Preparing For A Big 4 Accounting Firm Interview
Congratulations! You now have an interview with a Big 4 accounting firm! The biggest piece of advice I offer all of my Big 4 Interviewees is to remain calm, smile, and ask questions. I like to say that all interviewing with the big 4 accounting firms is luck, and preparation. Preparation is more important, which means that fate is in your hands. I've seen hundreds of students walk into an interview and sometimes, in the first few minutes, they have the job. For example, if you walk into an interview and are from the same hometown as the person, the chance of success increases. If you went to the same school, or played the same sports, your chances increase. That is why being diverse and unique is so important when preparing for the interviewing process. You do not need any of these things to receive a position. People will respect you even if they can not personally relate to you if you are prepared. That is why I said; it is a combination of luck and preparation. Great news is, all you need is preparation, and you can ensure the job is yours!
The career center provides free mock interviews.
Prepare with mock interviews early and often. You must have mock interviews before you get to the interview stage. Here are the top ways to get a mock interview before meeting with professionals:
Ask friends to help you.
Ask your friends!
When you are researching the professional on LinkedIn, if you played the same sports as they did, went to the same school, or were in the same clubs, your chances of obtaining the job increase. That is why being a diverse person is so important when preparing for the interviews. You want to have a wide range of personal interests and experiences that you can draw upon to relate to any interviewer. While it is good to be able to relate with common experiences, it is not required to obtain the position. Interviewers will respect you even if they can not relate to you with a specific life experience, assuming you are prepare and professional. The most important piece of advice I offer all of my Big 4 interviewees is to ask questions, remain calm, smile, and keep the conversation positive. All interviewing with the big 4 accounting firms is a combination of preparation and luck. While luck is good to have, most of what you can control is preparation so make sure you are ready.
Behavioral Interviews are rooted in the belief that past behavior determines future behavior. When answering behavioral questions, consider the STAR Method.
These questions require preparation, poise, and thought. If you have never had an interview like this, if you don't prepare, you may not have an answer. Here are the main principles behind the method of STAR:
Situation: Detail the background of the story and provide a setting for the scene to take place.
Action: Tell the story of the action you took. What did you do? How? What tools did you use to accomplish the goal?
Action: Tell the story of the action you took. What did you do? How? What tools did you use to accomplish the goal?
Results: What was the conclusion, what did you learn?
Lastly, I want to remind you that you are ready for this. You have taken the classes, padded your resume, and made the connections. If you had not, you would not be in the interview. They are expecting you to do well, make sure you are living up to those expectations.
The career center provides free mock interviews.
Prepare with mock interviews early and often. You must have mock interviews before you get to the interview stage. Here are the top ways to get a mock interview before meeting with professionals:
Ask friends to help you.
Ask your friends!
When you are researching the professional on LinkedIn, if you played the same sports as they did, went to the same school, or were in the same clubs, your chances of obtaining the job increase. That is why being a diverse person is so important when preparing for the interviews. You want to have a wide range of personal interests and experiences that you can draw upon to relate to any interviewer. While it is good to be able to relate with common experiences, it is not required to obtain the position. Interviewers will respect you even if they can not relate to you with a specific life experience, assuming you are prepare and professional. The most important piece of advice I offer all of my Big 4 interviewees is to ask questions, remain calm, smile, and keep the conversation positive. All interviewing with the big 4 accounting firms is a combination of preparation and luck. While luck is good to have, most of what you can control is preparation so make sure you are ready.
Behavioral Interviews are rooted in the belief that past behavior determines future behavior. When answering behavioral questions, consider the STAR Method.
These questions require preparation, poise, and thought. If you have never had an interview like this, if you don't prepare, you may not have an answer. Here are the main principles behind the method of STAR:
Situation: Detail the background of the story and provide a setting for the scene to take place.
Action: Tell the story of the action you took. What did you do? How? What tools did you use to accomplish the goal?
Action: Tell the story of the action you took. What did you do? How? What tools did you use to accomplish the goal?
Results: What was the conclusion, what did you learn?
Lastly, I want to remind you that you are ready for this. You have taken the classes, padded your resume, and made the connections. If you had not, you would not be in the interview. They are expecting you to do well, make sure you are living up to those expectations.
About the Author:
It is impossible to overstate the importance of your resume. Your career with the Big 4 Accounting Firms all starts with a single piece of paper. Tip: if your resume is longer a page you're already in trouble. If your resume is not flawless you can almost guarantee that it will end up in the shredder. While this sounds harsh, it is a reality of the Big 4 accounting firm hiring process.
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