My Mazars Experience...Please help, feel a bit lost

Hi,

Just thought I would write about my experience, hopefully it will be useful to someone and maybe someone could offer me some advice or something in return.

I applied for an audit position at Mazars at the end of the year 2009. Did the online application...took me days to write it because I really didn’t want to mess it up and so badly wanted to work for the company. I was invited to do the online tests...and again spent days practicing. They were pretty similar to the SHL tests, so if anyone is having difficulty just practise them. I did get some books, but they were pretty simple and useless, so I would advise not to buy them.

I passed that stage and had an interview with a manager. First I was given a case study to read, I had about 10minutes to read and make a few notes. The case study was about lunch meals in primary school - the usual subjects about children only choosing to eat fatty foods when given a choice and obesity problems etc. Questions on the case study centred on solutions you would implement to solve the problem, limitations of the data and other questions which I can't remember. My advice in this section would be to try and always have a structured argument and stick to your views. Although saying that I was challenged on my arguments and did sometimes alter my opinion...so I guess maybe its not altogether bad if you do change your mind, I guess it shows that your open minded or something like that. :s-smilie:

. The rest of the interview was entirely competency based....Tell me a time when you worked in a time, what are your weaknesses, what do you know about the ACA etc. Anyway this was in November sometime. I got a call in February to attend an assessment centre...I know that's quite a time lag.

There were about 30 other people there, which I wasn’t quite expecting, thought there would only be a small group. The group I was put in completed the etray first - I hated this so much. Its quite intense, I would try and stay as calm as possible. I just ended up being really flustered which didnt help the situation. Had to respond to some emails in order of priority, give some cost advice for organising a conference and then write a letter. After that we had to do a group exercise - I found this horrible. There were seven of us in the group and the table was rectangular and long so couldn't interact effectively. Im not the loudest of people and there were so many overpowering characters that I felt like I just got swallowed up. The exercise was not business based. It was basically about some people trapped in a cave and we had to decide which one should get rescued first. We got some background on each person which we had a chance to read before the exercise started. I dont know what I could advise here - just dont do what I did and say not very much. Sorry Im probably not helping anyone very much with my experience. Anyway then we had a buffet lunch and a group of recent trainees joined us. Just talk to everyone and enjoy it - ur not being assessed at this stage. I then had my partner interview. He asked me competency type questions again. Slightly tougher than the first to be honest - why are the extra activities you do important to you, what it your proudest moment. Managed to waffle my way through it. Then we got a presentation about the company and someone from Kaplan/BPP came to talk to us about the ACA. That was the end of the day and we were invited to go for drinks with the recent trainees that joined us for the buffett lunch. By no means feel obliged to go. I did though and had a glass of orange juice and went home. Needless to say I got a letter a week later to say I didnt get through. I kinda wish I had called to get feedback but I was so upset that I just didnt want to think about it - I know that was stupid.

To anyone thinking about applying, it looks like a pretty good company and office in London is impressive - obviously that is not what one should base their decision on. Good luck to all future applicants, really hope it goes better than mine did.

I graduated in 2009 with a first and have been working at a company doing budget forecasting. Im now 24, and I still really want to do accountancy but my confidence has been really knocked. I don’t think Im any good at assessment centres. How could I improve - I mean there is no such thing as practice really. I’m not the cleverest person, but I work so hard - that’s how I got my first. I try and read the economist to gain commercial awareness but always feel that people know more than I do. The other thing is I don’t really have time to apply for jobs, or do any extra activities - I get home about 8 - 8.30 and have to wake again at 5.45am. Im just stuck, and really need some advice as to what I should do. Quit my job and get something part time that would help me apply for a job? Would I have a chance at a big 4 firm given the talent pool - and as you can probably tell Im not the most confident? Would I have any success applying through a recruitment agency? Im not to fussed about pay because I know once I qualify I can move around. I just really want to be an accountant as its quite a stable job and I honestly think I would excel at it. Im sorry for waffling. I just really really really need some help.

Thank you, Jez

Reply 1

AlH123

So..

You've only applied to Mazars last year
Didn't apply for anywhere else for 09-10
Haven't applied to anyone this year?

Reply 2

86501

1

I definitely disagree that you can't practice assessment centres. Firstly doing them is practice - okay so you want the job when you go to it, but if you don't get an offer then you'll be more experienced when you next go to an assessment centre and know what to expect. They're all very similar. The first time is by far the most difficult.

There are also ways of practicing specific elements of it. e-trays are available online, the civil service website having the best known one. There are also services available that will help you with practicing group exercises and developing your group communication skills. Remember, being the overbearing one is just as bad as being the one that says nothing. There are some simple things you can do in group exercises, I find it amazing how few people use the names of the other candidates in them even though they're written infront of those people for the assessors!

As has been said, applying to 1 firm and not getting the job is hardly a sign that you're unemployable and you now have a better idea of where you need to develop. As for 'extra-curriculars', that's what weekends are for if you're working. Be prepared to apply to plenty of jobs and don't give up. I wouldn't expect many people to get the first job they apply to and the fact you got to an assessment centre implies they saw something in you.

Reply 3

Big_Dave

You really need to get out there and aplpy to more firms and just keep ploughing through and don't let rejections get you down! If you want something you hvae to go and get it yoruself, especially when there is so much competition!

I was rejected at the assessment centre stage by Mazars (it was my first one to) and also by Barcap aftwards but I got the third one I attended, I found the more interviews etc I did the more confident I became.

You just honestly have to keep applying, if Mazars was your only application it is no were near enough!

Just keep your chin up and take each rejection as a learning expierience and make sure you don't make the same mistakes the next time!

Godo luck !

Reply 4

shark67

13

When you go to an assessment centre you must assume everyone there is your enemy.

Reply 5

davidcy147

14

Original post by shark67

When you go to an assessment centre you must assume everyone there is your enemy.

That is exactly what NOT to do. In assessment centres, you are there to meet a standard of capability for the company and not to "create enemies". This comes across as aggressive and unwelcome behaviour which they assume is how you would come across to clients and is not something the firm will be looking for.

Reply 6

AlH123

Original post by davidcy147

That is exactly what NOT to do. In assessment centres, you are there to meet a standard of capability for the company and not to "create enemies". This comes across as aggressive and unwelcome behaviour which they assume is how you would come across to clients and is not something the firm will be looking for.

Agreed. Its not like your all going for one job, you all might get the job or none of you.

Nice comic! :tongue:

Reply 7

Jelkin

17

Original post by AlH123

Agreed. Its not like your all going for one job, you all might get the job or none of you.

Nice comic! :tongue:

Actually sometimes there is only one job. I know this because I went to an assessment centre for one of these recently :frown:

I'm yet to hear back but I'm bricking it because I really want the job!

Reply 8

newts2k

14

Original post by jezza00

Hi,

Just thought I would write about my experience, hopefully it will be useful to someone and maybe someone could offer me some advice or something in return.

I applied for an audit position at Mazars at the end of the year 2009. Did the online application...took me days to write it because I really didn’t want to mess it up and so badly wanted to work for the company. I was invited to do the online tests...and again spent days practicing. They were pretty similar to the SHL tests, so if anyone is having difficulty just practise them. I did get some books, but they were pretty simple and useless, so I would advise not to buy them.

I passed that stage and had an interview with a manager. First I was given a case study to read, I had about 10minutes to read and make a few notes. The case study was about lunch meals in primary school - the usual subjects about children only choosing to eat fatty foods when given a choice and obesity problems etc. Questions on the case study centred on solutions you would implement to solve the problem, limitations of the data and other questions which I can't remember. My advice in this section would be to try and always have a structured argument and stick to your views. Although saying that I was challenged on my arguments and did sometimes alter my opinion...so I guess maybe its not altogether bad if you do change your mind, I guess it shows that your open minded or something like that. :s-smilie:

. The rest of the interview was entirely competency based....Tell me a time when you worked in a time, what are your weaknesses, what do you know about the ACA etc. Anyway this was in November sometime. I got a call in February to attend an assessment centre...I know that's quite a time lag.

There were about 30 other people there, which I wasn’t quite expecting, thought there would only be a small group. The group I was put in completed the etray first - I hated this so much. Its quite intense, I would try and stay as calm as possible. I just ended up being really flustered which didnt help the situation. Had to respond to some emails in order of priority, give some cost advice for organising a conference and then write a letter. After that we had to do a group exercise - I found this horrible. There were seven of us in the group and the table was rectangular and long so couldn't interact effectively. Im not the loudest of people and there were so many overpowering characters that I felt like I just got swallowed up. The exercise was not business based. It was basically about some people trapped in a cave and we had to decide which one should get rescued first. We got some background on each person which we had a chance to read before the exercise started. I dont know what I could advise here - just dont do what I did and say not very much. Sorry Im probably not helping anyone very much with my experience. Anyway then we had a buffet lunch and a group of recent trainees joined us. Just talk to everyone and enjoy it - ur not being assessed at this stage. I then had my partner interview. He asked me competency type questions again. Slightly tougher than the first to be honest - why are the extra activities you do important to you, what it your proudest moment. Managed to waffle my way through it. Then we got a presentation about the company and someone from Kaplan/BPP came to talk to us about the ACA. That was the end of the day and we were invited to go for drinks with the recent trainees that joined us for the buffett lunch. By no means feel obliged to go. I did though and had a glass of orange juice and went home. Needless to say I got a letter a week later to say I didnt get through. I kinda wish I had called to get feedback but I was so upset that I just didnt want to think about it - I know that was stupid.

To anyone thinking about applying, it looks like a pretty good company and office in London is impressive - obviously that is not what one should base their decision on. Good luck to all future applicants, really hope it goes better than mine did.

I graduated in 2009 with a first and have been working at a company doing budget forecasting. Im now 24, and I still really want to do accountancy but my confidence has been really knocked. I don’t think Im any good at assessment centres. How could I improve - I mean there is no such thing as practice really. I’m not the cleverest person, but I work so hard - that’s how I got my first. I try and read the economist to gain commercial awareness but always feel that people know more than I do. The other thing is I don’t really have time to apply for jobs, or do any extra activities - I get home about 8 - 8.30 and have to wake again at 5.45am. Im just stuck, and really need some advice as to what I should do. Quit my job and get something part time that would help me apply for a job? Would I have a chance at a big 4 firm given the talent pool - and as you can probably tell Im not the most confident? Would I have any success applying through a recruitment agency? Im not to fussed about pay because I know once I qualify I can move around. I just really want to be an accountant as its quite a stable job and I honestly think I would excel at it. Im sorry for waffling. I just really really really need some help.

Thank you, Jez

Hi, look, people go through loads of inteviews etc. to get these graduate jobs. You did well to get to the assessment centre so think of that. You're doing well to get budget forecasting as work at the mo, I am also 24 and did Econoics degree and am struggling to find work. Stick with it.

Reply 9

Popeyedoyle

2

The PWC process seems way easier than what you've just written. Have you applied to other firms? Mid-tier firms like BDO and Grant Thornton, you'd get through those processes easy. As for an accountancy AC, the group work is pretty straight forward, just do the simple things like communicate with the other members using their first name. Say a few things, get the 'quieter' ones involved, agree with selected people (ie the ones who aren't knobs). Do the simple things, like if they give you 10 mins reading time, be the first person to say 10 mins up lets start. Be the person that tries to draw a conclusion when times up, you don't even have to even come up with the ideas.

You have a 1st, you don't state which uni or what course, but as long as both are half decent you'll get the ACA no probs. You say you do a budgeting/forecasting role, well have you thought about doing CIMA? There are some great jobs within industry and you can miss out that boring Audit stuff, unless of course you have a clear path of trying to get in to the more competitive roles via the backdoor, but this will probably require a Big 4 ACA down in London.

My advice is apply to as many places as possible and you'll get a job.

Reply 10

Chewwy

17

if you struggled with an etray exercise and a simple team exercise, it is not surprising you were rejected is it.

over internship and grad apps, i have been to well over 20 assessment centres. you learn with each one.

Reply 11

jezza00

OP

Well I also applied to Chantery Vellacot, they put my application on hold and then sent me a email 6 months later to organise an interview, but it went into my junk email and by the time I found out the role had already been taken.
Anyway thanks for the posts, I will keep trying and maybe look into CIMA a bit more - think I might enjoy that more.

Reply 12

Big_Dave

Original post by Chewwy

if you struggled with an etray exercise and a simple team exercise, it is not surprising you were rejected is it.

over internship and grad apps, i have been to well over 20 assessment centres. you learn with each one.

The Mazars e-tray is reknown for being impossible, KPMG's was a walk in the park in comparison. It is a case of doing least badly I think.

The group work is pretty straight forward though, pretty funny actually, one of the people in it is an alcoholic child molester but who also knows the cure to a deseaese that will save millions! very random!