Big 4 graduates (1 Viewer)

[happyemo]

Been looking through your forums for a while and it's been super helpful.

Question One
Just wondering what the figures are for people applying to big4 firms as graduates per city.

Truth is; not all of us are from the best universities/with the best WAM's/are the brightest in personalities or have powerful connections. Just want to know what numbers I am to compete against holding the constants that there will be people with better scores + more prestigious universities than me.

Heard that for example if there are 20 open spots for graduates to fill, half are taken up by current co ops/vacationers guranteed positions already. Now I want to know out of those left over 10 spots, how many people are going for it.

Question Two:
Also, I know some of you like that newbie guy are awesome and can straight up answer this:

Two candidates with everything the same, difference is one is from a lesser known university but will be having a whole year's worth of experience as a trainee accountant while the other is from the one of the best universities in Australia with absolutely no practical accounting knowledge. Which would you take?

Thanks heaps in advance

 

[Omnipotence]

Depends on role but 55k is the average in Sydney and a credit average would suffice. The big 4 -apparently- don't discriminate based on the university you attend.

 

[happyemo]

55K applicants... ? Damn that's a lot of grads

 

[Omnipotence]

55K applicants... ? Damn that's a lot of grads

Salary

 

[seremify007]

Question One
Just wondering what the figures are for people applying to big4 firms as graduates per city.

Truth is; not all of us are from the best universities/with the best WAM's/are the brightest in personalities or have powerful connections. Just want to know what numbers I am to compete against holding the constants that there will be people with better scores + more prestigious universities than me.

Heard that for example if there are 20 open spots for graduates to fill, half are taken up by current co ops/vacationers guranteed positions already. Now I want to know out of those left over 10 spots, how many people are going for it.

It will vary significantly because a lot of the larger firms recruit so many times during the year (cadets/trainees, coops, interns, grads) such that with rolling recruitment, they don't really need to worry too much about specific numbers. The only thing I can think of in relation to this would be that it's a lot easier to get in at a lower level and be offered a graduate role, than to be offered a graduate role fresh (without some kind of coop/other special experience). Don't forget at graduate level, you're also competing against international students too.

Salary is pretty much in line with what was described above. In my experience, if one firm increases the salary above the rest, the others can sometimes match it before you've even started working.

Question Two:
Also, I know some of you like that newbie guy are awesome and can straight up answer this:

Two candidates with everything the same, difference is one is from a lesser known university but will be having a whole year's worth of experience as a trainee accountant while the other is from the one of the best universities in Australia with absolutely no practical accounting knowledge. Which would you take?

Thanks heaps in advance

Experience (assuming it's from some form of reputable firm/company/etc).

Best university means squat especially if they have no experience; and this was on the assumption they had good marks too.

The reality is though each of the different categories is weighted differently and you never really encounter a situation of all else being equal.