CADETSHIPS 2012 Discussion Thread (4 Viewers)

[twistedrebel]

sigh =( is it normal not to receive any reply from the firms for a long time. Coz i saw on the other thread that some1 got offered a KPMG interview and some were already doing tests haha.. =( havent heard anything yet. do they normally contact you after the deadline or even before for the other firms... i just hope it is not a rejection letter =(

rejecting letter already

 

[Azure]

sigh =( is it normal not to receive any reply from the firms for a long time. Coz i saw on the other thread that some1 got offered a KPMG interview and some were already doing tests haha.. =( havent heard anything yet. do they normally contact you after the deadline or even before for the other firms... i just hope it is not a rejection letter =(

Sometimes firms can take forever to reply and you may be lucky enough to eventually get a rejection letter (and closure). More than often however, a lot of firms simply won't get back to you all together (happens more with mid tier firms).

 

[sifnotme]

Sometimes firms can take forever to reply and you may be lucky enough to eventually get a rejection letter (and closure). More than often however, a lot of firms simply won't get back to you all together (happens more with mid tier firms).

lucky enough to a rejection letter.... i wouldnt think that would need that much luck.... nor do i want it..

 

[Azure]

Lots of firms tend to be quite rude and neglect to send anything out. Those who get some sort of closure are the lucky ones, especially when it's a rejection. At least you have an idea as to where you stand, rather than agonizing over an outcome which never arrives.

 

[seremify007]

I suppose on the other hand a firm wouldn't want to send a rejection letter if someone was in the "2nd round offers" kind of stage. Not all firms have this sort of recruitment strategy but I can imagine at least some of the smaller players would rely on this technique to ensure they get enough people through the door.

 

[nixon3]

Hi,
I just wanted to ask, what type of holidays to cadets get?

as in, are they coordinated with the uni holidays? or do we get no holidays at all because we are FT employees (except for the short days off)?

Thanks

 

[seremify007]

Hi,
I just wanted to ask, what type of holidays to cadets get?

as in, are they coordinated with the uni holidays? or do we get no holidays at all because we are FT employees (except for the short days off)?

Thanks

Full time employees mate. You get 4 weeks of annual leave and a varying amount of study leave which you use at your discretion subject to the firm agreeing to it.

At the end of the day, a full time job is 37.5 hours (minimum) a week. In some firms you get 7.5 hours of leave per week during semester so that essentially becomes a 4 day working week. You'll get public holidays too. But no doubtedly 37.5 hours minimum is literally a minimum because during busy periods of the year you are likely to be required to work (unpaid) overtime. Some firms offer time off in lieu though which is nice but not all.

 

[michael1337]

Hi seremify007, I have applied to PwC's traineeship program which I believe is the equivalent to a cadetship. I would like to know how competitive this program would be? And also what are my chances of receiving an offer? Do you know what is the elimination rate after the phone interview, and also the elimination rate after the assessment centre?

I will tell you a bit about myself to give you an idea of where i am standing. I have 6 more semesters remaining starting from semester two this year until I graduate (Commerce and Law at USyd) and I achieved an ATAR of 99.7 whilst I was in high school. I also play interstate competitive badminton and also at Oceanic level as my extra curricular activities. I have just finished my phone interview on Monday and I personally believe I have answered their questions quite well.

An experienced feedback and judgment would be appreciated!

Thank you very much!

 

[seremify007]

Hi seremify007, I have applied to PwC's traineeship program which I believe is the equivalent to a cadetship. I would like to know how competitive this program would be? And also what are my chances of receiving an offer? Do you know what is the elimination rate after the phone interview, and also the elimination rate after the assessment centre?

I will tell you a bit about myself to give you an idea of where i am standing. I have 6 more semesters remaining starting from semester two this year until I graduate (Commerce and Law at USyd) and I achieved an ATAR of 99.7 whilst I was in high school. I also play interstate competitive badminton and also at Oceanic level as my extra curricular activities. I have just finished my phone interview on Monday and I personally believe I have answered their questions quite well.

An experienced feedback and judgment would be appreciated!

Thank you very much!

Hi there, without knowing the specifics it's very difficult to answer and to be honest, any thing I say is purely speculative and only gives you false expectations. In theory you have everything going for you (high ATAR, sports, extra curricular) but unfortunately whilst people can sound good on paper, seeing them in an interview can be a totally different story and that'll be what makes or breaks whether you get an offer.

As far as I know, if you have 6 more semesters remaining (i.e. 3 years to go), that would make you a 2nd year uni student? I don't think many firms offer cadetships to people in your position unless you were only 1st year into Commerce and were willing to drop law- after all, the whole point of a cadetship is to speed up your CA so you become professionally recognised. If you are only doing it to gain some experience before you go into law or some other field, then the firm won't really benefit and you'd probably be better off focussing on law. That being said, it also depends how clear you made it in your application- I know this is the kind of detail which recruiters may accidentally overlook.

 

[Deathless]

Hi there, without knowing the specifics it's very difficult to answer and to be honest, any thing I say is purely speculative and only gives you false expectations. In theory you have everything going for you (high ATAR, sports, extra curricular) but unfortunately whilst people can sound good on paper, seeing them in an interview can be a totally different story and that'll be what makes or breaks whether you get an offer.

As far as I know, if you have 6 more semesters remaining (i.e. 3 years to go), that would make you a 2nd year uni student? I don't think many firms offer cadetships to people in your position unless you were only 1st year into Commerce and were willing to drop law- after all, the whole point of a cadetship is to speed up your CA so you become professionally recognised. If you are only doing it to gain some experience before you go into law or some other field, then the firm won't really benefit and you'd probably be better off focussing on law. That being said, it also depends how clear you made it in your application- I know this is the kind of detail which recruiters may accidentally overlook.

So what makes a good interview?

Also in general seremify (even though you said you're a bit old), what's the pay like roughly? Some I've heard from say its "officially shit" others say its not bad.

 

[seremify007]

So what makes a good interview?

Also in general seremify (even though you said you're a bit old), what's the pay like roughly? Some I've heard from say its "officially shit" others say its not bad.

There's a variety of factors which would make a good interview or not. Simply put though, the interview is designed to suss out the things which you can't get from an application form or a resume, and is meant to simulate a typical scenario when you are dealing with clients/team mates/partners/etc. If you are able to prove you are capable of communicating effectively, learning, working as a team, being positive, listening, etc... then you'll most likely do well. Of course in a one on one interview, the quality/content of your answers is also important too, but it's the way you deliver it which can make or break.

As for pay, it's in the low 30's depending on firm but if my time is anything to go by, mid-tiers pay considerably higher. That being said the big 4 offer you better career progression prospects (both within and external to the firm), and nowadays even offer better leave entitlements (most if not all the big 4 now offer 7.5 hours/1 day of study leave per week during semester).

 

[pinkcupcakes]

There's a variety of factors which would make a good interview or not. Simply put though, the interview is designed to suss out the things which you can't get from an application form or a resume, and is meant to simulate a typical scenario when you are dealing with clients/team mates/partners/etc. If you are able to prove you are capable of communicating effectively, learning, working as a team, being positive, listening, etc... then you'll most likely do well. Of course in a one on one interview, the quality/content of your answers is also important too, but it's the way you deliver it which can make or break.

As for pay, it's in the low 30's depending on firm but if my time is anything to go by, mid-tiers pay considerably higher. That being said the big 4 offer you better career progression prospects (both within and external to the firm), and nowadays even offer better leave entitlements (most if not all the big 4 now offer 7.5 hours/1 day of study leave per week during semester).

Hi seremify,

I have an interview for Ernst and Young cadetships tomorrow. I would love some advice?

 

[Deathless]

There's a variety of factors which would make a good interview or not. Simply put though, the interview is designed to suss out the things which you can't get from an application form or a resume, and is meant to simulate a typical scenario when you are dealing with clients/team mates/partners/etc. If you are able to prove you are capable of communicating effectively, learning, working as a team, being positive, listening, etc... then you'll most likely do well. Of course in a one on one interview, the quality/content of your answers is also important too, but it's the way you deliver it which can make or break.

As for pay, it's in the low 30's depending on firm but if my time is anything to go by, mid-tiers pay considerably higher. That being said the big 4 offer you better career progression prospects (both within and external to the firm), and nowadays even offer better leave entitlements (most if not all the big 4 now offer 7.5 hours/1 day of study leave per week during semester).

haha yes that does explain a bit. Based on your comments, I must admit smaller and mid-tier firms may be financially better. Someone else I've talked to who worked at a mid-tier firm was able to get 1 day off as well. They worked as a 'full-time employee' whilst studying rather than a cadetship as well.

 

[tambam]

Hey Seremify,
Just wondering if you had to do 'group activities' when you went through the interview process to be a cadet? If you did, could you give us some idea of what to expect? Because in my mind, I can just imagine everyone trying to 'stand out' and try to make themselves heard, which seems like it would just end up in a chaotic mess. Also, i've heard that it might come down to luck, depending on whether your group is really energetic, or a bit quieter. Do you have any advice for group activities?

 

[seremify007]

Hey Seremify,
Just wondering if you had to do 'group activities' when you went through the interview process to be a cadet? If you did, could you give us some idea of what to expect? Because in my mind, I can just imagine everyone trying to 'stand out' and try to make themselves heard, which seems like it would just end up in a chaotic mess. Also, i've heard that it might come down to luck, depending on whether your group is really energetic, or a bit quieter. Do you have any advice for group activities?

Pretty much every mid-tier and large firm requires some form of group activity as part of the interview process. I suppose the challenge you highlight is what everyone contends with but you'll realise that not everyone is like that (at least not in every interview). My only advice is to try and show a balance- at times you'll need to lead the team and at other times you need to be a bit of a listener and contribute. If you can demonstrate you are capable of both, then that's a great way to do well. Just don't do absolutely one or the other. For bonus points, if you can help keep discussion going in the correct direction (or even to stimulate it) then that's what'll help you stand out.

But yes there's also an element of luck involved. I was fortunate that some people on my table knew me from other interviews/school and hence I had existing relationships which made it easier to communicate. And I knew everyones' names

 

[ctkid]

does anyine know whteher deloitte continued its cadetship program this year? couldnt find where to apply :S

 

[tambam]

does anyine know whteher deloitte continued its cadetship program this year? couldnt find where to apply :S

Nope, they only offer grad positions.

 

[seremify007]

does anyine know whteher deloitte continued its cadetship program this year? couldnt find where to apply :S

Not being offered this year. Deloitte don't seem to always offer it.

 

[ozzay]

got an EY offer in assurance-financial services

 

[seremify007]

got an EY offer in assurance-financial services

Congratulations!