The rejects (2 Viewers)

[Rorix]

For those that did get offers what do you think got you through (If you don't mind my asking)?

What uni's do you go to? Sydney
What's you GPA? Com 4.0. Law 3.6
What kind of work experience do you have? Good.
Did you have internal contacts? No.
How did you structure you STAR responses? I didn't think STAR as I was answering but I guess it was along STAR lines.
What kind of extra-curricular are you engaged in? Strong extra-curric (clubs, some volunteer work, competitions etc.)

Edit: Got me through..IMO it was being able to talk in interviews like a normal person, plenty of people with comparable qualifications that I know did not get through probably because of interview performance. And plenty with lower qualifications did.

 

[havy]

so where is everyone working? i got 3 offers and ended up signing pwc audit.

nice nice

 

[stazi]

What uni's do you go to? University of Sydney
What's you GPA? I tend to show my WAM, more than my GPA, as it's a bet indicator of performance. But my WAM and GPA are:
Course WAM: 78.58
Course GPA: 6.08
Marketing (the field I want to work in) WAM: 84.56
What kind of work experience do you have? Very vast. I've posted it up on here before, but basically my CV consists of three tabulated pages of work experience in various marketing-related areas
Did you have internal contacts? No
How did you structure you STAR responses? I didn't really follow any guidelines, but usually I'd set the context, talked about the job that needed to be done, how i went about doing it in a unique way (esp. the problems i encountered), and finally, the results (numerically if possible)
What kind of extra-curricular are you engaged in? Again, I had a very vast amount of extra-curricular involvement. I separated it into three parts: sporting, leadership, and community. Leadership included SRC involvement at state levels in high school, sporting included being selected for the national championship in AFL (in the USA, though ), community involved DJing radio shows, acting in various big productions at two theatres, as well as my society exec positions and fundraising experiences.

 

[velox]

What uni's do you go to? Sydney
What's you GPA? Com 4.0. Law 3.6
What kind of work experience do you have? Good.
Did you have internal contacts? No.
How did you structure you STAR responses? I didn't think STAR as I was answering but I guess it was along STAR lines.
What kind of extra-curricular are you engaged in? Strong extra-curric (clubs, some volunteer work, competitions etc.)

Edit: Got me through..IMO it was being able to talk in interviews like a normal person, plenty of people with comparable qualifications that I know did not get through probably because of interview performance. And plenty with lower qualifications did.

we're not in america!

 

[havy]

lol, actually macquarie uni uses the 4 point gpa system as well, but usyd would use the 7 point system is that right?

 

[stazi]

yep usyd does

 

[Sarah168]

my response would be similar to Rorix's but with a lower GPA/WAM and minus the law degree hahaha

also, sounding normal in an interview helped alot I think. I was nervous as all hell but the feedback I got was that I was calm, thoughtful and level-headed :S

 

[stazi]

i think interview skills are incredibly important. luckily ive got l33t social skills

 

[Newbie]

lolz i wam 70 flat

 

[velox]

Quite high. Big4 are eating accountants for breakfast.

So many jobs, and with a CA you should be alrite.

 

[jpsnail]

Quite high. Big4 are eating accountants for breakfast.

So many jobs, and with a CA you should be alrite.

Thanks mate for the reply.

 

[jpsnail]

Hi guys, new here!

For those of you that are in big 4, just need a bit of advice.

I've been working for 2 years full time in an accounting firm (4 partner, nice client base very solid experience I have accumulated) whilst doing my uni degree part time in uws. I have no intention of applying for big 4 for a grad position (graduating at the end of the year) because I know they are very biased towards uni students other than those from USYD/UNSW/UTS/MQ as a lot of posters have pointed out earlier.

However I have just been offered by a 2nd tier/top 40 accounting firm for a position. What are the chances of me landing a job in the Big 4s if I get my CA with this 2nd tier firm in say 2 years time?

 

[Vagabond]

"because I know they are very biased towards uni students other than those from USYD/UNSW/UTS/MQ as a lot of posters have pointed out earlier."

Not sure where you got that from... I've helped out with VAC recruitment for my firm and 'prestige' isn't a criteria... They look at the overall package ... I'd say the main reason UWS people are underrepresented is because less people from UWS apply is comparison to UTS, UNSW, etc.

 

[pete_mate]

"because I know they are very biased towards uni students other than those from USYD/UNSW/UTS/MQ as a lot of posters have pointed out earlier."

Not sure where you got that from... I've helped out with VAC recruitment for my firm and 'prestige' isn't a criteria... They look at the overall package ... I'd say the main reason UWS people are underrepresented is because less people from UWS apply is comparison to UTS, UNSW, etc.

i was at every interview for all the big 4, talking to all the candidates, there was like 1 UWS person i'd seen, and he'd changed from sydney to woolongong, and was doing a masters or something, so it kinda didn't count.

vagabond, was that in the initial app. screening or in the later stages?

 

[ahallam2]

Hi guys, new here!

For those of you that are in big 4, just need a bit of advice.

I've been working for 2 years full time in an accounting firm (4 partner, nice client base very solid experience I have accumulated) whilst doing my uni degree part time in uws. I have no intention of applying for big 4 for a grad position (graduating at the end of the year) because I know they are very biased towards uni students other than those from USYD/UNSW/UTS/MQ as a lot of posters have pointed out earlier.

However I have just been offered by a 2nd tier/top 40 accounting firm for a position. What are the chances of me landing a job in the Big 4s if I get my CA with this 2nd tier firm in say 2 years time?

Firstly, I'm in melbourne so this may be irrelevant. I go to Swinburne University (first year) and got a place at a big 4 for vac work. Swinburne is nowhere near as prestigious as Melbourne or Monash and from talking to recruiters - it doesnt matter as much as it used to. With the skills shortage, they cant really afford to be too picky about things like prestige.

My advice would be to definitely apply for big 4 if you want it! You have vast experience from what youve said so I think youd be in a great position to land a grad position.

 

[RTTTYTR]

i was at every interview for all the big 4, talking to all the candidates, there was like 1 UWS person i'd seen, and he'd changed from sydney to woolongong, and was doing a masters or something, so it kinda didn't count.

vagabond, was that in the initial app. screening or in the later stages?

That's odd cause I know for a fact that this year there was at least 1 from UWS at every bif 4 summer vacationer recruitment and he is an undergrad

 

[stazi]

how do you know for a fact?

 

[havy]

maybe he has talked to everyone...or maybe at every big 4 group interview/exercise they show lists of candidates with their names and uni.

woooo 300th post

 

[stazi]

didn't they used to do something like that? I recall seeing some list of (maybe cadets?) and the unis they go to.

 

[havy]

I think lots of the firms still do that, at least for vacationers. I remembered for kpmg final round the ratios was approx. 30% UNSW, 30% USYD, 20% UTS, 20% MAC.
or maybe its more like 35:35:15:15.