If you’re studying accounting, there’s a decent chance you’ve heard some version of this advice:
“Try to get into the Big 4.”
Easy enough, right?
Big 4 (or Big Four) accounting jobs can be competitive, especially for students and recent graduates trying to get their foot in the door. But to get hired at one of these elite companies, you don’t need a flawless resume, three internships, and your entire career mapped out by sophomore year.
What does help is understanding what these firms look for, how to show the skills you already have, and what to expect once you start applying.
Here’s how to get a job at the Big 4, from building your resume to preparing for the interview.
The Big 4 accounting firms are:
Together, they make up the four largest audit firms and offer services across accounting and several other professional areas.
For students and recent graduates, that can mean plenty of entry-level opportunities (and plenty of competition vying for those same spots). All the more reason to do a little homework before you start firing off applications.
“Accounting firm” might make you picture tax returns, spreadsheets, and someone staring very intently at a calculator. But the Big 4 actually cover a wide range of services.
Depending on the firm, areas of work may include:
| Service area | What it can involve |
| Audit and assurance | Reviewing financial information and helping organizations verify that their reporting is accurate and reliable |
| Tax | Helping businesses and individuals navigate tax planning, compliance, and reporting |
| Consulting and advisory | Working with organizations on business challenges, strategy, operations, transactions, and other specialized needs |
| Risk | Helping organizations identify and manage financial, operational, regulatory, or technology-related risks |
| Technology-related services | Supporting areas such as data, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and emerging technologies |
That variety can be useful if you’re interested in accounting but haven’t decided exactly where you want to land yet.
Big 4 firms are popular with students for a reason.
Early in your career, a Big 4 job can give you a front-row seat to major clients, different industries, and plenty of opportunities to build your skills. PwC, for example, highlights training, coaching, growth, and mobility opportunities for its entry-level employees.
Big 4 employees also develop valuable experience they can carry into whatever comes next. Working at a large firm can help you:
Big 4 life won’t appeal to everyone. Accountants and auditors may work longer hours during particularly busy periods, such as tax season or major audits, and some people prefer the pace or culture of a smaller firm.
Still interested? Knowing how the hiring process works can help you approach it with a lot more strategy than simply firing off applications and hoping someone calls.
Requirements vary by firm and position, so always start with the actual job posting.
For many entry-level accounting roles, employers look for a combination of relevant education, technical knowledge, and professional skills. But if you’re still in school, you probably have a few more specific questions. Like, do you actually need a CPA before anyone will hire you?
For many traditional accounting positions, an accounting degree or related field of study can help you build the foundation employers expect. Your coursework often covers areas such as:
Keep in mind that requirements differ by role. Some positions may accept related majors, while others have more specific expectations. PwC’s entry-level external audit opportunities, for example, list accounting and combined accounting/technology or data analytics majors among its preferred fields of study.
You don’t have to walk into your first Big 4 interview with a CPA license already in hand.
For some roles, though, being on track toward CPA eligibility can matter. EY, for example, offers a Career Path Accelerator designed to help students earn the education credits they need to become CPA eligible.
If a CPA career is part of your long-term plan, it’s worth checking the requirements early, in the state where you plan to become licensed. The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy notes that CPA education requirements vary by state, so the exact path can look different depending on where you live.
Discovering that you’re six credit hours short of something important—three years from now? Not a fun surprise.
A Big 4 internship gives you relevant experience, helps you get familiar with the firm, and makes the transition into a full-time role feel a little less mysterious. You’ll already know how things work, who to ask for help, and, critically, where the good coffee lives.
But missing an internship doesn’t mean the Big 4 have slammed their doors shut in your face forever.
Other ways to build relevant experience include:
You can also apply directly to entry-level positions after graduation. Your path doesn’t have to look exactly like the person sitting next to you in Advanced Accounting.
Strong candidates need a mix of accounting knowledge, technical ability, and professional skills.
Being good with numbers matters, obviously. But it’s a talent that just about everyone else applying for the same accounting job holds, so it probably won’t get your resume a second look on its own.
Useful accounting resume skills may include:
As AI becomes a bigger part of accounting and finance work, understanding how to use it for tasks such as research, analysis, or workflow support can be valuable, especially when paired with the judgment to review its output carefully.
Employers also often want evidence that you can communicate clearly, solve problems, manage deadlines, and work well with others. (You know, the usual “please be someone we can put on a team” skills.) But instead of cramming every possible skill onto your resume, focus on the ones you can actually demonstrate.
Start with the job posting, not your resume.
Look at the skills and qualifications the firm emphasizes, then make sure your resume clearly shows the ones you genuinely have. If the posting mentions Excel, analytical skills, or client communication, don’t make the recruiter play detective.
You can work those skills naturally into descriptions of coursework, projects, leadership roles, or part-time jobs. Maybe you used Excel to analyze financial data for a class project, presented your findings to a group, or handled customer questions during a busy shift.
Specific resume bullets can also show a lot more than a generic list of responsibilities:
| Original version | Worked with other students on accounting projects. |
| Stronger version | Collaborated with a four-person team to analyze financial statements and present recommendations for a semester-long accounting project. |
The stronger version backs up what you did with specifics, giving hiring managers proof of several skills at once.
Use the experience you do have.
Maybe your current resume includes retail, food service, campus involvement, or volunteer work. That experience can still show skills Big 4 employers care about.
Think about situations where you:
Then ask yourself which specific skills those experiences highlight. A hectic restaurant shift might show time management and communication. Leading a student organization could show organization, teamwork, and follow-through.
On your first accounting resume, you don’t have to pretend you’ve already spent three years auditing Fortune 500 companies. Thankfully, no one expects that from an entry-level applicant.
The exact hiring process varies by firm, office, and role. Deloitte, for example, says candidates may go through multiple rounds of phone, video, or in-person interviews, with the format depending on the position.
Generally, the process may include:
For students, campus recruiting can give you opportunities to connect with firms before you apply. Keep an eye out for career fairs, accounting organizations, networking events, and university recruiting programs.
Start by researching the firm and the specific service area you’re applying to. You should be able to explain why the role interests you, why you chose that firm, and what you could bring to the team.
Then prepare a few examples from work, school, or extracurricular activities that show how you handle common workplace situations. The STAR method can help you organize those examples:
Having a few stories ready gives you somewhere to start when a behavioral question comes your way (and saves you from staring into the middle distance in a cold sweat while three interviewers wait).
Big 4 interview questions can vary by firm and role, but it’s smart to prepare for questions about your motivation, past experiences, and career goals. Deloitte, for example, recommends preparing specific examples from your experience for behavioral interviews.
You might practice answering prompts such as:
Review your resume before the interview, too.
Anything you include is fair game for a follow-up question, so make sure you can comfortably talk about your projects, jobs, and skills. This is probably not the moment to discover that Past You got a little ambitious with the phrase “advanced Excel skills.”
A Big 4 offer can be a great way to start your accounting career, but there are plenty of other places to build experience.
Regional firms, corporate accounting departments, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations all hire accounting professionals. You can develop specialized skills, pursue your CPA, and even apply to a Big 4 firm later, if that’s still your long-term goal.
One hiring decision shouldn’t determine the rest of your accounting career, even if it bruises your ego a little.
Prepare for Your Accounting Career Online at UTPB
Ready to start building the knowledge and skills accounting employers look for? Explore The University of Texas Permian Basin’s online accounting programs and find a path that fits your education and career goals.
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