Accounting interviews

[mclaughlin04]

Background: Senior accounting major, couple of big interviews starting tomorrow in the next week.

Any recommendations for good interview questions that could help me in the decision process? No idea if I want to do big 4, public accounting firm, or work in the accounting department in a company.

Right now interviewing with PWc, 3 public accounting firms that are smaller, Finish Line, and Steak n Shake so my opportunities are open, guess I'm just not sure what I want.

[arsoisaen]

I work for PwC. I think starting off if you can get big4 do that. Industry is something you do later after you've established a good audit/tax/whatever foundation.

Recruiting is hard to gauge what you want, I suggest you try for all 4 so you can get the 2nd round superday at the office interviews. that way you can really judge your work environment and the people you will be working with.

and FYI big4 = public accounting firm

[thing85]

There are some smaller public accounting firms (Grant Thornton, BDO, etc.) Obviously they're not huge players with public companies, but they have their foot in the market somewhat.

[WLVRYN]

I definitely recommend going the public route. You will get a wide breadth of experience, even if you are only there for two years. The best part is, if you dont like a client you are on or a senior/manager that you are working for, you typically move on to another client after a couple of weeks.

[blunty31]

I finished school with a pretty bad GPA, around a 2.6, what are my chances of getting a job in a public accounting company, and is there any possible shot I have at the big 4?

[Jimbo232]

[ QUOTE ]
I definitely recommend going the public route. You will get a wide breadth of experience, even if you are only there for two years. The best part is, if you dont like a client you are on or a senior/manager that you are working for, you typically move on to another client after a couple of weeks.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm an accounting grad and I've worked in advisory services for a Big 4 firm and have just hit the 2 year mark. I can second WLVRYN's comments about the breadth of experience you receive from encountering new problems/solutions at many different companies - you will not get this experience working in industry. While demanding at times I haven't found it out of line with what my friend's tell me their entry level positions are like in other fields of work.

Blunty - you will probably not be able to make it past the screening process for the Big 4 with your GPA. Your best bet would be to look at some of the smaller public accounting firms.

McLaughin - All of the Big 4 firms are probably going to be pretty similar so you kind of just have to go with what feels right. I would not let your interviewer know that you are unsure if you want to work for the big 4 or in public accounting - even hinting at the fact that you are having doubts will probably eliminate you from contention for the job.

[TheRedRocket]

[ QUOTE ]
I finished school with a pretty bad GPA, around a 2.6, what are my chances of getting a job in a public accounting company, and is there any possible shot I have at the big 4?

[/ QUOTE ]

No