As fall approaches, Big 4 recruiting for next year's crop of capital market servants will shift into high gear. This means lots of handshakes at catered events where students will make small talk, laugh awkwardly, and feign listening in order to land that all-important first job. There's a lot of preparation involved for these students as they really have nothing to go on but their wits, grades, and, for the ones not too bright, their good looks.
Of course there are some young people out there that have an extra advantage over the regular Joes and Janes because of a connection to a firm, more specifically candidates that have a connection to a partner. Maybe they are a relative, friend, or simply the valet at their country club. Whatever the case may be, there will always be a slew of candidates who aren't as qualified but will have an advantage because of dumb luck.
This happens at all the firms, although we were recently introduced to a little evidence that addresses the issue inside PwC. Adrienne's CPA crush and PwC Chairman and Senior Partner Bob Moritz recently sent an email to partners reminding them of the protocols for any referrals since it appears that some people are under the assumption that P. Dubs will take anyone with a pulse:
Fall campus recruiting season has begun, and I know many of us have family members, friends or clients who may be interested in submitting a student's name for consideration for our internship program or for a full-time position. Last year, the Sourcing team received a number of submissions from partners that were either too late in the process to be considered or where the student was simply unqualified. To avoid that this year, I thought it would help to provide a refresher on our process to ensure we create a good experience for you as well as your referral. In summary, we look for students who attend an accredited university with a major in one of the areas we pursue, a GPA of 3.4 or higher, and a variety of leadership positions and relevant work experience. If you have a qualified referral, first encourage them to complete an online profile at www.pwc.com/careers. Then send them to your market recruiter as soon as possible, as we fill most of our open positions between August and October.
So please don't waste time offering your nephew's résumé who dropped out halfway through his sophomore year and is now checking IDs at the local sportsbar but still has "great people skills" and is "looking for the right opportunity."