When I first found out that I had been selected to attend the KPMG Junior Account Assessment Evening, I was excited, but also extremely nervous. I had no idea what to expect. Would there be difficult accounting questions? Would we have individual interviews? Would I be asked about my future career plans and put on the spot? I spent a lot of time wondering what I had actually signed up for.
The application process began with an online form on the KPMG website, where I provided personal information and uploaded documents such as my Record of Achievement. After submitting the form, I had to complete a couple of online tests, which assessed skills such as problem-solving, reasoning and accounting. From there, applicants could be invited to an interview, asked for additional information or documents, or selected to attend the assessment evening. Fortunately, I was selected without needing an interview.
When I arrived, there was some time to relax and meet the other students. The group consisted of Year 13 students and first-year university students, so it was interesting to hear about the different pathways people were taking. Once everyone had arrived, we were introduced to the KPMG staff and started with two icebreakers.
The first was simple: we introduced ourselves, talked about what we were currently studying or what we hoped to study at university, and shared some of our hobbies. The second was a bingo activity in which we had to find people who matched different statements on a bingo sheet. It was a great way to break the ice and made the atmosphere much more relaxed.
We were split into pre-assigned groups and taken to different rooms for the main assessment activity. Each group was given a case study involving 12 people stranded on a deserted island. We had to decide which six people we would rescue based on the information provided about their skills, abilities and experience and how they could contribute to the group鈥檚 survival.
Our choices included a farmer, an eight-year-old primary school student, a 30-year-old personal trainer, the Mayor of Hamilton, a KPMG chief executive, a comedian, a mother of six, a retired builder, a university student, a school teacher, a psychologist, and a doctor. We were given additional information about the situation throughout the activity, which meant that we had to reconsider our decisions and work together under pressure.
Once we had chosen our six people, we had to complete a SWOT analysis for each of them before presenting our final decisions to everyone. There were also two major curveballs. We found out that the eight-year-old primary school student wouldn鈥檛 leave without the school teacher, who had previous experience handling emergencies. We were also told that a dangerous storm was approaching, adding another layer of urgency to our decision-making.
Although the activity initially sounded intimidating, I quickly realised that the assessment wasn鈥檛 about testing how much accounting knowledge we had memorised. Instead, KPMG was interested in seeing how we communicated, worked as a team, made decisions and justified our ideas. This was a huge relief for me as I had been expecting something much more intense.
The part I enjoyed most was working alongside such welcoming and knowledgeable people. After the assessment and presentations, we had a networking session over pizza and drinks, where we could talk to KPMG employees and ask them questions about their experiences. I particularly enjoyed hearing from people who had worked at KPMG for more than 20 years. Some had moved between different KPMG branches but had stayed with the organisation throughout their careers.
I also learned more about what junior accountants actually do. Junior accountants will often assist with auditing, but what stood out to me was how strongly the employees talked about the people and culture at KPMG. Many had stayed for years because of relationships they had built, the people they worked with and the opportunities they had been given.
Looking back, the biggest thing I took away from the evening was that opportunities like this are about much more than simply proving your academic ability. Being given the chance to meet professionals, ask questions and experience a real assessment environment was incredibly valuable.
I am still waiting to hear the outcome of the assessment, but regardless of the result, I am grateful for the opportunity to attend. What started as an evening I was worried would be intimidating, turned into an experience that was genuinely enjoyable and rewarding, and gave me a much clearer idea of what a career in accounting could look like.
~ Sukhjot Kaur 13S4
