- Do you want to work as an articled student at one of the Big Four accounting firms? You’re not alone. This is the dream of every aspiring chartered accountant.
- But “how” can you find an internship opportunity at a big accounting firm? How does it feel to work for one of the Big Four?
- In today’s article, Bhavya Parekh, a qualified Chartered Accountant from the ICAI, shares his learning experiences at Deloitte, a Big 4 accounting firm. He’ll guide you through the interview process as well.
- So let’s get started.
How Did I Get an Opportunity in a Big-4 Accounting Firm?
To be a Chartered Accountant from the ICAI, one needs to clear three levels of exams:
- CPT: First level. You have to give this exam if you register for the CA course before graduating. I registered for CPT after class 12.
- IPCC: Second-level exam This consists of two groups: Groups 1 and 2.
- CA Final: This is the final level of the CA exam, with two groups—Groups 1 and 2.
- 3 years of article training This starts after you clear the IPCC, either both groups or any of them.
On clearing my CA IPCC exams (2nd level CA exam) in May 2013, I started searching for a firm for my articles.
I got selected for a mid-sized accounting firm with a profile in taxation. I was happy, but I wanted to get into a Big Four accounting firm.
Just as when my mid-size firm training started, I got selected in audit at a Big 4 and took a transfer. People insisted that I should stay in the tax profile, but I wanted to go to a Big 4 accounting firm.
A Glimpse of My First Week at Deloitte as an Article Assistant
I still remember my first day at Deloitte as clearly as if it were yesterday. The date was September 16th, 2013.
The first day, we had our induction. Honestly, all day long, I felt very uncomfortable being around my fellow joinees. Because my coworkers were reserved and quiet, like serious types, I began to question my decision to move from a mid-size firm to the Big 4.
Not to show that I am very cool or an extrovert, but I like talking and meeting new people.
On the second day, short training was conducted. And on the third day, we got our laptops. Trust me, I was the happiest on that day because I got a brand new laptop!
E-Learning on the fourth day. Here we were divided into groups. All new article trainees started e-learning (which was mandatory before starting the on-field job).
In those 4 days, I actually got to know the new articles and realised that they are all so much fun with such interesting personalities. Those four days were absolute fun. We used to have interesting conversations (and amazing snacks) near the coffee machine and in the cafeteria.
“What Lessons Have I Learned in My First Week?”
- Never judge anyone without knowing them. That will only affect your mood.
- Be open to meeting new people.
Allocated to a Client’s Place Far Away from My Residence
After the e-learning, they divided us into different teams. It was so exciting. I personally wanted a client that would not involve much travel; however, most of the clients were far away from my place, and I had no choice but to take it up!
Again, I had the same thought: “Oh God, how will I travel so much?” But as I started working with that team, I loved and enjoyed their company. At the end of 2 months, I had such an amazing rapport with them that I did not mind travelling even 4 hours a day to reach my client’s place.
“What Lessons Have I Learned in the First 3 Months?”
- You should not cry over things that actually do not matter.
- If you do so, it creates negativity and disappointment for yourself.
My transfer from one team to another
It was just January (I joined in September, so approx. 5 months since I joined), and there was a team shift (due to internal administrative reasons). Now, I had to work with a new team, and that was one of the most disappointing moments for me.
Then came another shock: I had to travel out of the city for my audit. I was pursuing my graduation from a college in Mumbai, and regular college attendance was mandatory (if attendance was not met, one would be kicked out, literally!). And to be honest, I loved college and tried my best not to miss much.
However, since it was my first outstation audit, I went ahead without making an issue of things. The manager in charge of this audit was very tough in comparison to my previous manager. I used to literally cry because I did not want to work with him. There were times where I would debate with my manager on how important college attendance is, etc.
When the audit was finished and I returned to Mumbai, I tried everything I could to rejoin my previous team… but nothing worked because my new team kept retaining me.
During those tough days, I had one of my immediate seniors who was very supportive and also helped me come out of my anger and frustration. He helped me a lot in controlling my temper at the workplace, and I am very thankful to him.
Weeks and months passed by with this new team. I continued to conduct outstation audits with my team.
When it came to college, I had low attendance but used to balance it by attending every lecture once I got back from my audits. I was not happy as I was losing my precious college life.
Fast forward to August 2014. My birthday was just approaching, and they asked me to travel on an outstation audit. This time I went totally crazy and lost my patience. I felt they did it on purpose.
I went to the director and told him that I wanted a transfer to another firm as this was getting too much. I told them about my problems and how they sent me for outstation audits even on my birthday!
My director actually sat me down and mentored me. After that, he left the decision to me if I wanted to continue or not (for cases like leaving the firm, having issues with the team, etc., one can approach the director directly).
Two of my best friends (who I am extremely fortunate to have) heard about it and came home to speak with me, sitting me down and telling me that I was making the wrong decision. I pondered over it the whole day and realised they were correct.
On Monday, I told my director that I would continue my work articleship with them only.
Fortunately, everyone was very nice to me, and they didn’t send me on any outstation audits until I graduated.
Gradually, during the 2nd and 3rd years of my internship, a level of understanding developed between my manager and me. In times of anxiety and worry, I had a supportive senior who was always there for me.
“What Lessons Did I Learn in My First Year as an Article Assistant?”
- Taking rash decisions for minor issues without first speaking openly with the person concerned can be detrimental at times.
- SPEAK UP
- Also, after this, I felt that my team would always have a negative impression of me. As we always hear, once our image is tarnished in a corporate organization, it is difficult to get it back. But this is only a myth! On the contrary, my team did not judge me even once; they all supported me instead.
- Don’t be judgmental before knowing people.
- Do not generalise behaviors.
- Be open-minded about different people, as each and every person is unique in his or her responses.
Everything You Need to Know About Study Leaves at Deloitte
For my CA Final exams, I wanted a decent 5–6 months of leave as my sister was also getting married around the same time. I was told that taking more than 4 months of leave is an impossible task.
My manager said, “The more study leaves you take, the greater the chances of failure.”
At that point in time, I had a very negative attitude toward my team. I had almost decided to delay my attempt by six months as I did not want to lose the tag of a first-time chartered accountant. I felt that it was impossible for me to crack the exams and enjoy my sister’s wedding in 4 months’ time (practically 3.5 months—15 days of wedding preparations). However, fortunately, my family and friends motivated me and told me that all would be well.
During those four months, I enjoyed the wedding, started my rigorous preparations, and gave the CA Final Exams.
On July 18, 2016 (the result day), when I saw those words “PASS” on my laptop screen, I jumped with joy and madness. That day, after getting information about my friends’ results, I somehow felt that those who took 6- to 8-month study leaves eventually did not clear.
Later on, when I had a word with them, they all said the same thing: “We wasted so many months of leave” or “We studied hard but got demotivated at the end of the long study leave.” On that day, I realised my manager’s statement: “The more study breaks you take, the higher the chances that you won’t crack the exams.”
I really thanked him from within, though I personally did not tell him.
Lessons I learned: Sometimes some guidance from seniors may not sound logical or in your favour, but always give their advice a thought. Not because they are always correct, but because they have been wrong before.
Self-learning is the key.
During my articles, my team never spoon-fed me. Whenever I faced an issue while working or could not understand a particular thing, I was always asked to go through and read the relevant acts or literature to find answers to my queries and then discuss them with them.
I used to feel that if they knew the answers, why couldn’t they just tell someone and get it done?
Lessons I learned:
- Things that come your way or the experiences you go through always have a reason; maybe it’s the patience you need to develop to understand and reap the benefits in the future.
- Now that I understand the significance of that training, I am grateful to my team whenever I work in a profile (for example, financial accounting advisory) where my USP is my interpretation skills.
- They have actually always helped me and shaped me in a better way.
Interview Tips For The Big Four Firms
Apart from my learnings, I would also like to share a few insights from articles and interviews with Big 4 and mid-size firms. There are generally 2 rounds of interviews, i.e., the HR and technical rounds.
HR round
- The HR round is typically a basic question and answer round in which they ask questions such as: Where do you see yourself in x number of years, what is your vision/goals, why did you choose Chartered Accountancy as a career, why do you want to do your articleship with this firm, and so on.
- One must make sure he has done enough background research on the firm where he or she is appearing for an interview.
Technical Interview
- Here, they test our technical knowledge.
- When applying for articleships, you must be familiar with the concepts covered at the IPCC/Inter CA level.
- Interview Dressing for boys should include decent formals, including a tie.
This is all I learned in three years of writing articles. Looking back today, I feel this was the best part of my career as it taught me great life lessons that I would have never learned had I chosen my comfort zone.
Bonus: Articleship Tips from Successful Chartered Accountants
Vinit Gala
“You’re lucky to face tough issues like office politics, rude bosses, and super strict seniors! I call them lucky, as these experiences will prepare you for a better tomorrow! When faced with such situations, stay calm and discuss them with seniors and HR first. Articleship Tips to Perform Well at Your Accounting Firm
Nidhi Nagori
“I cleared the exams in my first attempt but missed out on rank and got rejected from a Big 4 when applying for an articleship. I did not know why I had been rejected. It felt like nothing in life could be more devastating than not having secured a “prestigious” articleship.
“I was sad and upset, but I decided to become my own hero, and I did so by getting my articleship from a mid-size firm in Kolkata.” Read My Journey to Self-Confidence, From Kolkata to the US
Linet D’Souza
“Never simply accept things as they are.” Always be assertive and curious. The quality of being curious helped me learn something new every day. “Never complain about things—it will make things more difficult for you.”
Articles in Big 4 proved a huge learning experience for her.
