A lot of people would tell you that to get articleship in any of the Big4 accounting firms in india - E&Y, PwC, Deloitte or KPMG, you need extremely high marks, rank in Foundation/Inter, a good reference (partner-level), etc. But do you know this is not the complete truth? Let me show you the true picture through this post. Read on...
The General Perception - how true is it?
The general perception of a lot of CA Inter students is that getting articleship in any of the Big 4 accounting firms in India - E&Y, PwC, KPMG or Deloitte, is very difficult. You need to be a very good student, get ranks in CA Foundation or CA Inter, or have a solid partner-level reference. Without any reference, you will just not be called for an interview or would be straight-away rejected.
Let me reveal the true picture upfront - the general perception in the minds of most CA Inter students is absolutely incorrect, and through the subsequent paragraphs of this post, I will prove how this is incorrect.
For clarity of understanding, let me approach this by telling you what all are the pre-requisites which these firms look for in any candidate for articleship interviews. Knowing this will be helpful for you in 2 ways - firstly, it will dispel all the incorrect perceptions built on mere hearsay, and secondly, let you know what will be required to convert your CA articleship interviews in any of the Big 4s.
Pre-requisites for Big 4 aspirants
A general disclaimer before you go on to read the list of pre-requisites -->
This list has been compiled from various sources - both primary and secondary. I have no prior experience per se of any Big 4 articleship interview process.
The most basic requirement is that the candidate should have cleared either Group 1 or both Groups of CA Inter. It does not matter if you have completed CA Inter in 2 separate attempts. Without you satisfying this criteria, no one at the Big 4s will entertain you.
There is no hard criteria for a basic threshold of marks or percentage or ranks in either CA Foundation or CA Inter. Rankholders obviously have a slight edge over others because of the distinction, but not being a rankholder is also perfectly fine. Preference would be towards above average candidates.
Attempts? One? Two? Don't worry. I have heard Big 4s taking in students clearing CA Inter even in 2 attempts. My personal view is --> If you are not very strong in the acads part of your CV, it can still be compensated by strong soft skills. But an overall weak profile will find it very difficult to clear the interview rounds. Big 4s are known to ascribe more importance to the soft skills than the hard skills while selecting candidates.
Reference is required? The answer is Yes. But you do not have to have a partner-level reference. Any reference who can refer your CV on the articleship portal/HR ID will do
Great soft skills, decent hard skills - refer previous posts
Confidence - this is probably the most important thing which will help you clear the interview
A very crisp and convincing answer to the question "Why us?". This is a make or break question, and your answer must portray your eagerness to join the firm. Approach it from the learning perspective, and never utter the word "stipend" anywhere during your interview. If you want to progress to the next round, nailing this question is absolutely essential.
Last, but not the least, ability to think on your feet, understand the motive behind the questions of the interviewer and not falling for their trap.
Conclusion
If you have closely read the list above, all that chatter around only rankholders getting into the Big 4s or you needing some big shot reference are nothing but half-baked spiced up facts. There are ample opportunities provided to everyone, provided you can grab that opportunity and make the first impression last long in a positive way.
The main thing which will be on test during the interviews will be your confidence, everything else is quite secondary. What will hold you in good stead is the ability to sell yourself during the interview and be at your absolute best on that day.
Hope this post clears some doubts and myths regarding articleship inthe Big 4 accounting firms of India.
For any queries, clarifications, suggestions or feedback, please feel free to reach out to me.
Thanks for reading!