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Thankfully, PwC’s Robot CODE-E Does Not Want to Destroy the Human Race

Everybody’s favorite technology-talkin’ PwC robot, CODE-E, made an appearance on the show “Windy City Live” in Chicago this morning and WHY DIDN’T I KNOW ABOUT THIS IN ADVANCE, PwC? I would have made the trek into the city to see CODE-E in the flesh … or steel … or aluminum or whatever it’s made out […]

Hey, There Was a PwC Robot Sighting in NYC School

Back in late October, we told you about CODE-E, a robot PwC is bringing to schools to help educators teach students about technology skills and financial literacy. Because no one can teach students how to manage their money better than a non-human, right? Right. Anyway, it looks like CODE-E is starting to make the rounds […]

Let’s All Meet ‘Cody (CODE-E),’ PwC’s Newest and ‘Creepiest’ Grunt

Earlier this morning, as I was getting ready to go to the dentist because I have a killer toothache, I heard from a tipster who told me to check out what’s going on in PwC’s Twitterverse. And this is what I saw: Today I'll be speaking at the @AtlanticLIVE #FutureWork2018 alongside two of our Digital […]

Good News, Future Accounting Firm Interns: You Have Options

Vault, the ratings and rankings website, released a slew of internship rankings yesterday including one for accounting firms. The most notable thing about the accounting-only list of 15 firms is that no Big 4 firms appear in the top 5. The best showing is PwC at #8, followed by KPMG at 9. Vault's rankings has […]

Starting Salaries for Accounting Positions Keep Going Up

If you're a college student studying accounting, prepare your gloat face. Starting salaries for accounting and finance positions are expected to go up 3%-4.3% next year according to Robert Half's new salary guide.

Ex-Crazy Eddie CFO’s 10 Tips for Advancing Your Accounting Career

Generally speaking, you can't trust Sam Antar because he's a crook. But when it comes to advice on advancing your accounting career, you can trust these tips. Sam studied under Abe Brilloff at Baruch, graduated in 1980, became a CPA in 1985, worked for Crazy Eddie predecessor auditor Penn Horowitz (which was replaced later by […]

EY Admits They’ll Still Take You Even if Your GPA Sucks

In FT's Test results can define young careers, we learn that EY will give you a chance even with a 3.0 if you can explain your crappy grades: At Ernst & Young, the global accounting firm, good grades are a key qualification for entry-level jobs and a reliable measurement of “technical ability and work ethic”, […]

This Year’s AICPA Accounting Competition Will Double as CGMA Advertising

If you're into cut throat competition among the country's best and brightest accounting students, you already know what's up with the AICPA Accounting Competition. We write about it every year unless something far more interesting is going on, like a ginormous fraud or some shady partner giving insider tips to his golfing buddy. Or, you […]

Friendly Reminder for Professional Ladies: Don’t Dress Like a Skank at Work

Why is it these memos are almost always directed at female professionals? Why does no one call out dudes on wrinkled shirts, ill-fitting pants that look like your older brother's hand-me-downs and awful, scuffed up shoes of the sort an elderly man with arthritis might buy out of a medical supply catalog? This passive aggressive, […]

John Veihmeyer Not at All Ashamed to Talk Scott London to Business Students

Too bad I didn't hear about this sooner or I totally would have tried to crash this party. Freshly christened KPMG Global Chairman and still KPMG US CEO and Chairman John Veihmeyer schooled the kids at University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business this week, and he wasn't at all afraid to say the L […]

Recruiting Season: Best of Big 4 in Beantown; Underwhelming Salaries; Second-tier Stepping Stones

Welcome to Tuesdays with More Anxious Accounting recruits. Have a question about recruiting season? Email [email protected] with "Recruiting Season Questions" in the subject line. Just a friendly reminder – if you have received an offer from a public accounting firm, by all means, share your excitement with us. We've received a fair amount so far, but we are […]

Deloitte Campus Recruits to Imagine Olympians Naked While Listening to Their Stories of Inspiration

Yes, Deloitte is counting on college students being impressed with stories of determination, hope, competition, blah blah blah while gawking at the Olympic quality bods of Abby Wambach, Cullen Jones, Mariel Zagunis, Jonathan Horton, and April Holmes. And as long at they don't have any of them say something as awkward as Apolo Ohno's quote in that […]

Is Accounting Still a Great College Major?

Do you wonder if every decision you've made is wrong? Not sure if you should eat the Hot Pocket that clearly has someone else's name on it? Have you gotten to the point where you're ready to take questionable advice from someone on the Internet? Email us your questions. Hey GC,   I'm an undergraduate student […]

Are Small Accounting Firm Summer Programs Worth It?

Have your colleagues quit taking you seriously? Are you a serial mismatcher of shoes and socks? Wondering if moving back in with your parents is a good idea? Email us your questions and we'll try to get to them before Labor Day. I'm currently set to attend a two-day summer program at a smaller office of a […]

Accounting Students Looking for That Extra Edge Should Look No Further Than Big 4 Bootcamp

Many dewey-eyed accounting students dream of capping off their time in college with a job at a Big 4 firm. But getting that elusive offer isn't as easy as it seems. There are many ambitious candidates that would step over their own mothers to get an offer so some candidates want a little extra edge […]

Tweets and Pokes: How the Big 4 Is Recruiting the Next Crop of Accountants

BelushiCollege_CPA.jpgNo one here is arguing that there is a vast disparity between the intern program experience and the stark reality of working in public accounting. What’s bothersome, however, is the smoke and mirrors that the firms use to convince recruits that their careers should start in one location over another. This begins and ends with spending exorbitant amounts of time and money on campus, growing multi-yeardressing up public accounting as one’s best bet if you want to work globally.

It has come to the point where the firms’ online presence is two-faced. One side of the proverbial coin shows the straight-laced, information-packed websites that industry and employees see. Flip it over and you’ll encounter extensive and oftentimes flashy sites targeting tomorrow’s crop of new hires:

Deloitte
E&Y
KPMG (warning – mute your speakers)
PwC

Accounting never looked so sexy.


Many of these sites are taking advantage of the technology that students use, which makes sense. E&Y spent thousands on creating a presence on Facebook, one that would show advertisements to a select target of majors. KPMG chose to go the YouTube route, primarily to promote its Global Internship Program. PwC’s campus-focused site has its own “.tv” brand. And of course, Twitter.

All of these methods of communication and established online web presences are fine and dandy, albeit expensive to maintain (marketing teams are dedicated at each firm solely for campus recruiting needs). However, what about the relationships with the students? Recruiters target students as freshman, four to five years prior to any chance of return on investment. Honors programs are sponsored by firms; same goes for professor salaries. Every Big 4 hosts their version of a “leadership summit” – these generally take place one or two years prior to being eligible for an internship. These multi-day summits occur under the sun and are attended by the respective firm’s national leadership. Trust falls and scavenger hunts in sunny Florida. Or Arizona. Or California. Every year. At every firm.

By the way, that bonus you were expecting? Sorry, can’t find the money in the piggybank.
In defense of the Big 4’s marketing gurus; their work is paying off. BusinessWeek’s 2009 ranking of “best” internships has the Big 4 in the top five: Deloitte is #1; KPMG, #2; E&Y, #3, PWC #5. This translates to the same firms taking the top four spots in BusinessWeek’s ’09 rankings of best places to launch a career. This comes as a no-brainer when you consider the vast majority of new hires were former interns. The Kool-aid has been known to have long-term effects.
But the questions remain – is the multi-million dollar recruiting campaigns run by each Big 4 firm worth it? Are these rankings worth the time of students and the decisions they need to make? And what happens after your career has been launched? What’s the next step?

Daniel Braddock, your friendly Human Resources Professional could very well be considered the hypothetical love child of Suze Orman and Toby Flenderson. Following his varsity jacket wearing college days, he entered the consumer markets as an auditor for a Big 4 firm in New York City. He spent three brisk years as an auditor before taking the reins of stirring the HR kool-aid. He currently resides in Manhattan. Daily routines include coffee breakfasts and scotch dinners. You can follow him on Twitter @DWBraddock.