Is BDO/GT worth it?

But how easy is it to get into the big 4 once you qualify?

.
Big 4 newly qualifieds drop like flies. Majority leave after qualifying or move to a new team, go on secondment/career break/etc. In teams that are growing, they still need numbers at that level so look externally. SA2, assistant manager2 or whatever it's called at each big 4, has by far the lowest retention rate, it's part of the business model, they don't expect you to stay. Associates probably come a close second as quite a few quit after starting and realising they can't hack the exams, or just don't like the job.

Reply 21

AussieAccountant

Original post by M1011

How can you possibly advise someone to choose a firm based on the one or two people that happened to interview them? These firms employ 1000s....

1 year later...

Because those two (or rather, up to four to six people that you meet during the recruitment that will be part of your team) are the people that you will be working with on a day-to-day basis for years. Out of the 1000's of people in the company, you'll work closely with, say, 50 of them over the first couple of years.

Of those, you'll meet about 5 during the interviewing (first, second, office tour, graduate recruitment info sessions at University, etc, etc, etc, etc).... you'll meet something like 10% of the people you'll work most closely.

That's indicative enough to be important.

Reply 22

M1011

19

Maybe at a push you could draw something useful out of it in a regional office. Office tours? You went through a different recruitment process to me.. I was interviewed by 2 people, one of which was not from my future department.

Original post by AussieAccountant

1 year later...

Because those two (or rather, up to four to six people that you meet during the recruitment that will be part of your team) are the people that you will be working with on a day-to-day basis for years. Out of the 1000's of people in the company, you'll work closely with, say, 50 of them over the first couple of years.

Of those, you'll meet about 5 during the interviewing (first, second, office tour, graduate recruitment info sessions at University, etc, etc, etc, etc).... you'll meet something like 10% of the people you'll work most closely.

That's indicative enough to be important.

Reply 23

AussieAccountant

Original post by M1011

Maybe at a push you could draw something useful out of it in a regional office. Office tours? You went through a different recruitment process to me.. I was interviewed by 2 people, one of which was not from my future department.

My experience is largely based on Australian recruitment process (in regional office).... perhaps its different over in the UK though.

Reply 24

M1011

19

Original post by AussieAccountant

My experience is largely based on Australian recruitment process (in regional office).... perhaps its different over in the UK though.

Ah right, yea that must be it. Quite an industrial scale over here depending on where you apply to - in London you get offered a job before even selecting a department for big 4.

Reply 25

AussieAccountant

Ha.

Here, you probably meet a team of up to 6 or so at a Careers Fair, a couple would be from your team, you apply online, have a phone interview with HR, go to an Assessment Centre (including a one on one interview with your team), have a couple of Analysts from your team come in for casual chats whilst 3 at a time go off for the individual interviews. Have an office tour. Then if successful, come back in and have an interview with a Partner & someone else from your team. At least one of the Big 4 then arrange for an Analyst/Senior Analyst from your team to take you to a cafe/pub (I went to the pub).

Is BDO/GT worth it?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you