www.pwc.com/ie/graduate

Applications and Interviews Lorraine Toole Graduate Recruitment Manager

PwC

What We Will Cover

1. Application Forms

2. The Interview

3. Competencies

4. Opportunities

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Application forms

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Application Forms - Preparation

• Full and accurate details of your university courses and exam results

• Secondary education exam results

• Details of any work experience and employment you've had Study the employer brochure/website

• What are their requirements

• What does their Graduate programme entail

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• Personal Details

• Career Choice

• Secondary Education

• Third Level Education

• Degree Subjects Studied

• Post graduate education

• Your Skills

- Competencies

• Work Experience

• Interests & Activities

• Referees

Application Forms – Areas Covered

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• Follow the instructions

• Remember your username & password

• Use examples from academia, work experience and extra-curricular activities

• Answer the questions - keep it simple and specific

• Tailor answers to the specific programme and organisation

• Be concise and honest

• Check your form for spelling mistakes or typos

• Keep a copy of your application

• Show your completed application to others to read

• Don’t submit your application until you are 100% happy

Top tips for completing an application form

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Interviews

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The Interview – Preparation

• Know the exact location of where the interview is

• Know what you are going to wear - Dress professionally

• Know your application form

• Research the organisation

• Familiarise yourself with competency based interview techniques

• Prepare key examples for the interview

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What we expect you to know

• Why you want to join PwC

• What you understand about our work

• What are your career aspirations

• What you think about the opportunity you've chosen

• Awareness of further study (ACA)

• Entry route into firms

- MAcc, PDA, Direct

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Competency based Interviews

• What do we mean by a “Competency”?

• Competencies are “areas of personal capability”

• Combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to

perform the job

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What is Competency based Interviewing?

• Past Behaviour Predicts Future Performance

• Determining the ‘Why’ behind the behaviour, so the meaning of the behaviour can be understood

• It’s not what you know you would do, it’s what you did!

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Competencies What are they?

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Competencies

• Develop self and others through coaching

- Show that you are committed to development

- Demonstrate that you can reflect on the things that you and others have done well and areas where you need to improve

e.g. Helped a friend learn how to drive

• Communicate with impact and empathy

- Show that you can get your point across and influence others but that you can also listen

- Display skills in written and verbal communication

e.g. Persuaded a company to sponsor an event

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Competencies

• Be curious – learn, share and innovate

- Tell us about how you’ve made the most of different learning opportunities

- Show how you have offered insights to your colleagues or peers

e.g. A time when you suggested a way for something to work more efficiently

• Lead and contribute to team success

- Demonstrate outstanding team working skills

- Show that you can get along with and support others

e.g. Tackled a course related project as part of a group or fitted in to a new team at work

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Competencies

• Build and sustain relationships

- Demonstrate loyalty and a natural ability to get on with others

- Tell us about how you build and maintain your existing relationships at university, work or other activities

e.g. Keeping in touch with a contact you’ve made on a placement

• Demonstrate courage and integrity

- Show how you have demonstrated honesty and integrity

- Illustrate how you have delivered the best standards, adopting the right procedures and confidentiality

e.g. A time when you showed the same professionalism on a routine task as you showed on a big project

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Competencies

• Manage projects and economics

- Show your ability to deliver work to high quality standards and deadlines

- Demonstrate how you have juggled a number of different priorities

e.g. Organising a large social event

• Be open minded, agile with change and practical

- Show how you think on your feet and adjust to situations

- Reveal an open mind that thinks logically

e.g. Coped well with an unexpected piece of course work

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Competencies

• Be passionate about client service

- Tell us about a time when you have gone above and beyond expectations

- Illustrate a time when you brought forward an idea that would help something work more efficiently

e.g. You’ve made a big contribution to a project that went really well

• Acquire and apply commercial and technical expertise

- Show how you keep up to date with business

- Demonstrate your knowledge and your understanding of current business issues.

e.g. Details of the latest business news story that interests you 17

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How to answer competency based questions

STAR Situation – Set the scene

Task – What you set out to achieve

Action – What you did

Result – The outcome

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STAR Example

‘ I play football with my local team and last year after losing a big match we were very unmotivated. (S) So I wanted to do something to raise the teams spirits. (T) I thought the best way to do this was to organise a team night out. So I spoke to everyone on the team and asked what would they like to do. The majority wanted to go for dinner so I took it upon myself to make all the arrangements (A) It was a great success and it definitely raised morale as we went on and won the next two games and they also awarded me best team player in our annual awards’ (R)

Top Tip: Don’t give hypothetical answers

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Top tips for Interviews

• Be professional at all times

• When you meet your interviewer for the first time – SHAKE HANDS (firmly, but politely) and introduce yourself

• Sit up straight, relax and breathe normally

• Be aware at all times of body language – make eye contact and SMILE

• LISTEN attentively to your interviewer – pay attention to the format of the interview and the questions asked

• If you do not understand any of the questions ask your interviewer to repeat the question or ask for clarification

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Top tips for Interviews

• When answering questions take your time before you speak – ensure you take enough time to THINK and REFLECT about your response

• Answer all questions honestly and concisely

• Use actual examples of your past experiences when answering questions to demonstrate your skills and competencies in dealing with day-to-day situations that arise

• Act naturally and be yourself

• When invited to, ask your questions

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Questions you might ask

• What type of training would I receive?

• Why did you choose to join the firm?

• What are the common characteristics of employees who excel in this position?

• When and how is an employee's performance evaluated?

• When will the hiring decision be made?

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After your interview

• Review how you got on

• What did you do well?

• What questions did you struggle with?

• What did you like/not like about the organisation you visited?

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Points to Remember

• Be prepared

• Print off a copy of your application form for reference

• Competency based questions

- S.T.A.R

• Have some questions prepared

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PwC Graduate Opportunities

• Graduate positions available in Assurance, Tax, Consulting, Risk Assurance Solutions and Corporate Recovery & Insolvency - Dublin, Cork, Mid-west and South East offices

• Closing dates

- Consulting – Wednesday 10 October 2012

- All other applications – Wednesday 17 October 2012

• Presentations/Interviews

- Consulting – Tuesday 16 October 2012 onwards

- All others – Tuesday 30 October 2012 onwards

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Questions ? The best of luck with your interviews