How Can You Join the Big 4 After a B.Com Degree?

The days when holding a Chartered Accountancy or Company Secretariat certificate was a prerequisite to entering the top accounting firms are long gone. The accounting industry has witnessed an influx of young talent, leading to heightened demand for a larger workforce. As a result, many prominent accounting giants now consider hiring fresh graduates. With a B.Com degree in hand, it is now possible to aim for a position at one of the Big 4 accounting firms, which refer to KPMG, EY, Deloitte, and PwC in the USA. Despite their rigorous recruitment processes, it is indeed feasible to join the Big 4 after obtaining a B.Com degree. For those interested, this article provides all the answers and information you need on how to achieve this milestone.

Also Read: Best Career Options After B.Com

What are the Big 4?

The Big 4 is a name given to the top four Accounting firms in the US. The ranking is given to measure the revenue of these companies. The Big 4 include Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG), Ernst & Young (EY), Deloitte, and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). these companies offer services like auditing, valuation, tax, management and strategy consulting, assurance, market research, and legal advisory services. These firms also audit financial statements for most of the companies in the S&P 500. 

How do the Big 4 Hire?

Every company has its own way to hire. In this age of digitalisation when everyone has access to multiple platforms, companies have now started to use various ways to post advertisements for vacancies. Following are the paths that the Big 4 used to hire candidates.

• Hire through job portals (one on one hire)

• Placement drives

• College campus placements

• Internal referrals

• Organizing career fairs 

Interview Rounds/ Selection Process for the Big 4

As mentioned above, the selection process for Big 4 is extensive involving several interview rounds judging candidates for different skills required for the job. Following are the rounds that the Big 4 generally use to select a candidate. 

Round 1: Initial HR Interview

• This round includes HR asking questions to candidates pertaining to their background, objectives, weakness, strengths, etc. 

• Usually, when the placement is done through job fairs or college campuses, the HR team also conducts debates or group discussions.   

Round 2: Technical Round

• In this round, the Team Leader who will be managing the candidate at work takes the interview. 

• Questions in this round are asked to test a candidate’s knowledge in corporate law, accounting, taxes, etc. 

• Based on the job role or level being offered, candidates may be required to sit for the second or even third round of the Technical interview.

Round 3: Partner/ Director Round 

• As the name suggests, this round is taken by a Director or Partner.

• There is a thin to no possibility of this round happening for an entry-level job but a fat one for a high-level job. 

• This round is done to assess the candidate’s suitability for the firm. 

• The interviewer judges candidates based on their behavioral aspects and analyses them. 

Round 4: Final HR Round 

• After the completion of all the above rounds, candidates have to appear for one final round with the senior HR personnel. 

• This round is done to finalize the candidate and discuss the remunerations and T&C of the employment.

Also Read: Is it Easy For B.Com Graduates to Get into a Top B.School?

How to Impress the Big 4 Firms?

If you possess proper skills, you can impress anyone and become a star candidate. These are some skills that you must possess to get a job at Big 4 after B.Com.

• Technical Skills: Without proper knowledge of corporate law, accounting standards, taxes, etc, getting a job in the Big 4 would not be possible. One must be well acquainted with the recent technical updates, newly issued accounting pronouncements, amendments to the relevant acts, etc. 

• Communication Skills: This is a skill that is a prerequisite for getting into any company, be it the Big 4 or not. One must have a good command of the English language, both in written and verbal form. These skills are of great value at the time of HR interviews, group discussions and debates.

• Computer Skills: As an accountant or auditor, you will be using a lot of software. If you lack computer competency, working every day will become a huge challenge for you. So consider it as another important skill to master. 

• Impressive Resume: Making an impressive resume is also a skill that could become a deciding factor in most cases. Big 4, being an extremely popular target for job-seeking graduates, gets applications or resumes that are, sometimes, ten times the number of vacancies. In cases like this, having an impressive resume and cover letter can get you shortlisted for the next round. 

• Work Experience: This one is not as much of a skill as it is an added bonus to get you highlighted in the eyes of interviewers. If you hold any experience in the relevant field, your chances of getting selected may increase. 

Also Read: Top B.Com Colleges with Best Placements

How to Get a Job in the Big 4 After B.Com?

In the age of the internet where everything is just a fingertip away, things have become much easier. It is not the finding a vacancy part that is tough but the getting selected part. Companies post job advertisements on multiple platforms to get qualified and skilled candidates. Stay active on job sites and applications like LinkedIn. You can also visit the official portals of these firms and look for the job openings under their ‘Career’ section. You will be able to access all the relevant information there and then, you can apply to the position that interests you the most and for which you are qualified. 

Common Interview Questions to Join the Big 4 After B.Com

Although there is no denying that the interview questions for everyone can not be the same, there are some common questions asked in most interviews. It’s better to prepare for these questions so that you don’t find yourself lost while sitting for an interview for the Big 4. Here are the top five questions that you can prepare for. 

Top B.Com Colleges in India

If you are ready to prepare for the Big 4 and want to pursue B.Com for that then we have the top colleges for you. Check out these colleges below that will help you move closer to your dream job. If you want to apply to any of these colleges, you simply have to fill the CAF (Common Application Form) available on CollegeDekho. Through this unique interface, you will be able to access expert guidance and ensure an easy and successful application. 

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