Your Future with the Big 4 on one Sheet of Paper
It is impossible to overstate the importance of your resume. Your career with the Big 4 all starts with a single piece of paper (Tip: if your resume is longer than one 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 may sound harsh, it is a reality of the Big 4 hiring process. The Big 4 receive thousands and thousands of resumes each year. Only the best resumes lead to interviews and job offers.
Common Pitfalls of the Big 4 Resume
Preparing the perfect resume to submit to the Big 4 is incredibly challenging. Some of the most common mistakes candidates make include:
-Failing to understand how their work experience would translate to the Big 4 position they are targeting
-Over/under utilizing "buzz" words and accounting terminology
-Improperly presenting their GPA
Listing courses they have taken
-Failing to understand the primary -purpose of the resume
-Overstating the importance of their work experience
-Presenting an unclear message
-Using distracting formatting
-Unique 'English as a Second Language' challenges for international students
How I can Help
Your resume should be an asset. It should elevate your experience and present a compelling case to bring you in for an interview. Since starting Big4Guru.com, I have helped thousands of candidates prepare for the Big 4 hiring process. It never ceases to amaze me how often strong candidates attempt to get through the hiring process with a flawed resume. Even the most qualified candidate will not get an interview with the wrong resume.
I want to help you present the perfect resume to the Big 4. I have seen firsthand many, many, times, the difference that a bad and a great resume can make.
Two Services Offered
Option One: Resume Review and Edit
I will review your current resume as if I were a Big 4 recruiter and suggest all the edits necessary to make it 'Big 4 ready.' If I think a complete re-write is necessary I will do that at no additional charge. We will have two 45 minute phone consultations. The first will help me learn your "story" and review any upfront questions I have after readng your resume. During the second call we will review the revisions and discuss my feedback. If you already have a resume, perhaps one that you prepared in a college class, this option is best for you.
Option Two: Complete Resume Write
I will write your resume from scratch. All resumes are handwritten; I do not use cookie-cutter resume software. This service includes three one-hour phone consultations. During each of these calls I will interview you about your education and work experience and craft a resume that presents your unique qualifications. If you do not have a current resume, or would like to start over from scratch, this option is best for you.
Thank you for visiting this site and I look forward to working with you!
Sincerely,
Big 4 Guru
If you are interested in working with the Big 4 Guru to perfect your resume, please send an e-mail to big4guru@yahoo.com with 'Resume Help' in the subject. We will send you more information.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Leading with your Strengths
Great article from AICPA: Leading with Your Strengths. There has been a growing debate over whether it is better to focus on maximizing your strengths or minimizing your weaknesses. I'm for the former.
http://www.cpa2biz.com/Content/media/PRODUCER_CONTENT/Newsletters/Articles_2012/CPA/Jul/LeadingWithStrengths.jsp
http://www.cpa2biz.com/Content/media/PRODUCER_CONTENT/Newsletters/Articles_2012/CPA/Jul/LeadingWithStrengths.jsp
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Big 4 Guru Mail Bag - Do Big 4 summer interns always receive a full-time offer?
Do Big 4 Summer Interns always receive a full-time offer at the end of the summer?
Answer:
Big 4 summer internships are, without a doubt, the best way to land a full-time offer. Typically, the candidates chosen for the internship are looked on as “the best” in the pool of candidates that year. Accordingly, the internship is a way to woo these candidates and convince them to start their career with the firm. In that regard, it can be said that all Big 4 interns have the potential to land a full-time offer at the end of the summer.
It is rare, but sometimes an intern can perform so poorly that an offer is not extended. This is most likely to occur as a result of a poor attitude (rather than poor “accounting” performance). The expectation placed on interns, in terms of proving their accounting knowledge, is fairly low. So much of what makes the Big 4 the best place to start a career has to do with how much is learned on the job. Accordingly, the expectation is that interns just starting with the firm do not have much experience or expertise. The point of the internship is to judge whether the candidates will be able to represent the firm in a positive manner to clients. So, the easiest way to mess up an internship and not receive an offer is to have a poor attitude. I’ve seen interns who either act too arrogant or make the mistake of not taking the internship seriously. This behavior is a red flag to your employer that you will not be an effective worker and will not represent the firm well to clients.
The main takeaway here is that interns are almost guaranteed a full-time offer, if they play their cards well. Those lucky enough to land an internship can consider themselves well on their way to a full-time offer by simply being friendly, conscientious, professional, polite and serious about one’s work.
Have a question for Big 4 Guru? Send an e-mail to big4guru@yahoo.com
Monday, May 28, 2012
Two Hours in the Big 4
I often get
the question “What is it like to work for the Big 4?” In many ways,
working for the Big 4 is like working in a hurricane. Sometimes you’re
in the “eye of the storm” and things are calm and relatively laid back.
However, it is only a matter of time before the storm shifts and your
world is turned upside down. Professionals at the Big 4, as is the case
with other professional services firms, are at the constant mercy of
their clients and their bosses. You will be pulled in a thousand
directions every day and have a series of conflicting demands on your
time. What follows is an example of a typical two hours in the life of a
Big 4 First Year. This is an excerpt from my new book ‘Working for the Big 4 – The First Year All-Star’.
You arrive at the client site at 7:45 AM. You are the first one there so you have the luxury of getting your laptop booted up and connected to the client’s wireless network in peace. You open up your email and see that you received an e-mail from the Senior at 11:45 the night before. This is somewhat surprising since you went home at 11:30 PM and assumed that things would be quiet overnight. You open the e-mail and it is a message to the whole team stating that the Sr. Manager will be “in the database” that day and to make sure all your documentation is up to date. You breathe a sigh of relief because, unlike many of the other First Years, your documentation is top notch and up to date. [You will learn about the ‘Database’ and ‘Documentation’ in the next chapter]. While you’re reading this message you get another e-mail from the Senior, this time it is from his Blackberry. It states:
“Hey. The Sr. Manager is actually going to be coming out to the client today, can you get coffee for him and I. I don’t know how he take his coffee.”
You reply “Yes” and grab your keys. As you’re about to walk out the door another e-mail pops up. You decide to give open it, against your better judgment. It is the Controller of the client, Sean. He has some information for you regarding the request that you sent to Barbara the accounting manager yesterday for copies of 100 invoices:
“I spoke with Barbara yesterday and we are both concerned that you are asking for too much information. Last year the auditors only looked at 50 invoices and they made their own copies. Barbara will choose 50 of the 100 that you requested and copy them for you by tomorrow afternoon.”
There are five things wrong with this e-mail. 1) The firm’s audit guide specifically requires that you test 100 invoices to gain comfort on the account; 2) Even if you could get away with testing 50 invoices, Barbara wouldn’t be the one to choose which 50, you would; 3) When you spoke with Barbara yesterday she seemed happy to make the copies, why did she run to her boss and complain?; 4) Barbara had promised that the copies would be done first thing that morning, now it is going to take an extra day, which is a problem because… 5) You suspect that there is an issue with the account and it would have been the perfect opportunity to discuss with the Sr. Manager today.
While you mentally process the implications of the e-mail (e.g. have to smooth over whatever is bugging Barbara, have to respond to the Controller, copying the Senior, to explain why the 100 invoices are needed, have to offer to make the copies yourself) you briskly walk out to your car to head to Starbucks. You realize that you don’t know how the Senior takes his coffee either. You determine that the best approach will be to get two large black coffees and then bring back an assortment of sugar, Splenda and half-half. You pray that neither of them takes skim milk or soy milk in their coffee. You spend your time in line thinking about the other items that need to get done that day.
You arrive at the client site just as the Senior is pulling into the parking lot. He says that he wanted to talk to you about some items and begins to rattle off a list of suggestions and issues that there is no way you can keep up with. You cling to the most important phrases and feel like you have enough information to make an attempt at what he is requesting. Your first lucky break of the day comes when the Senior reveals his preference for black coffee and is happy with your choice.
Back at your desk you check your email and you don’t have any. At this point that is probably a good sign. Then you realize that your computer somehow got logged off the wireless network. You log back in and have a handful of new emails. There is one e-mail from the firm’s HR department, reminding you that you need to take an online ethics training class. You file this as a low priority and move onto the next e-mail, this one is from the Partner:
Team,
Thanks for all your hard work on the engagement. I just wanted to remind everyone to be mindful of the requests that we are putting out to the client. We must make sure to test smartly and efficiently so we don’t put any undue burden on the accounting department.
Uh-oh, did Sean talk to the Partner? If so it is an almost certainty that the Controller did not accurately describe the situation and most likely implied that you were putting out ridiculous requests. Ugh.
You finally begin to work on the assignments that you had planned for the day. You begin performing some audit procedure using the information that you collected the prior day. Just as you begin getting into a good flow the Sr. Manager walks in. You hand him his coffee and he adds one sugar. He seems to be looking around for some milk. Great. He doesn’t sit down right away but stands in the corner of the room with his blue blazer on, furiously flipping through his Blackberry. Without even looking up he speaks in your general direction and says, “Hey, Sean forwarded me an email. I hear you’re killing Barbara with invoice requests.” Before you can respond he says, “Don’t worry, Sean likes to push back on everything, just explain what you’re doing and he should be OK. Copy me on the response in case he has any follow-up.”
Phew. That takes care of one headache. You quickly crank out an e-mail, briefly and succinctly explaining to Sean why you need the 100 invoices and copy the Senior and Sr. Manager. You’re feeling more confident in your choice so you don’t bother to offer to make the copies yourself.
Finally, you return to your work. It is now 9:45 and you’re back to the position you started at two hours ago. Fortunately, you have another 10 hours before you can go home!
For information on how to become a First Year All Star, CLICK HERE
For information on how to land a job with the Big 4, CLICK HERE
You arrive at the client site at 7:45 AM. You are the first one there so you have the luxury of getting your laptop booted up and connected to the client’s wireless network in peace. You open up your email and see that you received an e-mail from the Senior at 11:45 the night before. This is somewhat surprising since you went home at 11:30 PM and assumed that things would be quiet overnight. You open the e-mail and it is a message to the whole team stating that the Sr. Manager will be “in the database” that day and to make sure all your documentation is up to date. You breathe a sigh of relief because, unlike many of the other First Years, your documentation is top notch and up to date. [You will learn about the ‘Database’ and ‘Documentation’ in the next chapter]. While you’re reading this message you get another e-mail from the Senior, this time it is from his Blackberry. It states:
“Hey. The Sr. Manager is actually going to be coming out to the client today, can you get coffee for him and I. I don’t know how he take his coffee.”
You reply “Yes” and grab your keys. As you’re about to walk out the door another e-mail pops up. You decide to give open it, against your better judgment. It is the Controller of the client, Sean. He has some information for you regarding the request that you sent to Barbara the accounting manager yesterday for copies of 100 invoices:
“I spoke with Barbara yesterday and we are both concerned that you are asking for too much information. Last year the auditors only looked at 50 invoices and they made their own copies. Barbara will choose 50 of the 100 that you requested and copy them for you by tomorrow afternoon.”
There are five things wrong with this e-mail. 1) The firm’s audit guide specifically requires that you test 100 invoices to gain comfort on the account; 2) Even if you could get away with testing 50 invoices, Barbara wouldn’t be the one to choose which 50, you would; 3) When you spoke with Barbara yesterday she seemed happy to make the copies, why did she run to her boss and complain?; 4) Barbara had promised that the copies would be done first thing that morning, now it is going to take an extra day, which is a problem because… 5) You suspect that there is an issue with the account and it would have been the perfect opportunity to discuss with the Sr. Manager today.
While you mentally process the implications of the e-mail (e.g. have to smooth over whatever is bugging Barbara, have to respond to the Controller, copying the Senior, to explain why the 100 invoices are needed, have to offer to make the copies yourself) you briskly walk out to your car to head to Starbucks. You realize that you don’t know how the Senior takes his coffee either. You determine that the best approach will be to get two large black coffees and then bring back an assortment of sugar, Splenda and half-half. You pray that neither of them takes skim milk or soy milk in their coffee. You spend your time in line thinking about the other items that need to get done that day.
You arrive at the client site just as the Senior is pulling into the parking lot. He says that he wanted to talk to you about some items and begins to rattle off a list of suggestions and issues that there is no way you can keep up with. You cling to the most important phrases and feel like you have enough information to make an attempt at what he is requesting. Your first lucky break of the day comes when the Senior reveals his preference for black coffee and is happy with your choice.
Back at your desk you check your email and you don’t have any. At this point that is probably a good sign. Then you realize that your computer somehow got logged off the wireless network. You log back in and have a handful of new emails. There is one e-mail from the firm’s HR department, reminding you that you need to take an online ethics training class. You file this as a low priority and move onto the next e-mail, this one is from the Partner:
Team,
Thanks for all your hard work on the engagement. I just wanted to remind everyone to be mindful of the requests that we are putting out to the client. We must make sure to test smartly and efficiently so we don’t put any undue burden on the accounting department.
Uh-oh, did Sean talk to the Partner? If so it is an almost certainty that the Controller did not accurately describe the situation and most likely implied that you were putting out ridiculous requests. Ugh.
You finally begin to work on the assignments that you had planned for the day. You begin performing some audit procedure using the information that you collected the prior day. Just as you begin getting into a good flow the Sr. Manager walks in. You hand him his coffee and he adds one sugar. He seems to be looking around for some milk. Great. He doesn’t sit down right away but stands in the corner of the room with his blue blazer on, furiously flipping through his Blackberry. Without even looking up he speaks in your general direction and says, “Hey, Sean forwarded me an email. I hear you’re killing Barbara with invoice requests.” Before you can respond he says, “Don’t worry, Sean likes to push back on everything, just explain what you’re doing and he should be OK. Copy me on the response in case he has any follow-up.”
Phew. That takes care of one headache. You quickly crank out an e-mail, briefly and succinctly explaining to Sean why you need the 100 invoices and copy the Senior and Sr. Manager. You’re feeling more confident in your choice so you don’t bother to offer to make the copies yourself.
Finally, you return to your work. It is now 9:45 and you’re back to the position you started at two hours ago. Fortunately, you have another 10 hours before you can go home!
For information on how to become a First Year All Star, CLICK HERE
For information on how to land a job with the Big 4, CLICK HERE
Sunday, May 13, 2012
PwC Named to Forbes' Top 100 Places to Work
PwC was ranked as the 48th best place to work on Forbes' 2012 Best Places to Work list.
For more than 25 years the Great Place to Work institute has studied the inner workings of workplaces around the world, from small startups to some of the best-known multinationals. The Big 4 have typically faired very well on this list. For the full 2012 list (including the other Big 4) click below.
http://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-companies/100-best-companies-to-work-for
For more than 25 years the Great Place to Work institute has studied the inner workings of workplaces around the world, from small startups to some of the best-known multinationals. The Big 4 have typically faired very well on this list. For the full 2012 list (including the other Big 4) click below.
http://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-companies/100-best-companies-to-work-for
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Don't Be Someone You Are Not
One of the most common mistakes that Big 4 candidates make is trying to be someone they are not. They may have a picture in their mind of the "typical" Big 4 employee: outgoing, very social, boisterous. They then go out of their way to play up this Type A personality when in reality they are more introverted. If you are an extroverted individual then, by all means, just be you. However, if you are shy or more reserved, that is OK. Big 4 recruiters are looking for someone who is confident in who they are; someone who is at ease and easy to talk to. The most effective way to display these traits is to stop focusing on being someone else and just be your natural self.
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