thx man...btw, wat is "1st exp programme"?

It's just a fancy name for PWC's fresh grad training.

Hie all;

I have an interview coming up next week with a Big 4 in KL. However, I am not going in fresh but with 2 years of audit experience at another medium size firm. Mainly, portfolio consists of all medium enterprises and a handful of MNCs. What are the ground work I need to do to ace the interview?
i.e.; like
- brush up on all acct. standards? Btw, which acct. stds do the interviewer ask?
- is the interviewer an audit manager himself?

I do not think they will be generous to feed me with essay tests, maths problems, IQ test, etc etc etc.....

Please give some pointers, yah?

Anyway, is it ok to request to start off as fresh entry level audit assistant? Just afraid the interviewer think i am scared and not up to the task lar.

Btw, is 25 years old too old to re-start as audit assistant? or should i go commercial?

Anyone, please advise....

My interview (PWC) had no technical stuff, but the assessment I had included an essay, calculations, and language. All 3 had time constraints.... well for me and my batch mates anyway.

The interview itself, I think usually you'd get the HR, but there's a chance the partner or audit managers (mine) goes for the interview. From experience, the HR would like to know you more etc., senior audit managers ask you some case studies and how'd you react etc. (from an internal staff review list of questions, can't remember) which I believe is the hardest if you are a freshie, or the partner which can really go completely off-topic (hey you play basketball? wow me too, what team you like yeah yeah) or whatever the other end of the spectrum is I don't know.

As you are going in as experienced, I'm not sure if the assessment/interview would change or differ significantly. I'm under the impression that PWC is slightly more stringent, implied through its brand premier but I don't have factual evidence for this.

And regarding coming in as an AA, yes I do think you're too old for that. Perhaps negotiate....? Like becoming a senior after 6 months etc.? Have you undertaken accounting papers?

This post has been edited by Sesshoumaru: Sep 20 2008, 10:52 AM

hi everyone.....as far as i know..in EY's assurance & advisory, there are 4 departments -
Global Financial Services;
Real Estate and Construction Services;
Technology, Communication and Entertainment; and
service department?

would like to inquire what actually does the service department deal with? may i know which industry is the best to work with?

actually I'm interested in the GFS department, but my interviewer told me that the department already has excess employees in it..and some end up having nothing to do and all....so she asked me if i would like to consider other departments....

yes, i would also like to know what does the service department deals with.

1st Experience Program is a 3 weeks training programs where they send you for all sort of training needed by your job scope. It started with 2 days 1 night trip in Avillion Port Dickson or Guoman Resort Port Dickson. The program is quite fun since it includes alot of fine dining and such too.

Training? Ya right. It's actually more of a know-your-batchmates session.
Existing staff think its a waste of time doing this on freshies (who will be happy to work anyway) when it should be conducted on existing, overworked staff.

haha you sound like you are an existing staff in P..

but it is true that most new staff failed to learn the necessary in the "training"..

I also wish to join it...

Guys I just graduate with degree in accountancy, just started working in bank (corporate banking dept) for the past 3month, but I dislike my job here coz generally it involve financial analysis, comment here and there (no accounting/calculation job) and actually I’m blur in this finance field, banks product and so on. I’m thinking to join big4 in audit field…but I’m afraid that I dun have much audit experience, b4 dis I went for practical training in small audit firm for 6 month and work part time after graduate for 1 month +, but I feel that the experience n skill I acquired in small audit firm is not that much...u know la most of the company is just SME company…cheat here and there…and I’ve been thinking to join audit firm back and want to join big firm perhaps pwc or ey…what do u guys think? should I go back to audit firm or just stick working at bank…

In terms of staff benefit I believe the Bank are much more better like medical and much much more…just want to know if im a guy and married, do big4 cover my wife and kids medical also?

This post has been edited by Asus: Oct 7 2008, 10:33 AM

it depends on what you want really.. if u think u like audit instead of banking then no harm trying.. audit always welcomes you although you have no exprience, you can join as fresh grad.. definitely cannot expect urself to join as experience staff with 3 months working experience.. internship experience don't count ya.. =)

big 4 pay is ok, but not great and benefits are mediocre (dun think it'll cover spouse/kids medical expenses though.. most company don't anyway, except for very big MNCs like Shell)..

if you were to join audit, please be ready to work late and hard.. no matter how smart you work, the workload is definitely a lot.. have a serious consideration before quiting ur job and join audit.. seek for alternatives and weigh ur own options.. good luck..

Hi. Does anyone know when is recruitment for EY based in Miri, Sarawak?

I have apply once 2 years ago when i graduate but they said miri position is full.

hmm I think at the moment I will stay at my current job since I can get much more staff benefit here…yeah I know experience in big4 is valueable but just not at the moment hehe...

they recruit new staff through out the year. just apply to them. its standard reason to reject applicants saying that the position is full n cant fit u in the organisation....

Erm...is it possible to apply multiple times for the same branch? Would it leave any bad image to the manager?

Nope, I am an ex-staff from PwC and I joined before they started the first experience program.

Ok, I am not from audit so I'm not sure what they would have thought you, but in tax, PwC has 1 week 'babysitting' course that they hold every quarter for new associates. The tax trainers in PwC are really great people and they would give you very good explanations and case studies to help you familiarise yourself.

So my answer is that most new tax associate do learn most of the necessary during the 'babysitting' course.

note, babysitting is a play on BBCT = the course initials. forgot what the acronym stands for already.


I don't think so, especially since Miri would be a smaller office. I see no harm in just calling up and asking if there are any vacancies on a no name basis (ah, a fav term in Big4) on any available vacancies.

hi everyone out there, need some info here on recruitment of acca grads.

for an OBU degree grad, am i able to get into the Big 4?

does Big 4 accept OBU degree grad or just professionals finishing ACCA Part 3?

how much would be the market salary scope for an OBU grad in the Big 4?

is it advisable for me to apply in the Big 4 or better in medium-small size accounting firm to gain some experience while continuing my studies in the professional level?


any suggestion do help me out! Thanks guys!

Yes, Big 4 will accept OBU graduates.

I believe the salary of OBU graduate, which is similar to any other university graduate with a degree, and ACCA graduate should be the same. Can anyone else confirm this?

Finally, its up to you really. If you think you can handle the working hours and style in a Big 4 and still continue to concentrate on your studies, then go for the Big 4. But based on my experience, I find that a lot of people who are still doing their professional papers seem to be more "committed/interested" in their work than in their studies, until they even skip classes and don't study consistently. But I would qualify this to say that its because of the person, and not the firm.

wat is da difference in terms of salary between those who have finished their acca and those who left with ley say 1 paper (without any uni degree)?