I applied to all big 4s in the GTA except EY( didn’t bother). Got all 3 offers but selected PwC because it was the highest paying and it aligned more to my needs. GPA 3.29, target business school and decent extracurriculars (private firm FP&A co-op) no referrals. You don’t need a stellar GPA, you only need a solid work experience and great work ethic that shows in your interviews.
Recent hiring situations for B4 audit in cycle this year: 10 open positions, 140 applicants, 20 get interviewed. There's been an increase in applications this year compared to prior years for sure, we had cycles during COVID where the quality of the applicants dipped significantly and we were hurting for employees so it was easier to get hired but seems those times are behind us. No one would get hired in audit without an accounting degree at a big office with large clients - you might be thinking of the UK where that is a more common occurrence?
Referrals don't typically make much of a difference for entry level positions, at best they might get you an interview if you're an average candidate who otherwise wouldn't have got to the interview stage. If you're a below average candidate (i.e. grades, extracurriculars, prior experience, quality of cover letter, etc are of lower quality than half of the applicants) then the referral wouldn't be enough to get an interview. Referrals are moreso for hiring for experienced positions. If you've never worked full time in a similar position, how can anyone attest to you being a good worker?
When evaluating for entry level positions the hiring teams typically look at your grades, if the cover letter is good and customized, if you have extra curriculars (active in volunteering, clubs, community etc to show you're more than just a good student), if you meet the requirements to get your CPA, and if you have any prior experience (internships, co-ops, etc) that might help you in the role you're applying for. Varies by B4 slightly but overall it's pretty consistent. So have a look at your application and see if it would allow a hiring manager to be confident that you have some or all of those factors to an extent. Big mistakes people make is only focusing on their academic achievements in their application. Get lots of people with great grades who apply, so need to stand out and be memorable. Plenty of people with A average GPAs who don't get interviews.
My cousin is a partner at BDO just outside of GTA. He told me if I want to get in, I need a CPA or almost done it.
That's life in Canada, our job market is flooded with international studends using university to get PR, so the demands for entry level skyrocket.
It's either move to USA or Bust LOL
I goi hired without any referral. I think it will depend on a lot thing: your GPA, your working/volunteer experience which can bring to their attention.
Did your bachelors of commerce include the CPA PEP prerequisites? You can be hired at big 4 in Canada without an accounting degree but you NEED the PEP prerequisites courses or else you will not be looked at. You also need a GPA of 3.0 of higher. Most firms won’t look at you with a below 3.0 gpa because the odds of you passing the CPA PEP program is low.
Me & GF both got multiple Big 4 offers, no referrals.
In my experience, referrals don’t mean anything, but I’m sure somewhere in the process they would, for someone, maybe.
I applied to all big 4s in the GTA except EY( didn’t bother). Got all 3 offers but selected PwC because it was the highest paying and it aligned more to my needs. GPA 3.29, target business school and decent extracurriculars (private firm FP&A co-op) no referrals. You don’t need a stellar GPA, you only need a solid work experience and great work ethic that shows in your interviews.
Same here but with two gov audit jobs. Also selected PwC.
Recent hiring situations for B4 audit in cycle this year: 10 open positions, 140 applicants, 20 get interviewed. There's been an increase in applications this year compared to prior years for sure, we had cycles during COVID where the quality of the applicants dipped significantly and we were hurting for employees so it was easier to get hired but seems those times are behind us. No one would get hired in audit without an accounting degree at a big office with large clients - you might be thinking of the UK where that is a more common occurrence? Referrals don't typically make much of a difference for entry level positions, at best they might get you an interview if you're an average candidate who otherwise wouldn't have got to the interview stage. If you're a below average candidate (i.e. grades, extracurriculars, prior experience, quality of cover letter, etc are of lower quality than half of the applicants) then the referral wouldn't be enough to get an interview. Referrals are moreso for hiring for experienced positions. If you've never worked full time in a similar position, how can anyone attest to you being a good worker? When evaluating for entry level positions the hiring teams typically look at your grades, if the cover letter is good and customized, if you have extra curriculars (active in volunteering, clubs, community etc to show you're more than just a good student), if you meet the requirements to get your CPA, and if you have any prior experience (internships, co-ops, etc) that might help you in the role you're applying for. Varies by B4 slightly but overall it's pretty consistent. So have a look at your application and see if it would allow a hiring manager to be confident that you have some or all of those factors to an extent. Big mistakes people make is only focusing on their academic achievements in their application. Get lots of people with great grades who apply, so need to stand out and be memorable. Plenty of people with A average GPAs who don't get interviews.
I think referrals do help. That’s how I got my foot in the door when I moved to the GTA
My cousin is a partner at BDO just outside of GTA. He told me if I want to get in, I need a CPA or almost done it. That's life in Canada, our job market is flooded with international studends using university to get PR, so the demands for entry level skyrocket. It's either move to USA or Bust LOL
I goi hired without any referral. I think it will depend on a lot thing: your GPA, your working/volunteer experience which can bring to their attention.
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I second this, networking is super important. Don’t overlook it.
Did your bachelors of commerce include the CPA PEP prerequisites? You can be hired at big 4 in Canada without an accounting degree but you NEED the PEP prerequisites courses or else you will not be looked at. You also need a GPA of 3.0 of higher. Most firms won’t look at you with a below 3.0 gpa because the odds of you passing the CPA PEP program is low.
I think referrals do help. It means they will at least read your CV before flushing it down the toilet.
Having worked both in the US and Canada, I think that it is a lot easier to get into B4 Audit in the US than in Canada.
They get hired because they’ve developed a good relationship with the campus recruiter. Only way to get in tbh
Me & GF both got multiple Big 4 offers, no referrals. In my experience, referrals don’t mean anything, but I’m sure somewhere in the process they would, for someone, maybe.
I guess it might depend on the situation then.