't have to.. thank u!

Re: thank you by Snyr , January 29, 10:05
Hi
Thanks for all your help!
Will the responses to the emails in the first part be of the same form as we had in the Business Awareness Questionaire?

Re: thank you by Xing , February 3, 16:15
Hello, Herdo and Eliot, Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I agree with you that it is better to choose a medium-sized company for presentation. But the thing is it is too difficult to gather information about these companies. I was thinking to do my presentation on a limited company where my friend is working for. but the information he could give me was not enough for me to do a 10 minute presentation.
so I think i will still choose a large company and do some serious research. What do you think? and is it a good or bad idea to choose company which is KPMG's client?

Re: thank you by Alphi , January 26, 19:27
Dear herdo:Thank you for sharing all these with me... I am so so appreciated and can't find a word to describe it.... thank you soooooooo much. i will spend lots of time do the research, remember all the fantastic tips elaborated here. i hope 2 or 3 weeks later, i can bring the good news to thank all of you here. :)

Re: thank you by SPSAT , January 26, 20:42
dear guys,
this is really the best thread on assessment day tips iv ever seeeen n i guess it is also the one dat brings success the the most ppl...so glad i found diz...
just wondering apart from the IFRS and Sarbox....wut else commercial news should i talk abt? anything? or still something related to audit or KPMG or the accounting industry?

Re: thank you by Eliot Spitzer , January 26, 21:10
You could also talk about Liability Caps for auditors. This is a big issue for the big 4 as it would only take one big case to put any of them out of business. For example, Equitable is claiming 2bn worth of damages from EY and this is an issue that concerns all of the big 4 including KPMG.
In terms of commercial news, something new dominates the financial pages every week. Try and talk about something which you can relate to KPMG's activities. Have a look on www.accountancyage.com for the most relevant articles.

Re: thank you by herdo , January 26, 21:17
I guess you could also say that advances in technology means that the accountancy firms must help its clients compete in an online environment
thats sounds good...doesn't it??!!!???

Re: thank you by antworsuch , January 26, 21:50
your discussing is most impressing: i will have my first round interviews with pwc and EY next week, and some transferable knowledge I found in this thread is very encouraging( especially i often feel frustrated about my future at the moment, very hopeless), really appreciate your help.have a nice day:)

Re: thank you by Xing , February 2, 00:04
Hi, Herdo, thank you very much for your information! It is extremely useful as I am going to the assessment centre soon. In the e-mail from KPMG, it was mentioned that there will be three exercises and an interview. I would like to know besides the presentation what the other two exercises are.
Thank you!

Re: thank you by Alphi , February 2, 00:10
they are: group discussion, e-tray excercise, presontation and partner interview... those kind ppl have spent lots of time and energy on this thread. if u read through them carefully u will have a better understanding. lots of questions have been answered several times in great detail, read them before u repeat any questioning.good luck!!

Re: thank you by Eliot Spitzer , February 2, 00:10
Hi Xing,
Although your question is directed to Herdo, I know the answer as well so here goes:
In addition to the presentation you have to complete 1. an etray exercise2. a group exercise.
The content of each exercise is covered in detail on this thread.
Hope this helps!

Re: thank you by herdo , January 26, 21:41
Alphi,
This link below may be of some use to you: its to do with vodaphone
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4207973.stm

Re: thank you by Alphi , January 26, 23:43
dear herdo,got it, thank you for been concerned.. extremely appreciated. bless u!!

Re: thank you by Geee , January 27, 05:59
I did vodafone in fact too...try to read about the deal (that failed) last year in the US- Cingular and AT&T Wireless.One dis- say that voda has always been overvaluing acquisitions they make, they should look more into the matter..Hey Elliot, i worked for DB too over the summer..Which div, if you dont mind? I was in Corp F

the best thread for the big 4! by lavistar , January 27, 13:19
Hi eliot boru gee and herdo,
its great how many people this thread has helped. its as if we're robin hoods to the big 4 human resource sheriffs!we should actually start an email group perhaps...to keep each other updated on how things are going in kpmg/deloitte, and ofcourse, about exams etc.
elliot, what can i expect now that they have made me an offer?

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by at last , January 27, 13:47
hey guys!!have to do kpmg online tests in a couple of days. please give me some useful tips as to where I can practics. is it shl or something else.thanks once again to herdo and elliot

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by at last , January 27, 13:49
have to do kpmg online tests in a couple of days. can anyonegive me an idea what it entails or if it is shl. any practice websites would be useful as well. is it similar to the pwc one??thanks once again to herdo and elliot

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by Eliot Spitzer , January 27, 15:44
I found the numerical tests for KPMG to be fairly straightforward.
The verbal on the other hand was very very tough and I managed to do just over three quarters of the questions.
Dont let this put you off though since the tests are designed to put you under a lot of pressure. If you are in the 30th percentile they will probably invite you to an interview.
Its worth practising the SHL tests although they are pretty easy compared to the KPMG tests.
Try going to your uni careers service and asking them if they have any practice tests you can do.

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by Eliot Spitzer , January 27, 15:35
Its good to see how this thread has helped loads of people.
The advice we have collectively given people would normally cost £3000 if they went to Harisson Careers service!!
You should be getting a confirmation letter from Deloitte which you will need to sign and return to them. Once they have received that, they will send you a questionaire about how you found the recruitment process as well as a form on which you need to specify which group you want to join ie FS, TMT etc.
The start dates havent been confirmed yet but when I called them last week they said the main contract is going to be sent out 4-8 weeks before I am due to start and the start date is probably sometime in september.

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by Forest , January 28, 12:45
Dear guys,
I have been reading through all your posts here, it is so amazing that people here are so helpful. I am really glad that I came to here and found this thread, it would be my biggest bonus by visiting doctorjob website.
I have just passed my first round interview and going to KPMG's assessment centre soon, I would like to ask that for the 2nd part of the E-tray exercise, when you reply the 2 e-mails, are they based on the same company or you need to make recommendations for 2 different companies?
Thank you so much for all of you sharing your experience here, Herdo, boru, Eliot, Geee.etc.

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by Eliot Spitzer , January 28, 12:59
Hi,
One of the emails is regarding a recommendation for one of your clients (there are 3 clients).
The second email if I recall is to do with a recommendation that you are making to an internal dept of the company which you are working for.
I'm sure that this has been posted somewhere in this thread already but I wouldnt blame you for not being able to find it since there are so many posts here!!
Good Luck!!

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by SPSAT , January 28, 18:56
Eliot,
Thak you sooo much for your extraordinarly generous help....
So actually do you think using handouts in the presentation would be a good idea? i mean would it do some good? cuz i think i read it somewhere you said the partner is going to be so busy taking notes and wouldnt have time to even look at you at all...

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by boru , January 28, 19:05
I didn't give a handout at my presentation. He only asked me two questions on the company and that was it. Spent most of the time interviewing me (did interview first, then presentation). I think we ran out of time.
As for the company you choose, make sure it is a company specific to what you want to do. If you want to go into ICE (information, communication, entertainment), then make sure you do it on an IT company.
You need to be up-to-date with your business awareness and also why KPMG and why audit...pretty bog standard questions.

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by SPSAT , January 28, 20:33
Boru,
Thank you for your tips. Actually I have a chosen a pretty small company that i worked before, since it is just a small com, i dont think i can easily get their accounts or financials, and hence my presentation is going to be from a quite marketing point of view, so my recommendations is quite likely to be about differentiations n diversification but pretty difficult to quantify thouse effects, would the arguments sound vague or not concrete enough?
so actually did the partner expect you to talk aweful lot of special reasons for why KPMG specifically? cuz with most of my reasons, i think they can easily be applied to the other big 3, so where would you suggest for me to find some real special reasons for KPMG or audit?
thanks a lot

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by Eliot Spitzer , January 28, 19:31
Hi SPSAt,
I agree with what boru has said. The handouts are mainly for your reference. Dont bother preparing elaborate handouts unless you want to stick in a graph or table which will help you make a point.
Good Luck

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by SPSAT , January 28, 20:36
Hi Eliot,
Thank you very much for your point.
Where would you suggest me to look at or think about to find some good reasons or motivations of "Why KPMG specifically" or "Why audit rather than tax or whatever" ?
Many thanks

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by SPSAT , January 28, 20:36
Hi Eliot,
Thank you very much for your point.
Where would you suggest me to look at or think about to find some good reasons or motivations of "Why KPMG specifically" or "Why audit rather than tax or whatever" ?
Many thanks

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by SPSAT , January 28, 20:36
Hi Eliot,
Thank you very much for your point.
Where would you suggest me to look at or think about to find some good reasons or motivations of "Why KPMG specifically" or "Why audit rather than tax or whatever" ?
Many thanks

KPMG Forum by herdo , January 28, 20:54
This thread could be a KPMG Forum, and then possibly develop into a Big 4 Forum. Maybe DoctorJob should consider moving this thread to the top so then the advice would be more accessible - and maybe others will learn how the forum should operate:
For those with interviews coming up..i wish u the very best of luck.

Re: KPMG Forum by Snyr , January 29, 10:12
Hi
Thanks for all your help!
In one of your posts above, you mentioned about the E-tray breif on KPMG website. I have looked for it but have found nothing. Could you pls help. The only link i have concerning the assessment day is the link i received with my email.
Thanks
Snyr

Re: KPMG Forum by herdo , January 29, 10:25
Hi Snyr
http://www.kpmgcareers.co.uk/Graduate/Careers/BusinessChallenge.html
That link above is as close a practice as I could find. However, the real thing is a lot harder - but u must make sure you can answers those ones in that link correctly with no hesitation.
If i find anything else...i'll let u know.
Best Of Luck

Re: KPMG Forum by Alphi , January 29, 11:34
herdo..thank u so much for been so helpful..! this thread is the bestttttttt i've ever seen. u people are so nice helping others unconditionally. Thank u!!

Re: KPMG Forum by Forest , January 30, 01:28
Hi, Herdo,
You mention the following link as close a practice to the E-tray exercise.
http://www.kpmgcareers.co.uk/Graduate/Careers/BusinessChallenge.htm
But I could not open the link, ever time I tried, it goes to the www.kpmgcareers.co.uk
Has anyone else experienced the same problem? Many thanks.
Herdo you guys here are so helpful and generous.

Re: KPMG Forum by herdo , January 30, 09:19
Hi Forest,
Goto Google.com and type in KPMG Business Challenge - hopefully that will work. It should be the first one on the list

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by Eliot Spitzer , January 28, 21:36
When asked why KPMG, I just used the generic answer which I use at all my accountancy interviews.
I said all the big 4 deal with prestigious clients but what sets KPMG apart from the others was its people. I mentioned having been to KPMG networking events and how they helped me develop a real insight into the culture at KPMG and also how people I know at KPMG are a lot more satisfied than people I know at other big 4 firms.I also talked about the work/life balance and levels of formal and informal mentoring and support that staff recieve.Thats a generic answer that should work at any of the big 4 but what really got the partner to jump up with excitement was when i mentioned the global mobility program and out of the box program at KPMG which give employyes the opportunity to undertake international or cross functional secondments once they have qualified.These programs are something that KPMG staff, especially partners are very proud of and mentioning them will show that you have done your homework!!

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by missD:) , January 28, 21:51
Hello,I am wondering about the role of audit in Mergerstried to find sometrhing from ft and accountancyage, but havn't got much in-depth analysis, as you've discussed, is it mostly realted to IFSA( the produce of the accounts for the two forms), Sa-OX( the internal control of the new firm), or liabilitiy cap for audit?can anyone point out a direction? many thanks :)

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by boru , January 28, 22:02
Another reason for KPMG is you could say that they take corporate responsibility very seriously - much more so than the other Big 3. They encourage staff to help out at schools (3 hours a month) and fledling businesses, as well as recycling all their paper, cutting down on paper cups etc. etc. They are 38th "greenest" financial company in UK compared to next highest accountancy firm which is PWC at 61st or something like that. You can also mention their core values which they expect all staff to adhere too.
As for Miss D:)s question, I'm not too sure what your question is. If you're asking about business awareness issues, such as IFRS and SOX, look about half way up this thread for Eliots summary. It has been in the news recently (like yesterday) because over 600 companies have not complied with article 404 and Eliot Spitzer is thinking about extending the deadlines before imposing fines (I think thats right....correct me if I'm wrong Eliot!). China Air has also moved its alternative listing from the NYSE to the LSE 'cos SOX was financially punitive.

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by missD:) , January 28, 22:11
sorry, my question seems to be blurI want to know what is the role for Audit when two firms merge?
Do FISA, Sa-Ox or Lia-cap affect the process?
thanks a lot

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by missD:) , January 28, 22:32
thank you, boru,you've pointed out clearly that Sa-Ox affect the listing of a single firm,that is to say, the two firms have to consider where to be listed after they join together-and audit can tell them the cost-effective solution. right?

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by SPSAT , January 28, 23:39
Dear Boru and Eliot,
Thank you guys a trillion!!! I didn't know KPMG was that "Green" comparing to the other big 3...and I will definitely talk about the international secondment programme...
As to MissD:), I think the "audit" in your context sounds more like the "diligence"(i aint sure if im correct, but i did hear of something similar) it is something that investment banks usually do before they propose a M&A deal...it is like they gotta check up both parties' accounts and make sure the info. they have is as accurate as possible and then move on constructing the deal....i think you can consult with some Corporate Finance people...they must know this much better than us...
In my own opinion, Audit is needed at all times as required by the regulators, every public company is required to publish an Audit report to show that their accounts do represent a true and fair view of the company's financial position n the activities they have undertaken...anything else others wanna add?

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by missD:) , January 28, 22:05
I guess audit is essential before the merge( to see if they got healthy balance sheet, internal control...and provide recommendations), but is that all what they are responsible for?
sorry my knowledge of audit is mostly about the concept, not sure if the link(between Audit& Merger) seems to be appropriatecheers

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by boru , January 29, 02:13
I wouldn't worry too much about the role of auditors in a merger. I doubt very much it will come up in interview. I'm no accountant but I'd say that the role of the accountants is more of an advisory one - how is the newly merged company going to produce its finanacial reports, what controls need to be in place etc. etc. etc. I wouldn't say audit as such plays a role except for valuing a takeover target (you'd look at the balance sheet I guess.)

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by herdo , January 29, 10:29
we've been averaging almost 8 posts a day!!!
Now thats impressive!!

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by rj124 , January 29, 11:49
im new to this thread but i am impressed with the amount of excellent tips that have been given! Peoples lives have really been changed by this thread!
i have my e tray exercise coming up on monday and was wondering whether anyone could give me any hints on the way i should write the recommendations? Should I introduce the email and then go straight into the recommendations? When I write the recommendations, should I write in bullet point format? I think herdo said it would good to write 3 points, each a paragraph long.

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by herdo , January 29, 12:02
Hi,
For the e-tray you have to write 2 e-mail recommendations.
I think mine were minimal. I would suggest write as many useful points...but in a bullet point format - i think thats important.
This is what i posted before:
Dear abc,Thankyou for your e-mail. I have analysed the information carefully, and below are my suggestions:.........I hope you have found this information useful, please contact me for any futhur information....
You could write something along those lines
Good Luck on Monday

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by rj124 , January 29, 16:32
it will be necessary to write 2 recommendations. what are the recommendations for exactly? do you recommmend that one company be chosen over the other? or that both companies be recommended?
any help would be appreciated! thanks herdo for the last post.

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by rj124 , January 31, 00:01
thanks very much herdo for all the advice, ill report back on how the e tray was!
thanks to everyone, wish me luck for monday!

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by missD:) , January 29, 16:07
SPSAT and boru,
you spot on, audit is more like an examiner of the account while dvisory plays a bigger part in Merger, thanks a lot for pointing out!

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by law42 , January 31, 21:38
Hi Eliot,
I wanted to thank you for all your advice on this thread. It has helped me a lot.
I have an assessment day with Deloitte on Thursday at the Glasgow office. Deloitte is my first choice- I really want this job.
Can I just check that in the e-tray it does not matter which company you pick as long as you back it up with evidence?
Do you think the partner interview was fairly standard?
Anything else that you can think would be a great help.
Many thanks
Lorna

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by Eliot Spitzer , January 31, 23:14
Hi Lorna
Your understanding of what to do in the etray is spot on. Make sure you have a clear idea of the advantages and disadvantages of all the companies. There will be several for each of them and the interviewer will focus on the advantages of the companies that you have rejected and the disadvantages of the company you have chosen!
My partner interview was pretty hard. I think the partner tried to make me lose my composure and at times the questioning was pretty aggressive. However at other times it was fine. However, people I know have had some very pleasant interviews with deloitte partners so my advice would be to stay focussed and try not to lose your cool regardless of how badly you think the interview is going.
I cant think of anything else off the top of my head.... i'm gradually starting to forget about certain aspects of the assessment day but am pretty sure that everything you need to know is on this thread. If you need any clarification on anything or have any specific questions just post a message here
Hope this helps!!
Rish

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by law42 , February 1, 20:24
Hi
Thanks for all your help. You must be bored of being asked similar questions...but I just need to clarify a few things.At the start of the e-tray are you given a paper booklet and folders about Harrisons on screen? And should you read through all the e-mails first before you start replying? And are the replies like multiple choice apart from the e-mail recommending your choice of company?
I am sorry but I have never done an e-tray exercise before and I don't fancy doing KPMG (because it sounds hideous) so need to succeed at Deloitte.
Many thanks again.
Lorna

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by herdo , February 1, 21:15
Lorna,
I did the deloitte e-tray a while ago. This is what i would say:
Make sure you read deloitte's e-tray info on harrisons. You will be doing the exercise on your own laptop. You are assumed to be holding some position for a company. After logging in, you will notice that you have around 6 e-mails i think, that u must respond to - these are all multiple choice. Before even looking at those e-mails, spend around 5 mins looking at the folders (e-mail folders on screen) which contain essential information such as whos who, each person's availablity, current projects operating and so on....Based on that information in the folders, you should respond to each of those e-mail. After responding, more e-mails will appear which you must respond to. I cannot remember exactly how many e-mails there were, but i'm sure Eliot can remember - I actually recently did the kpmg one - which i prefered somehow !!!!
The second part (wtitten exercise) is like this:
For the recommendation, you will have to recommend one of three companies - I think the names were "The Bookworm", "Paper clip" and "Musica"
Each of those companies have information such as "Potential Growth" which is either high,low,or medium. Each also have last years profit, and also each have customer spend frequency.
You have to target a region for Harrisons based on information given, and recommend one of these companies.
They each have their advantages and disadvantages.
One of the companies has a loyalty card scheme, I think thats the one i recommended - but i dont think that was the best one - I didn't support my points very well at all
Just see why one is better than the other and make as many comparisons as possible.
Also, if u finish the e-tray early, don't waste time doing nothing, if i were u, i would make notes for that written part, as u'll need them for the e-tray interview.
Just make sure you read all the information before u start, I spent 10 mins reading the booklet for KPMG e-tray before I started, and I finished right on time.
Best of Luck !!

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by flycat2005 , February 4, 13:13
Thank you very much for the advice you guys give me!! I will have my assessment centre of KPMG on 14th!! Feel quite nervous about it actually.
I want to know for the second part of the e-tray exercise, do we just need to list our recommendations or we need to write something to backup my suggestions? Do I need to calculate some financial figures to support my points? or just essay type?
Besides, for the partner presentation, do I need to do a brief company financial analysis first before I give my recommendations? Do you have any useful structure for it?
Thank you very much :)

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by Eliot Spitzer , February 1, 21:15
Hey,
Deloitte dont give you a paper folder. Its all electronic (KPMG give you a paper folder as well which is quite convenient). But make sure you spend a few minutes familiarising yourself with the folders.
Dont bother reading through all the emails. It doesnt matter which one you respond to first. When you begin, you have a few messages in your inbox and emails continue to come in response to your choices. I went through the emails that were already in my inbox in a reverse chronological order just in case they referred to a previous email but there was no need.
Apart from the recommendations, all the emails have multiple choice answers.
With regards to KPMG, although I messed it up, quite a few people on this thread messed up the deloitte etray but did well on the KPMG one, so you might not find it that bad after all!!
Good luck

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by Eliot Spitzer , February 1, 21:20
hahaha
What are the chances of that happening!!
Herdo and me posting similar replies at the exact same time.
I wouldnt have spent 5 minutes drafting my response if I had known you were going to post that answer!!

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by herdo , February 1, 22:25
I was thinking the same thing!!!
At least we haven't confused lorna by saying different things.

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by Nick Leeson Trading Co , February 10, 15:31
Just wanted to write a quick thankyou to all those that have contributed information to this thread. I found it very useful when tackling the KPMG assessment day and was offered a position.
Thanks Eliott an Co.

Re: the best thread for the big 4! by Watermelon , February 13, 17:43
Hey everyone, thanks for all your contribution. I really feel useful.
I've got two other urgent questions. Really hope that someone could help me out. I reaaally want an offer from Deloitte.
I didn't know what kind of format would be great for the recommendation email. What factors are most important in choosing those three firms?
Many many thanks.
WaterMelon

Re: thank you by jode , February 23, 18:07
Thank you, thank you!!!!! All your help was sooooooo useful when preparing for my assessment day at KPMG. I had it today and got offered the job!!!!!!!!
So you can add another person to the list of KPMG employees to be who used this site!
Hope to see you all as colleagues in September .

Re: thank you by ssi , February 21, 07:39
Hi Eliot,
Thanks for your advice on this thread! I'm doing my assessment day at Deloitte tomorrow - you've basically answered almost any questions I'd have, but I was wondering do you call your interviewer, for example, Mr Smith, or Sir?
And again in the E-tray presentation, if the person you're writing to is John Smith, do you say Dear John, or Dear Mr Smith?
Thanks!

Re: KPMG Presentation - Handouts?? by Eliot Spitzer , January 30, 20:45
Herdo,
Just wondering if you got an offer from PWC following your assessment day?

Re: KPMG Presentation - Handouts?? by herdo , January 30, 21:02
No i didn't.
Even though i passed both tests, had only positive comments from group exercise. The partner report was too short, but that was cos he did all the talking. They didn't really have proper reasons.
But I am happy with kpmg to be honest.

Re: helping people by lavistar , February 2, 12:03
hi herdo boru and elliot,
i got an email from someone who was asking me for help on the deloitte assessment day. i remember ho helpful your advice was, so i took half an hour to send her a long email detailing everything
and then i caught her on msn ( she gave me her ID) and i told her i had mailed her and asked her when her final assessment was and her response to that was that SHE WAS HAVING HER FIRST ROUND NEXT WEEK!!! and i was like why is she asking for info on assessment when she hasnt even made it through the first round. and then she goes on to ask me about the first round interviews!!! i couldnt believe it.i just help that it was abusing someone's kindness and clearly deceptive. have any of you encoutered something similar?

Re: helping people by boru , February 2, 12:12
I can't say I have...
I'm wondering whether graduate recruitment at the Big 4 are aware of this thread, and whether they are happy about it. We could easily be much more specific about the "answers" but I'm not sure whether that is the right thing to do. I don't think we have given anything but very helpful pointers here but between us all we could easily devise some kind of "cheat sheet" that would defo get you into KPMG/Deloitte/PWC etc...
I'm thinking I might start a new thread just summarising everything that is said here into one post, 'cos it has got so big now that anyone looking for an answer to their question has to search through zillions of posts...what do you reckon?

Re: helping people by Alphi , February 2, 12:26
Dear Lavistar,I am so sorry for ur horrible experience.. just ignore her.. there are ppl who behave unnornally...Boru, I strongly agree with u!! actually most of u guys' kind information supplied are focusing on Strategies rather than telling ppl which anwer to choose nor giving details of the case study in Xdays... i think it's fine... however, I think if the recruiting team in big 4 see this thread they will be unhappy because they also aim to test ppl's behaviour under uncertain circumstances...it might be a good idea to start a new thread, eliminating those info which are too detailed. well... but what can i say.. u guys have spent ages creating such a thread and I have no intention to ask any of u do this hard work..hahaha....

Re: helping people by herdo , February 2, 13:29
I see your points !!
This thread has so many posts - possibly a record - and it would be a shame to remove it, but it may have to be done:
I think boru's idea of a summary would be a good idea.
Doctor Job does have the power to remove it, but I think that both Boru and Eliot would have to agree as they have contributed the most on this thread.

Re: helping people by boru , February 2, 14:04
I have really only posted a few messages...not as much as you and Eliot! There are a 179 replies to this thread and 3 people have got jobs as a result of it. If we do not keep posting to this thread does it get automatically deleted after a while? That would be a shame as It is probably the most helpful, and certainly the most life-changing, thread on Doctor Job.

Re: helping people by Isabel , February 2, 17:55
Just to be sure. What exactly happens at the 2nd round for Deloitte. I understand that there is:1. email exercise (multiple choice)2.Written exercise (make reccomendations)3.PresentationWho is the presetation to and what is it regarding? Also what is the group exercise?CheersIsabel

Re: helping people by Paddy Ashdown , February 2, 18:41
I am not trying to be funny or nuffin but your questions been answered enuf times on this thread.
Some friendly chaps/chapesses have spent ages writing tips on deloitte and KPMG and the least you can do is read the thread carefully.
There is no group exercise for deloitte in any case.

Re: deloitte offer by lavistar , February 3, 09:49
hi elliot!
i was wondering if you seen the contracts that we will be required to sign? I was also hoping to start in spring rather in autumn. do you think that this would be possible?
what division have you applied for in audit? if possible, kindly email me your email address, i would, if i may, contact you just to have a chat about deloitte.
ive been waiting for ages to be scheduled for the final assessment of pwc and its pissing me off! ive waited over 2 months and everytime i call they keep telling me that they still have to arrange a schedule for it! what a load of b***s**t!!!!
anyone experiencing the same thing?

Re: deloitte offer by JamesM , February 28, 22:31
Hi Lavistar,
I had to wait from the end of November to mid January to get a PwC assessment day. All went well though and I got the job, but turned it down in favour of Deloitte. What office will you be working in? In terms of start dates there are only 2 autumn ones as far as I am aware. However, friends of mine have taken a "gap year" and then started in the spring ready to start their exams with the new intake in the autumn. Hope that helps!

Re: helping people by gaudier. , February 4, 15:00
hello, lavistar,thanks for giving advice on this thread.I am not the girl you mentioned, but i think she might be just nervous.say from my experience,my assessment centre is on the next day of my first roundso I have to prepare both in advance

Re: helping people by Xing , February 4, 17:46
Hi, Eliot, Herdo and Boru, i wanna ask you guys one more stupid question about the presentation in KPMG's assessment centre. I understand you may be tired of answering all these questions. but I really need the help!
We are required to talk about how the company could expand and develop its business and give advice on it. Based on my understanding, I need to talk about the past development of the company and the future expansion plans. I just wonder if the future plans should be based on the company's actual strategies or based on my personal opinions? Or both are important?
I am also thinking about choosing a retailer, not a supermarket of course, which is not a client of Big 4. What you guys think?
Thanks!

Re: helping people by flycat2005 , February 5, 12:49
Hi, everyone. Can you guys tell me something about Air China's listing in London Stock Exchange? Or Yuko. Thank you very much!
Besides, the recommendation email we need to write in KPMG etray exerciese. What kind of recommendations we need to give? I mean, is it about company expansion, development or something else? Thanks xxxxx *_*

Re: helping people by stop being lazy , February 5, 15:27
hey, really think u can find out loads of information about airChina and Yukos in various media( BBC, FT, Wallstreet), just use the google search and summerise by yourself.after all, you should fight for your job , not just pick up other people's knowledge!( very luckily, the thread gives a lot about what to do, but you have to decide HOW to do it)!If you can't master simple tasks like this, how can you handle more difficult situations in real work?

Re: helping people by Calm down get done!!!!!!!! , February 5, 15:43
Strongly agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ppl shouldn't take advantage of others just because they are kind and helpful! if you don't have the motive looking answers by urself, no matter how much info ppl give u, u will still FAIL....

Re: helping people by adamsmith , February 12, 01:39
Deloitte or KPMG in Birmingham?Any advice?

Re: helping people by ask a silly question , February 12, 22:28
Hmmmm....any advice for KPMG or Deloitte? If I were you I'd check the other threads cos this one obviously doesn't have any advice in it....

Please help by dnv , February 17, 00:59
Hi,I am having my first round interview at KPMG next week. This is for a summer internship and not a graduate job. So please tell me what I will be asked? Is the interview for internship gonna be easier than the graduate one?Do you have any presentation, case study or test in the first round interview?I don't know why they asked me to come for an e tray test last week, even sooner than my first interview?
Please help,
Thanks a lot guys.

Re: Please help by herdo , February 17, 09:38
dnv,
your process seems to be different to the graduate process, so i wouldn't worry about it being easier/harder than the graduate one. Either way, it will certainly be more competitive. They should have told u in ur e-mail what you will need to know and what u will b assessed on.

Re: Please help by oops... , February 19, 16:50
Hi,
Ok I'm in a bit of a sticky situation. When I filled out my KPMG app I did not have my university transcript to hand. Its been a year since I graduated btw. I could remember my final grades but my 2nd and 1st year grades were guessed! I can barely remember the modules I did!
I've been invited to the KPMG assessment cente and was wondering what to do...
1) Will they ask to see my transcript, which I haven't got yet...But it should be on the way soon...2) Will this affect my application. Either way I got the 2.13) Shall I call them and explain what I did??
Btw this is a fantastic thread and a brilliant help to anyone going for the big 4!
Somebody please help me....
Cheers

Re: Please help by Eliot Spitzer , February 19, 18:41
I dont think they will ask to see your transcript. Normally they just ask for your certificate which will simply state your degree classification.
Dont explain what you did unless they specifically ask for your transcript which is very unlikely.
Good luck with the assessment centre!!

Re: Please help by oops... , February 19, 22:40
Cheers Eliot!,
that should help me sleep a bit better now. I have got to thank you, herdo, boru and lavistar for all the advice on the thread. It really is brilliant.
What company did you guys do the presentation on? I know someone mentioned Vodafone a bit further up. Just wondering...
Cheers

Re: Please help by herdo , February 19, 22:51
congratulations everyone!!
we have now gone past the 200 mark in less than 2 months

Re: Please help by perths , February 20, 07:47
Hello there,I have an assessment centre with Deloitt early next week, however, due to some personal reason, I prefer to defer it to a later date( they told me they had place there)...i wonder if it is too late to inform the firm because of weekend( i can only phone them on Monday)...Do you think they would help me with that? Or will they be angry about the change?Does my reason sounds all right?Please give some suggestionsMany thanks in advance!!

Re: Please help by Eliot Spitzer , February 20, 10:25
Hi Perths,
It depends on when the assessment day is. If your assessment day is on tuesday and you call them on monday, they might not be too happy since partners and managers who are very busy take time out of their schedules to interview people and this time is probably booked several days in advance.
Moreover, a lot of people drop whatever they are doing to attend assessment days at the last minute (I know people who flew down from Oslo and Moscow to attend assessment days with 2 days notice) and if you try to rearrange just one day before they may look at it as lack of committment.
Having said that, if you really cant go, then you really cant go!!! Call them and see what they say.

Re: Please help by perths , February 20, 11:58
hmmmm...it is on Tuesday!!I need to attend another assessment with an IB on Wednesday( the only date they offer and informed me last Friday) and just feel exhausted about the schedule. I have to take hours of train and struggle between different tests/activities...Although i am quite committed to Deloitt, i can't refuse IB because i havn't got offer yet!!Therefore, try not to rush in and perform badly- as it may rain my possible future with either!!having said that, i understand your points and have great concern as well...if possible, may I ask what would you do if you were in my position?really appreciate your time and generous help!!perths

Re: Please help by Eliot Spitzer , February 20, 12:15
I was in a pretty similar position to you a while ago. I had a KPMG assessment day on a wednesday and on tuesday evening deloitte asked me if I could attend their assessment day on the thursday. Although it was short notice I decided to go for the assessment day at deloitte rather than try for a later date.I was lucky as KPMG and deloitte are very similar. Obviously IB and deloitte are very different so it could be tricky getting into the right frame of mind.
If you are travelling from far, you could maybe spend tueday night in a hotel.

Re: Please help by V168 , February 22, 13:53
Hi Eliot, Herdo and Boru,after reading this thread it's amazing to c how helpful people are, but could you pls help me on the following two questions:1), Which is better: EY or KPMG and why?the factors i consider are: reputation, pay and beneits, career progression, usefulness of work experience, work environment and the "tranferability" after qualified( i.e. ability to move jobs)
2), which of the qualification is better: ICAS or ICAEW and why?
many thnaks indeed!

Re: Please help by herdo , February 22, 14:07
hi V168,
I would naturally say KPMG is better, and I do think it is.
However, I've heard that the ICAS and ICAEW are the same, but the ICAEW may be slightly better, though i am not really sure.
good luck

Re: Please help by Eliot Spitzer , February 22, 14:22
I would say both KPMG and EY are very very similar in all the areas you have mentioned. Both companies deal with prestigious clients, employ people of similar calibre, pay about the same and look great on your CV.
However, I would personally choose KPMG over EY because it seems like a much friendlier place to work at and although this sounds very cliched, I think I would achieve a better cultural fit with them!!! Someone once mentioned to me that choosing between the big 4 was like choosing between 4 equally good unis. Go for the one where you feel you will fit in best.
ICAS and ICAEW are equally recognised. Thats what all the accountants I have spoken to have told me. The main difference is that the ICAS exams are frontloaded which apparently means you get them out of the way early into your training contract.

Re: Please help by V168 , February 22, 15:06
Hi Eliot and Herdo,
thanks a lot indeed for your helpful advice!
it's actually quite painful to "reject" either of them, cus i have put in so much effort in obtaining the offer...just another question: could you pls tell me what exactly are the salaries among the big 4 in Audit?also is it true that many qualified trainee flee to IBs after 3 years? if so, which division do they end up? do you think it's better to stay with the firm?
many thanks!

Re: Please help by Eliot Spitzer , February 22, 16:15
In london salaries are between 23 and 24k.
i heard that over 50% of all trainees leave after 3 years and many of these go to IB's.
Check out www.efinancialcareers.com if you want to know how much a new qualified ACA can expect to earn in banking, insurance or asset management.
Although many people leave, the rewards can be great if you stick with the firm although nowhere near as good as in IB. People I have spoken to who have stayed with the firms after qualifying have said they have done so because they preferred the lifestyle at the big 4.

Re: Please help by V168 , February 23, 15:50
hi Eliot,
many thanks indeed for your advice!
to be honest, there's another complication when i am choosing between EY and KPMG: for KPMG, it's a China program, i.e. i need to return to China after 3 year's training in the UK, but for EY, it's a UK program, so i can stay on with no problem, but someone suggest me that KPMG has a slightly higher reputation than EY in the UK, so that may be better option, and now i am really in a dillema cus i really want to work in London since i have spent more than 5 years in the UK......what can i do??!!pls help.....
cheers

Re: Please help by SPSAT , February 23, 17:14
Hi 1/168,
I have spoken to a couple of KPMG ppl. abt the programme, supposingly you should return to China after 3 yrs training but actually it is not a MUST. You would still have a choice between returning or staying after 3yrs.

Re: Please help by V168 , February 23, 17:41
Hi SPSAT,
many thanks indeed for your reply!
actually do you mean i can stay on for SURE or it will depend on SOME conditions?? if so, what are they??
also the contract actually says " the KPMG UK contract will terminate after 3 years and return to China for full time position" or sth like that? so could you pls tell me more about the contract and what people's view on this?(i.e. the successful candidates or those who are currently on the program)
final question: if you were me, what would you do when choosing between EY UK and KPMG China program? any UNBIASED view between the two?
many thanks for your time and your help is greatly appreciated!regards,

Re: Please help by SPSAT , February 23, 20:41
Hi 1/168,
I am not SURE because i talked abt this with a graduate joined last sept, and as such programme started last year...i guess no one can be absolutely sure what would happen after 3 yrs...but i think it really depends on whether you wanna continue or not...cuz it is always a two way thing, if you dont want to go back to the Chinese office, you can well quid the job and jump to another firm...ur contract terminates by then anyway...and im sure they respect that...as the NQ's are pretty popular in here anyway...
personally, first of all, i didnt get the EY offer unfortunately...but i guess your work will mostly be similar...the only thing different would be the culture...n to me, KPMG ppl. gave me a more friendly impression...
secondly, i prefer the China program cuz i wanna try working back in China as well...despite a lot of stereotype abt working like s**t in China...always OT n stuff...but i still wanna give it a try..cuz it may well not be the case after a couple of yrs...esp. the partner i met told me that the growth n development in Shanghai was unprecedented n phenomenal...so it could be great even going back...
and the thirdly, i have been here for almost 4 yrs too...i cant say i dont like UK but i just dont feel it to be really the place that i would enjoy my life as much...althought financially the reward is better comparing to the salary you will be getting if you go back... at least to me, i think the life would be more interesting back home...
so i would prefer KPMG, but ofcuz, my idea is inevitably subject to my own experiences...and i think either program wouldnt be much different anyways..and you always have a chance to change afterwards...so i guess choosing between the culture is the key...just ask urself which would you enjoy ur job better...
hope this helps..

Re: Please help by V168 , February 24, 11:19
Hi SPSAT,
thanks again for your reply.i understand what u'r saying, and i certianly agree with you regarding the potential in China.....actually i am still 1/2-1/2, it's just that rejecting either will be a difficult decision....so could i possibly ask what's your plan after the training here? going back and which office? do you know any other's views, e.g. the current trainees, are they going back as well?
sorry for the many q's asked, a final one: do you know the salary in China compare with UK, are they similiar or very different??! =)
many thanks,

Re: Please help by Offer , February 24, 16:22
Hi V168,
Congrats on your offers?
How was the assessment day at EY? Can you tell sth. about the case study?
I have an assessment day with EY coming, but have no idea about how to prepare.
Thx a lot!

Difficult decision: EY or KPMG!!??? by V168 , February 22, 13:54
Hi Eliot, Herdo and Boru,after reading this thread it's amazing to c how helpful people are, but could you pls help me on the following two questions:1), Which is better: EY or KPMG and why?the factors i consider are: reputation, pay and beneits, career progression, usefulness of work experience, work environment and the "tranferability" after qualified( i.e. ability to move jobs)
2), which of the qualification is better: ICAS or ICAEW and why?
many thnaks indeed!

Re: Please help by herdo , February 20, 12:16
funny u should ask this perths.
i had 2 big 4 assessments days one after the other, on monday and tuesday. fortunately, i got an offer from the one i attended on monday in the evening, so the pressure was kinda off. However, yes, it will be difficult, i was really tired for the one on tuesday, especially by afternoon time. My advice to you would be to go, and i'll tell u why.
i understand that u have assessment days on tuesday and wednesday. obviously, if u get an offer great. but suppose that one of them is postponed as u desire, and u dont get the first one, then u'll b under so much pressure to get the next one. at least by having them one day after the other, u wont know the result, which i think is better. its a defensive tactic, but it does work. so i would go if i were u.but it is ur decison.

Re: Please help by herdo , February 20, 12:18
eloit!!!!
u always beat me to it!!!
but ure right, they are different, IB and Big 4, i didn't consider that.
but i would still go.

Re: Please help by perths , February 20, 16:53
hi, thank you very much for sharing your expereince with me!!i realise how daunting the process could be...especially i face two firms in different industry...and completely different corporate culture...while you both chose to go, i will ring them tomorrow and see how they response...after all, I didn't get an offer from EY's assessment centre (which could explain why i am not quite confident at the moment), and try to prepare more before I take the Deloitt one.Anyway, fingers Xthank you again, guysperths

Re: Please help by ssi , February 20, 20:24
Hi perths,
I have my assessment day at deloitte on tuesday as well, are you in london?
Anyway, just saw your question - I was supposed to have my assessment day on the 27th jan, and the NIGHT before, i started coughing like crazy...and the next morning, i had no voice! so first thing i did was email deloitte, also saying that i will still come in if i don't hear from them, and then i got ready....just as i was about to leave home, i tried calling, and they were finally at office, and they told me it was fine, and moved it...
so don't worry about postponing, they were really understanding, and even said i should just try and get well soon...luckily for me, after postponing, i discovered this site!
hope that helps..

Re: Please help by ssi , February 20, 20:33
oh and also i'm not so sure if you're reason would be appreciated though... they might feel you had more time to inform them about that...you could try say you're sick!
btw, herdo, eliot, lavistar, etc - if i get an offer, i owe it to you and the others in this thread!

Re: Please help by perths , February 22, 15:00
hi, ssi,thanks for your help, i've called them on Monday morning and they said it was ok to put me on a later date...i hope it helps...i was quite surprised to received the short notice of the IB last weekend and didn't prepare too much, therefor found it quite difficult to juggle the two...mentally and physically...hopefully, it is the right choice...(i'll never know)know it's your assessment day today...best luck!!ps: i think this is a legendary thread with some legendary ppl...

Re: Please help by SPSAT , February 21, 18:18
Super Special BIG BIG BIG Thanks to Eliot, Herdo and Buro...
I just got through KPMG today and I wouldn't have made it without all you guys' generous n helpful tips!!!
THANK YOU GUYS SOOOOO MUCH!!
btw, how long would i actually receive the offer?

Re: Please help by Xing , February 21, 21:18
Eliot, Herdo and Buro...Thank you guys so much! I just got the offer from KPMG and the information and tips from you are so useful!
Really Big Thanks!!

Re: Please help by matt925 , February 22, 09:45
aaaaaahhhhhhhh guys help!!!
congrats to all of you! I have my assesment day tom and am really nervous... any last minute advice?!!
hope we all become work mates.... :)

Please help by dnv , February 22, 11:42
Hi, i'm having my first round interview with KPMG tomorrow. I have read quite a lot about IFRS, liability cap, Sarbanes.....from the Accountancy Age. Do you think I should read more on something else?I haven't known much about KPMG activities but just the Big Four in general. Any ideas where I can find information about KPMG specifically? I found their website not very useful.And finally, do the interviewers ask very specific question about your commercial awareness?
Please help me. Thanks a lot

Re: Please help by matt925 , February 22, 11:51
Hey! where do you have it tomorrow? i have it too! we are propably in the same group. if you give me your email, it would be useful for us to chat on msn or something to prepare last minute toghether. let me know ill check this post frequently
matt

Re: Please help by dnv , February 22, 12:07
hi, i'm having it at KPMG Bristol office at 11am. How about you? How is your preparation?My MSN is vidang_84@hotmail.com but I'm not online until late afternoon cause I'm at uni at the moment.But I check this thread in the meantime.

Re: Please help by matt925 , February 22, 12:29
ive sent you an invite for msn. ill be on all afternoon. talk to you soon

Re: KPMG Presentation - Handouts?? by da8thmonth , February 23, 20:28
Hi Everyone,
I've read through this whole board and as many have already mentioned it really is a good source of information. I didn't know where to place my request, so I put it here. I apolgize if it is in the incorrect place.
I have a question that perhaps someone who has had a recent interview for KPMG Audit Graduate Program will know the answer to.
Does anyone know approx. percentage or number of spots that are still open for KPMG Graduate Program, intake year 2005?
Just wondering, as I feel my first round interview is rather late (18 March).
Thanks!
Auggie

Re: KPMG Presentation - Handouts?? by herdo , February 23, 20:42
unfortunately, i cant help u.
But i am glad u have put your post at the end of the thread, as it makes it a whole lot easier to find.
Best of Luck

Re: KPMG Presentation - Handouts?? by beautifulflower , March 1, 09:37
Is there anyone know about the KPMG one year business placement programme? Thanks!

Re: KPMG Presentation - Handouts?? by Magic Man , February 23, 20:45
When did you apply and how long did it take to schedule the interview?
I think that the Big 4 are generally quite fluid with the number of people that they offer contracts to.
Applying late may affect your chances of obtaining a place in a particular division (eg. FS), but if they give you an interview then i would hope that they would have a job opening.
It seems that they just want graduates to meet a certain standard (hence jobs are avaliable for all at assessment centres), so as long as you meet the standard you should be fine. (However, if there were no spaces left for Autumn, they might defer until Christmas or next year)

Re: KPMG Presentation - Handouts?? by ssi , February 24, 16:49
Hi, I just got an offer from Deloitte today, so wanted to say thanks to herdo, eliot, lavistar and everyone else!! how many people is it now, who have jobs thanks to this thread!
After my assessment day, i wanted to come on here and put up more info, but everything seems to be covered already...one thing though, the partner interview can sometimes seem REALLY bad, but i think that's just what they want to do, to see if you crack under the pressure...
so if anyone has a bad partner interview (like me), don't worry about it, and don't let it affect anything else you have to do on the assessment day!
anyways, thank you to everyone on this thread!

WELL DONE EVERYONE by Eliot Spitzer , February 24, 17:11
i had a similar experience with my partner interview. In fact, about half way through the interview he actually said that based on what I had said upto that point, he didnt think I was committed to a career with deloitte!! But once i got the offer i realised it was just a ploy to see how i would cope with the pressure.
I think so far people who have used this thread and subsequently got big 4 offers include herdo, boru, lavistar, ssi, geee, nick leeson trading, jode, spsat and xing.
Well Done Everyone!

Re: WELL DONE EVERYONE by mnb098 , February 24, 21:30
by the way, are you going to travel around very soon? if so...best wishes for your journey!!

Re: WELL DONE EVERYONE by Eliot Spitzer , February 24, 22:37
yeah i'm off to south america on tuesday!!!
thanks for your good wishes

Re: WELL DONE EVERYONE by herdo , February 25, 07:34
Eliot,
Best wishes for your journey, and once again thanks for your contribution to this thread

Re: WELL DONE EVERYONE by mnb098 , February 25, 14:34
hi, hope to see your post again...if possible...wahtever about south america or accounting...do you ever need any advice?:-)

Re: WELL DONE EVERYONE by swedey2k , February 25, 15:12
Hey Guys,
As a long time lurker, first time poster, can i also express my thanks to eliot, boru, herdo etc for all thier advice. I have been offered a job for KPMG in Bristol.
While i was worried that i hadnt heard till three days after, rather than the same night like Boru and Herdo, the advice given here was amazing.
Sometimes the advice may seem like the assessment centre is tough- it can be, but follow the key tips on here (esp reading your information for e-tray first!) and you'll be fine.
Thanks again, dan

Re: WELL DONE EVERYONE by jode , February 25, 16:45
Hey all.
Once again thanks to all those who posted their fantastic advice on this site it has been really helpful and I (like many other now using this thread! Well done guys) got offered a position at KPMG.
Thought I might add a few tips for anyone yet to complete the application process as its still rather fresh in my mind.
Commercial awareness - Some good points have been discussed with regards to Liability cap, Sarbox and IFRS but I would also be keen to mention Auditor independance as this is a hot topic at the mo what with new rules from the APB (Audit practise board). Its all about how much non audit work audit firms do for their client and hence their independance.
Group exercise - You are given info on a company and 5 mins to read it, then for 30-35 mins you discuss as a group having to decide 3 things ... which company should make your web page, what to have on the web site and advertising/promotion strategy. Your group must then do a 5 min presentation on this.
ETray Exercise - already loads on this so not really much I can add
Partner interview - I was asked mainly about my application form. Then why I am looking to KPMG over the other Big4? Why I chose my presentation? A few specific Q's about my presentation including him asking for further financial details (if you're doing a smaller company who don't have their a/cs on a website download their financial statements from the companies house website so you have all this info) As I am currently working he asked me about my current role and what had been my greatest challenge within this. And it wasn't even as scary as I thought. Just make sure you practise ur presentation and don't be put off if they interreupt you (they did it to me ) it's only to test u.
Questions to ask - Just a couple of ideas incase ur stuck but I'm sure u'll have loads of ur own. ... What post-qualification training is there and has this increased since compulsary CPD ? ( See ICAEW website for details of new compulsary continuous professional development)Who are some of your main clients at ..... office ? (He seemed to like this as talked for ages on it)Induction training?How long has he worked at KPMG and why did he choose it?How many taking on at this office and how many offers have been made? (For your own piece of mind on places available but he told me they are flexible with the no of places if they find the right people)
Anyway, hope this helps anyone who stumbles upon this great link still in the process. Good luck.
Well done to everyone on securing their offers. x

Re: WELL DONE EVERYONE by swedey2k , February 25, 16:56
Just to add to the list of questions, one that i asked that i think might be good is 'What social events are there to bond with the audit/tax/business advisory etc (whatever your discipline is) in the first few weeks). Makes you look a team player as well as someone who is more rounded and enjoys a good social life.
Dont know how it played for me, it could have detracted from my application for all i know, but i think it was good anyway!!