KPMG International Limited (or simply KPMG) is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations.
Headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, although incorporated in the United Kingdom, KPMG is a network of firms in 145 countries, with over 236,000 employees, and has three lines of services: financial audit, tax, and advisory.
Its tax and advisory services are further divided into various service groups. Over the past decade, various parts of the firm's global network of affiliates have been involved in regulatory actions as well as lawsuits. The name "KPMG" stands for "Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler".
Pre-assessment
The online application is reviewed and if the application fulfills its requirements, you are invited for a pre-assessment test or a preliminary screening (mostly online).
Assessment
If you make it through the initial screening, you will be invited to a telephonic or on-campus interview depending on your service line. This will be taken by an HR member and the questions will rather be very basic and to the point. This will be followed by some more panel interviews conducted by senior managers of KPMG
Super day
You might also experience a super day where you will be taken through a series of interviews and screening tests. If you make it through this, you are 90% done.
Final interview and onboarding
In the end, you will need to go through a final interview with your service line manager which will consist of more behavioral questions and some to and fro conversations.
Preliminary round
This usually consists of an online screening or pre-assessment test but may also involve a telephonic interview in certain service lines. This would be an introduction round where you can affirm your application in person
Technical rounds
These will consist of both technical and majorly behavioral questions. Apart from standard questions like sizing the market, or answering about financial models, you might also be required to discuss core ideas with market leaders. These technical and behavioral questions might go for several rounds
Director interview
If you make it to this round, you are basically done. This is more of a comprehensive personality and behavioral test where the director or manager of your service line is going to have a detailed conversation with you about the company culture and your future goals. This will be followed by the offer letter.
Q-1. Do you prefer working in a team or working alone?
Ans- Of course, it's a trick question and asked to determine if you are a team player or not. You can state your work preferences here but maintain a stance that you are capable of working both ways given that you are given the means for it. A good idea would be to exemplify your answer with a past experience of working on a project both in a team and as a solo-flier.
Q-2. What makes KPMG different from the rest of the Big Four? Why do you want to work here?
Ans- KPMG genuinely cares about your career path and offers great growth opportunities. At any level, there are always programs in place that help employees elevate their careers. They provide an environment where you are encouraged to fulfill your sense of purpose and drive lasting change. This shared belief and their culture of gratitude will see you get recognized for your talents and be appreciated for the perspective you bring to your teams and clients.
Q-3. Tell me about your greatest professional accomplishment.
Ans- The interviewer wants you to tell them about a recent accomplishment in your career. Remember, when interviewing for a job, you are expected to sell yourself. The best way to do that is with a great example of an accomplishment in your past or present job history. This can be anything from coming up with a new product idea at work, making a project run more smoothly than before, or helping another colleague in trouble.
Q-4. Tell me about a stressful situation and how you dealt with it?
Ans- This question is used to assess your problem-solving skills, attitude toward work, level of stress tolerance, decisiveness, good judgment under pressure, etc. There are no right or wrong answers. The interviewer just wants to hear how you respond in a tough situation. Don’t be vague! Be specific and give details about what happened, why it was stressful for you, what actions you took to deal with it, what results were achieved, etc. Don’t be afraid to admit that other options were available but that your choice was based on sound reasoning.
Q-5. What are your long-term goals?
Sample Answer: “My long-term goals are to gain as much experience in my field as possible. In addition, I plan on using what I have learned from my previous work experiences over the next several years in order to move into a senior position. This way, I will be better equipped for promotion opportunities when they arise. As such, having a long-term focus is incredibly important for me at this point in my career”.