Big-4 Recruitment Program

Ideas

Study hard, Work smart!

Would-be accounting professionals usually begin their job search well before graduation. However, to do so effectively, it is important that accounting students know their strengths and weaknesses. To ensure that students achieve their career goals, the Department provides pre-employment training for those aiming for a Big-4 placement. David Yip, a Senior Teaching Fellow in the Department of Accountancy and organizer of the Big-4 Recruitment Program, cautions that most employers, professional accounting firms in particular, have very specific requirements for selecting candidates.

Mr. Yip notes, however, that professional accounting firms look for a good personality and attitude, not just academic results. Students wishing to join these firms must demonstrate a commitment to hard work, eagerness to learn and improve, and strong ethical values.

Teaching curricula provide students with accounting knowledge, but the soft skills required by prospective employers cannot be acquired from the teaching environment alone. To better prepare students for job recruitment exercises, the Department provides specific training and regular updates.

Most prospective employers, whether one of the Big-4 firms or another organization, have specific criteria for choosing the right candidates. Although these criteria are not generally in the public domain, they can be surmised through ongoing dialogue, and have changed little over the years. Based on the knowledge gained from ongoing dialogue with prospective employers, the Department conducts regular training workshops and seminars to help students to fine-tune their soft skills and meet employers’ criteria.

These workshops and seminars are held at the beginning of Semester B of students’ final year, and students continue to receive training geared toward either Big-4 or non-Big-4 employment upon graduation. Graduates are also invited back to campus to share experiences of job success or failure.

Mr. Yip believes that hard work creates success and that success can also be attributed to the ongoing efforts of trainers and organizers. He takes personal satisfaction on the high graduate employment success rate of his students. Further improvement will depend on the availability of staff resources.