How can you get a job at PwC? Well turns out PwC outlined how to do this in a CNBC post.
This article was about how to get an entry level job at pwc and what pwc expects from their candidates. We’ll go over what the article spoke about and we’ll also have some analysis to help add additional color to the big 4 hiring process.
The article started off by saying that Pwc will hire 4,000 to 5,000 interns this year.
It doesn’t necessarily say where those interns will be. Whether it is in the U.S. or globally. The article then dives into what the application process is like and highlights how the application process can be an arduous journey for many candidates.
PwC Application Process
They specifically cover the five step journey in the application process in some countries for PwC like the UK
- The first step of this five step process is a numerical reasoning test which is an aptitude test,
- Then there is a video interview where you respond to pre-screening questions
- Then candidates attend a full day event at an assessment center or in a pwc office where you conduct group activites, take exams and conduct additional interviews
- then you conduct two one-on-one interviews with a manager and a partner
- Final step is an official offer
That is the process in many places in Europe, but this process obviously differs depending on where you apply. The more prestigious the school you apply from, the easier the process will be for you. The less well-known your school is, the harder the process will be for you.
Another key point for getting a job at PwC, is to meet PwC’s standards for being a pwc professional according to this cnbc article.
What is a PwC Professional?
There are five key attributes to a pwc professional and they are
- Business acumen
- Global acumen
- Technical capabilities
- Relationship skills
- And whole leadership
What do all of those things mean?
Business Acumen
Business acumen basically means what is your knowledge of business and ability to succeed in business. This also includes your knowledge of the industry you are interested in. Obviously when you are just a candidate it would be hard to understand whether you know a lot about your industry.
Global Acumen
Second is global acumen. This is your knowledge of what is going on in the world. A great example of this would be tax reform. Another example would be the changing political environment around the world to that of a more populist world. Additionally there are currently a lot of talk about trade wars around the world. This area is just any knowledge that you might have about the changing geopolitical environment and its potential impact on business. In an interview you don’t want to get too international in this area though because the people you are interviewing with will still likely be focused more on what is impacting their clients on a local basis.
Technical Capabilities
The third tier of the pwc business professional is technical capabilities. This means that you are technical in your area of expertise. That would be accounting principles if you are in audit and tax law and regulations if you are in tax. PwC expects you to be technical in your area of expertise. I wouldn’t worry about this one too much if you are just looking for an entry level position or internship at the big 4. Just make sure that you understand the basics of whatever your field of expertise is before going into your interview.
Relationship Skills
The next part of the pwc professional that pwc wants to see from their people is relationship skills. This means that you need to be able to maintain and grow professional relationships. You need to have some stories ready about how you’ve grown and utilized relationships professionally. Think of times you’ve used your network or your parents network to advance yourself in a professional manner. You can also speak about clubs that you’ve joined while in school or outside of school. We cover some other areas that you can speak about in our interview book and our interview course.
Leadership
The last area that pwc wants to see from their professionals is whole leadership. This is the catch all area for pwc. This also includes your ability to lead others in the way that a big 4 accounting firm expects. This means leading by example but what is leading by example. This means leading by whatever pwc values at that point. If that is leading by showing you know how to balance work and life, then that is what you need to show that you are capable of doing. Most people are going to see this as just being a leader though. They aren’t going to read into it much so don’t worry about that. In order to fulfill this requirement, be ready to show confidence in your communication and willingness to lead others. Once you get the job, you will need to show that you can be a leader in your group and an ability to delegate effectively to those beneath you.
PwC Digital Fitness
Other than understanding pwc’s expectations of a pwc professional the CNBC article goes on to speak about how they expect their candidates to be digitally fit. PwC says that they expect their candidates to know about the latest technologies and some technologies they speak about are technologies regarding data analysis and visualization such as tableau and alteryx. Tableau is a data visualization tool and alteryx is a data analysis and data manipulation tool. It is no longer good enough to know only excel. You need to learn about these alternative technologies to impress the big 4. I suggest that you find out more about these tools on each companies website and watch youtube videos. Write down some key points about some interesting technologies before going into any big 4 interview because it matters a lot in this current environment. What’s good about PwC is that they tell you the technologies that they are invested in so make sure to learn about those. We will most likely do in depth posts about both of those technologies on our website or on our patreon page so make sure to visit both of those sites and subscribe to our patreon page for unique premium content.
In conclusion, pwc has described what they want from an ideal candidate. If you are interviewing with them, you should have a good understanding of what is needed based on this. You will have to go through a tough application process, then you will have to go through a tough interview. PwC expects their candidates to be well rounded in 5 key areas and they also expect them to be digitally fit. To learn more about any of these areas make sure to check out all of our resources in the shownotes to this podcast.
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